Bad drivers, dead bicyclists

Let's save for another time the argument about reckless bicyclists, the crazies who blow through stop signs, ride the wrong way and act like they own the road.

Timothy O'Donnell wasn't one of those cyclists.

He was a 66-year-old cyclist properly signaling a left turn on Cornelius-Schefflin Road on Saturday when he was struck and killed by a car driven by a woman with a suspended license. She hit O'Donnell when she tried to pass him and four other riders.

This case has nothing to do with cycling behavior. It has everything to do with how Oregon law treats cyclists like roadkill, even when they are run over by careless motorists.

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Alt transportation modal share 2005

 

 

Public transportation (excluding taxicab)

Walked

Bicycle

Baltimore city, Maryland

18.90%

5.40%

0.40%

Washington city, District of Columbia

37.70%

10.00%

1.70%

Philadelphia city, Pennsylvania

25.90%

8.10%

0.90%

Pittsburgh city, Pennsylvania

19.20%

9.30%

1.00%

 

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Numbers State The Obvious, Portlanders Love Bikes And Busses

By Andrew Theen - OPB

The percentage of Portlanders who bike to work is 8 times the national average. That's according to data from the 2005 American Community Survey, or ACS.

The ACS is an annual, and census officials say, more thorough version of the once-a-decade census.

Portland City Auditor Gary Blackmer says having so much accurate yearly data allows policy-makers to raise up to date questions with city leaders.

Gary Blackmer: "There's been huge growth in bicycling, in walking. Let's focus on multi-modal transportation. Let's not say it's either cars or mass transit. What are the other ways that we can get people to their jobs."

Portland and Multnomah County were original test areas for the American Community Survey a decade ago. The ACS will officially replace the long-form census in 2010.

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East Cost Greenway 2007 Close the Gaps Ride

From June 13-15, members of the ECGA's Board of Trustees, Trail Council, Advisory Board and several other friends and associates of the Greenway will cycle from Baltimore to Washington, DC. The riders aim to promote use of the Greenway and bring attention to the gap areas in this corridor.

The main goals of the ride are to:
* Raise awareness of the ECG and the gaps that need to be closed between Baltimore and Washington, DC
* Show that the ECG is a wonderful, safe, accessible trail for vacations or daily use
* Show how simple it is to take a self-supported tour of the ECG
* Celebrate the route, the history and culture of the region, and links to important sites and trails

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Footloose and fancy town

Proposed Towson makeover would push out the cars and bring in the walkers
By Ruma Kumar
Sun Reporter
June 10, 2007

Landscape architect Roland Oehme's dream is modest: He wants to be able to bike from his home in West Towson to the center of the Baltimore County seat without risking his life. So far, it's easier said than done.

On a recent bike ride into the heart of town, he said, he barely avoided a wreck on Bosley Avenue -- a "treacherous" mix of six lanes of cars whizzing past at 50 mph, impatient drivers and traffic lights that don't allow walkers or bikers enough time to cross.

Over the past week, Oehme's cautionary tale mingled with concerns and suggestions from about 150 residents and business owners, spawning a series of recommendations that would make Towson more pedestrian- and bike-friendly -- and more attractive for shops and outdoor dining.

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There are no chickens crossing the road here

By Michael Dresser, Baltimore Sun

Be warned. If you are a pedestrian on O'Donnell Street in East Baltimore, the vast majority of the drivers there would rather run you down and kill you dead, dead, dead than slow down even a smidgen to let you use the crosswalk in which you have the legal right of way.

This is not hyperbole. I spent several hours last week observing the behavior of the drivers in the vicinity of the midblock crosswalk linking the old National Brewery with the building that now houses Elder Health. I crossed and recrossed O'Donnell Street dozens of times to see whether drivers would stop for foot traffic.

Fat chance. More than 90 percent ignored the signs and blew through the crosswalk without pause - even if a pedestrian was stepping off the curb. Some grudgingly slowed. A few actually stopped. But most made it clear through their actions that you proceeded into the crosswalk at your peril.

This included supposed professionals. As I stepped off a curb, a FedEx driver - with plenty of room in which to brake - showed a steely determination to accelerate over my dead body if necessary. A little later, a UPS driver exemplified that company's competitive spirit by doing the same.

Couldn't the city do something about it? It already is. The city government van that rumbled through the crosswalk nearly achieved an O'Donnell Street speed record as a uniformed public servant glared down at the pedestrian who had the temerity to think of crossing.

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Ecotour to Germany 2007

Baltimore-Towson, Maryland, 28.May.2007: Green Harmony Tours has organized a unique summer ecotour to Germany titled "Adventure Ecotour of Germany 2007: Discovering Saxony's Secret Green Architecture and Gardens", which occurs August 24 - September 5, 2007.

The tour director, Roland Oehme, his wife Naoko Oehme, and Achim Muller will be your personal tour guides on this unique tour. Roland's father, Wolfgang Oehme, the world renowned, German-born landscape architect, will also make appearances on the tour. Roland, his father Wolfgang, and Achim have gained special insights from years of practice in landscape architecture and garden design, and from many years of travel to Germany visiting its significant buildings, parks, gardens, and unique garden shows.

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Kid

Prosecutors in Lewis County, W.Va., are reviewing a bicycle accident last week that killed a 58-year-old newspaper publisher to determine if a teenager's prank amounted to criminal liability in the death.

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