Name that bill!

Here Biking Bis summarizes States attempt at passing 3' safe passing distance laws across the nation and notes that only 1 in 9 passed. And I'll note that the one bill that passed was named for an 18-year-old senior at Tupelo High School. He struck by a pickup in August 2009 as he trained on his bicycle for upcoming triathlete events.

I really have to ask were is our Jack Yates, Yoram Kaufman, unnamed 14 year old girl killed crossing Route 2 because of the lack of lights and crosswalks, the cyclist that had the right of way and the driver was 100% at fault still lost at recovering damages from the driver, my freind Hugh Macintosh who was mirrored bills? All these stories and more come across my desk and then just fade away, that's just sad. I realize that these stories and names cover many issues but to me its just sad, that these stories are just a tragedy and nothing more. [Note please feel free to add names or stories I might have missed in the comments.]

Anyway Biking Bis has a nice picture of Maryland's One Less Car president, Greg Cantori, demonstrating what three feet looks like when passing:
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Environmentalists Say Legislators Are "Giving the Environment the Shaft"

And the pedestrians and cyclists are getting it too. All out bills are stalled in the legislature with the exception of HB 1155 Which will help mainstream bike/ped projects as well as requiring the state to meet specific goals (other then just randomly spending money.) While I am personally concerned that the State will still maintain barriers to funding bike/ped projects such as: it has to be really expensive before financial aid will even be considered along with a unflexible matching requirement, which between the two hinder projects that can do the most good in meeting the established goals as well as preventing projects from being built where they will do the most good.

Despite my concerns over HB 1155 establishing goals is a very important first step, and the fact that it has passed the House (nothing of importance of ours has passed the House in the last 5 years) this is good news. No we have to wait to see what the Senate will do with their version SB 760.

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Bell Helmets give us a nod of support for the 3' law

March 21, 2010: Should the state of Maryland adopt the “three-foot” rule, like other states have? Simple legislative options that go further than road markings could set Maryland (and the rest of the country) on the path toward being a place where people who want to bicycle can do it when they want; where motorists are not in conflict with bicyclists; and where energy consumption is measured more in miles pedaled than in miles per gallon. Learn more about the three-foot safe-passing distance law here: Give Cyclists Some Room (Gregory T. Simmons, BaltimoreSun.com)

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Tell Congress: Make walking and biking safe!

Did you know that 76,000 Americans have been hit by cars while walking or biking in their communities in the last 15 years?

Most of America's roads are designed for cars -- and for cars only. That doesn’t make any sense in a country where one in three people doesn’t have access to a car, and where half of all trips could be accomplished with a 20-minute bike ride.

A new bill was just introduced in Congress would jumpstart the process of transforming our transportation infrastructure to make it friendlier to bikers and walkers -- the Active Community Transportation Act (H.R. 4722). It would create a federal grant program to fund local projects aimed at improving conditions for pedestrians and cyclists.

Will you join me in asking our representatives in Congress to co-sponsor this bill? I just sent a letter to mine, and it just takes a second:

<a href="http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/t/3224/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=2434">http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/t/3224/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=2434</a>;

Thanks so much for your help!
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Alert: AAA and others back negligent-killing-by-auto bill but does the legislature?

Before getting into the meat of the matter let's see if I can bring the point home with some pictures (keep in mind ~2 people die daily on Maryland roads):

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The chart below shows the percent Maryland pedestrian fatality rate is above the National Average:
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All traffic fatalities per FARS data from 2003 - 2007 (the most currently available):
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Click the picture for more statewide detail.

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Tell Congress: Get America back on its feet with investment in healthy transportation!

Transportation For America Logo

In the last 15 years, 76,000 Americans have been killed by while walking or crossing a street – too many of our roads are built for cars only.

But Rep. Earl Blumenauer just introduced a piece of legislation that could set aside $2 billion for grants to fund safe networks for biking and walking in communities all across the country.

Urge your representative to co-sponsor the Active Community Transportation Act. Sign the letter below and we'll deliver your message to Capitol Hill.

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Act Now for Sensible, Sustainable Transportation in MD!

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Act Now for Sensible, Sustainable Transportation in MD!
Dear Friend,

Please help us ensure that every dollar invested in our transportation system results in a better system that works for all Maryland residents.  Please contact your legislators today, and ask them to support House Bill 1155 and Senate Bill 760!

Problem:
Currently, transportation projects are not evaluated against critical state goals, and funding is not always allocated for the projects that are urgently needed. Maryland needs a more efficient and sensible way to determine priority funding for transportation projects.

Solution:
HB1155/SB760 will ensure that transportation funding requests will be judged on how well the projects meet the needs of residents, and how the project will meet existing state goals for environmental stewardship, economic development, and connectivity for everyday life.  Now more than ever, we need to let our legislators know that we expect maximum benefit from our State dollars, and better transportation for all Marylanders is key to a thriving economy and job preservation.
Action Needed:
Contact your elected officials today and let them know you want solid transportation funding for all Maryland residents! 

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ACT Act Introduced, Alliance Announces Virtual Lobby Day!

By Nadege Dubuisson on March 03, 2010

Representative Earl Blumenauer(OR) just introduced the Active Community Transportation Act, H.R.4722, on March 2nd 2010. This groundbreaking bill creates a competitive grant program with $2 Billion to help communities build bicycling and walking networks. For the first time, communities would be able to compete for multi-year funding to build active transportation systems, just as they do for transit and road infrastructure.

“Too often we take for granted the value of being able to bike and walk to work,” said Blumenauer. “It’s unfortunate that many communities don’t have the infrastructure in place to make active and healthy forms of transportation more accessible. The ACT transportation grants will make it easier for people to get out of their vehicles and onto sidewalks or bikes, boosting both heart rates and community vitality.”

In conjunction with the National Bike Summit the Alliance is asking that you call your representative next Thursday, March 11th at the same time that over 700 Summit participants will have in-person meetings in congressional offices for a Virtual Lobby Day. For all the details, visit the Alliance action center. <a href="http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/memberservices/C520">http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/memberservices/C520</a>;

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Hot List of Environmental Legislation in Maryland

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2- Smarter Transportation Choices for Maryland

HB 282: Bicycle and Pedestrian Access [This bill is really cool as it basically puts bike/ped projects on a similar track used for highway projects.]

HB 1155: Consolidated Transportation Program

HB 461: Three Foot Bicycle Safety Rule

SB 51: Three-Foot Bicycle Safety Bill

SB 624: The Shoulder Rule Bill

SB 760: Consolidated Transportation Program

Transportation for Maryland supports legislation that ensures transportation dollars to be spent in ways that create jobs, improve public health and improve the environment
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Safety is no accident, says Carr

by David Alpert   •   February 23, 2010 10:26 am

Maryland Delegates Al Carr (D-Kensington) and Bill Bronrott (D-Bethesda) have introduced a bill to replace the word "accident" with "crash" in the state's laws. The House will hold a hearing on the bill this afternoon.

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Accident, Maryland. Photo by oh_candy.

The bill would use the word "crash" instead of "accident" where it occurs in the laws of the State of Maryland, such as in the sections requiring police reports after certain types of crashes, requiring drivers to provide insurance information after a crash, etc.

This may seem like a triviality, but it matters. While "accident" has become a common term for these types of vehicular incidents, it also carries a connotation of being beyond the reasonable control of any person.

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