Having been caught a couple time with my cell phone going off I while biking I have to say that riding one handed, navigating pot holes and talking is almost impossible and could be a danger to other people. Let us know what you think?

Montgomery County Council recently introduced a sweeping change in its road code. While it had many good intentions it failed to meet those intentions. The following comments are a worthwhile read for any transportation planning as well as any environmentalist who would like to see the transportation network more environmentally friendly.

By Bob Chauncey

We are a growing alliance of organizations and individuals seeking to end the acceptance of over 40,000 traffic deaths a year in the United States. We are outraged at the common belief that traffic crashes are unavoidable "accidents" and are combining our forces to stop these unacceptable and predictable crashes.

The Traffic Justice movement will be based on four defining principles.

1. The primary goal of our transportation system must be the prevention of traffic crashes. We believe the traditional emphasis of US transportation and safety agencies on making crashes safer through technology has failed to achieve reductions in injuries and fatalities on a par with the crash prevention efforts in other countries.

2. We offer instead the principle of Traffic Justice -- the expectation of just and accountable conduct of all participants in our transportation system. Our initiatives will require that drivers, car manufacturers, road designers, elected officials, law enforcers, community planners and others take specific actions toward preventing traffic crashes. For example, some of the traffic justice changes we are working toward would:

- require drivers to comply with all traffic laws and thereby hold drivers fully accountable for their actions;
- require the installation of event data recorders and other law enforcement technologies into cars and trucks to support the adherence of traffic laws;
- require roads to be designed and built to dramatically reduce speeding, while safely accommodating pedestrians and bicyclists;
- restrict any promotion of dangerous driving;
- assist in the passage of laws extending the privilege of driving only to those who have not abused it;
- require law enforcement agencies to assign traffic law enforcement a priority consistent with the importance of preventing traffic crashes in the communities they serve;
- encourage community leaders to support developments likely to yield shorter trips, fewer trips, and more walking, biking and public transit to complete these trips.

Commentary by Bill Wilkinson

RECISIONS -- SHOW ME WHERE THE MONEY WENT!
Last October, Tom Murtha of the Chicago MPO posted a question on one of the listservs about how the various State DOTs have dealt with Congressionally-mandated recisions for federal transportation funds. Periodically, the Congress will direct that the amount of funds authorized be reduced by some percentage. The FHWA allows each State DOT to decide on its own what programs to take the required dollars from to meet their required recision total. What this means is that if they so choose, a State DOT can take ALL of it from CMAQ or Transportation Enhancements or Safe Routes to School or whatever, and not touch other programs.

And, would you believe that this is exactly what some State DOTs opted to do? Shocking.

Thank you for bringing your Aquarium bike experience to our attention. The National Aquarium in Baltimore appreciates your conservation views and is seeking to improve our operations to improve our support of the bicycling community.

After careful review, the Aquarium is taking a boarder approach about how bicycles can fit into our long term plans. In the short term we have decided to add at least one new bike rack to our premises. We are seeking a location that will be more intuitive than the current 2 bike racks that we currently have. We will also place on our website information that would inform visitors about these rack and locations.