By SARAH GOODYEAR, The Atlantic Cities

Bicycling is such an integral part of life in the Netherlands, you might think that Dutch people are born knowing how to cycle.

They aren’t, of course. What’s kind of wonderful is the way that they learn.

It’s not just a matter of going to the park with a parent, getting a push, and falling down a bunch of times until you can pedal on your own. Dutch children are expected to learn and follow the rules of the road, because starting in secondary school – at age 12 – they are expected to be able to ride their bikes on their own to school, sometimes as far as nine or 10 miles.

Because this independent travel for children is valued in Dutch society, education about traffic safety is something that every Dutch child receives. There's even a bicycle road test that Dutch children are required to take at age 12 in order to prove that they are responsible cycling citizens.
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http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2012/05/why-theres-no-war-between-drivers-and-cyclists-netherlands/1955/

[B' Spokes: An interesting idea but I still like the speed camera lottery better (Ref: http://www.baltimorespokes.org/article.php?story=20101223194142460 )]
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by Ben Ross, Greater Greater Washington

Opponents of speed cameras often insist that they don't want drivers to speed—what they object to is the revenue-raising function of the cameras and their invasion of privacy. There may be a way to give these critics what they say they want, at least on some roads, while curbing excess speed more effectively.

How about wiring radars to turn the next traffic light red whenever a speeder passes? Instead of getting a ticket in the mail, a speeder would just get a red light. With the right settings, this would slow down all speeders—including those who speed by less than 12 mph.
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http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/18476/instead-of-tickets-turn-lights-red-for-speeders/

Via Comeback City

MDOT is requesting $882,000 for the implementation of “Charm City Bikeshare.” 44 stations and 425 bicycles are envisioned. Great news! However, it takes two to tango, and Baltimore will still need better bicycle infrastructure to create a beautiful dance in Charm City. Baltimore has made strides, but Bicycle Magazine is probably on target ranking Charm City 48th out of its top 50 US bicycling cities. Baltimore falls right behind Fargo, North Dakota and Anchorage, Alaska on the list.

To leap ahead of our frost covered competition, Baltimore should build a bike friendly infrastructure network, focusing on its destination rich center to complement Bikeshare. Envision a resident or a visitor starting their Charm City Bikeshare experience in Inner Harbor East. “Sharing” a bike to reach the Convention Center, Camden Yards, University of Maryland Baltimore/Hippodrome, or Penn Station, are all indirect awkward bicycle trips. However, these are the kind of bread and butter trips that make for a successful Bikeshare system.
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http://comebackcity.us/2013/04/23/baltimore-bikeshare-needs-a-tango-partner-better-bicycle-infrastructure/

Via Washcycle

Disappointing article on WTOP.

Washington Area Bicyclist Association Director Shane Farthing says bicyclists have the right to use the full travel lanes at all times and that cars must yield and simply wait behind a slow-moving bike.

"Cyclists can't necessarily always go as fast as traffic, but the law does give cyclists the right to use the road," says Farthing.

So far, so good...

But Montgomery County Police Lt. Bob McCullough, deputy director of the traffic division, says that's not the case.

Slow-moving bikes need to move to the right-hand side of the roadway particularly "when they reach a point that they are impeding traffic."

Is Bob McCullough calling in from the 80's? But it gets worse.

D.C., Maryland and Virginia law states bicyclists can ride the center of the travel lane only if they're going the speed limit.

There is no such law. The speed limit is an UPPER limit, not a lower limit. You are not required to maintain that speed, and there is no law against "impeding traffic".  The law in Maryland reads:

Riding to the right not required when traveling at the speed of traffic, operating on a one-way street, passing, preparing for a left turn, avoiding hazards, avoiding a mandatory turn lane or traveling in a lane too narrow to share.

So there are many more excpetions to "riding right" in Maryland than just "traveling at the speed of traffic" which is not the same as "the speed limit." In DC the law is even farther from what WTOP reports:

Operate a bicycle in a safe and non-hazardous manner... so as not to endanger himself or herself or any other person.

WTOP, you are not the New York Post. Don't try to be.

http://www.thewashcycle.com/2013/04/montgomery-county-police-say-get-out-of-the-way-or-something.html

By SARAH GOODYEAR, The Atlantic Cities

Getting regular aerobic exercise, such as walking, may be one of the best ways to stave off dementia, a finding recently reconfirmed by yet another study.

But older Americans are the most at risk for being killed when they go out on foot in their communities, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control.

It’s just another illustration of the inherently ridiculous situation faced by a huge proportion of the American public. Even as we recognize that regular exercise is good for people of all ages – including and especially kids and senior citizens – we continue to build communities that make it especially hazardous for those very same people to go for a simple walk to the store.
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http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2013/04/walking-may-help-prevent-dementia-seniors-if-only-they-could-do-it-safely/5359/

Please take some time to help get cycling a bigger priority.

http://mtp2035.metroquest.com/

Via U.S. Department of Transportation

,,,
Last month at the National Bike Summit, I said "It's time to take the bicycling renaissance to the next level." And I proposed to help do that by changing the conversation from "Bicycling has earned a seat at the transportation table," to "Like all forms of transportation, bicycling must be safe."
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After all, whether you're driving a tractor-trailer, sitting in the back seat of a minivan, or pedaling a bike, the road safety you enjoy shouldn't depend on the number of wheels you're riding on.
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When I say that safety is this Department's number one priority, there's no exception for bikes. With more bicyclists on our streets, helping them ride safely is not a luxury; it's part of our obligation.
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http://fastlane.dot.gov/2013/04/bike-safety-summits-get-the-green-light.html

By ISAAC RIDDLE, NEXT CITY

For car owners, the only good news to come out of this year’s “Your Driving Costs” study, an annual report from AAA, is that the price of tires and tire maintenance has not gone up. But all other costs of car ownership, from gas to insurance, have collectively increased by nearly 2 percent since last year.

Looking at overall maintenance costs, insurance and gasoline prices based on a year of driving 15,000 miles, the study found that the average sedan costs 60.8 cents per mile, or $9,122 a year. When broken down, maintenance costs rose by 11.26 percent, the price of fuel rose by just under 2 percent and insurance costs rose by nearly 3 percent.

SUVs continue to reign in the price department, putting drivers with a penchant for big cars back an average of $11,599 a year. Conversely, small sedans represent the most cost-effective option, at $6,967 a year.

And that’s not even accounting for parking fees and potential tickets.
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http://nextcity.org/daily/entry/aaa-cost-of-car-ownership-on-the-rise

by Brendon Slotterback, Streets.MN

Standing side by side with many state DOT heads, US DOT Secretary Ray La Hood and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced a new public safety campaign to encourage less driving, lower speeds, and encourage more cycling and walking to meet the nation’s transportation needs.

“For too long, the assumption has been that the negative impacts of auto travel are just the price we must pay for modern life”, said Secretary LaHood, “Well, no longer. It’s time to build a people-centered transportation system. We have the tools and policies to make change now, and we need to get to work.” LaHood urged DOTs and municipalities to begin immediately by reducing speed limits on residential streets, narrowing streets, and installing protected cycling facilities. LaHood also pointed to the benefits of the change, citing the continuing decline in vehicle travel nationwide. “Cities, counties and states no longer need to pour money into new infrastructure that will serve fewer and fewer drivers while their existing roads crumble. We’ll be doing our pocketbooks and the climate a favor while we reactivate our streets and improve public health”.

“The use of motor vehicles, like smoking, heart disease and other public health threats, pose a grave risk to our children, friends and neighbors,” said Secretary Sebelius. Sebelius cited motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of death among US children, and pointed to the link between childhood asthma and heavily congested streets in announcing that she would make the reduction in use of the automobile a top priority for her agency. “Just as we pulled out all the stops to address smoking, especially among teens, we will make it a priority to not only build a new transportation system, but engage the public in a broad dialog about the automobile’s impact on our health and the health of our planet”.
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http://www.streets.mn/2013/04/01/us-dot-and-hhs-announce-cars-kill-campaign-to-reduce-driving/