Sept 08 - Baltimore MD - 2640 http://www.baltimorespokes.org/article.php?story=20100825180237108
Sept 09 - Havre De Grace MD - Biller's Bikes
Sept 10 - Havre De Grace MD - Biller's Bikes http://www.baltimorespokes.org/article.php?story=20100820214141254
Sept 23 - Frederick, MD - Cafe Nola
Sept 24 - Bethesda, MD - Mansion at Strathmore
Sept 25 - Washington, DC - Edmund Burke School [SOLD OUT!]

[B' Spokes: The reason why I interject these comments is to get people thinking differently and quit blaming the victim. So before you dismiss this story as another scofflaw cyclists running a red light consider what you would do if a light refused to turn green. Next, tell me that you have never seen a cruiser speeding without its lights on. While these are speculations on this instance there is a general policy for highway engineers to go out of their way to make sure the detector will not easily detect a cyclist, sure they don't phrase it that way but still state law requires the consideration of cyclists and the adjustment of detectors does not consider cyclists. More after the fold including how to optimize being detected at a red light.]
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By Shawn J. Soper, News Editor

OCEAN CITY – A 20-year-old female on a bicycle in the area of 45th Street and Coastal Highway was struck by an on-duty Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) cruiser on Wednesday morning and was taken to the hospital for treatment of injuries sustained in the collision.

Around 9 a.m. on Wednesday, the biker attempted to cross Coastal Highway at 45th Street from east to west against a traffic signal when she was struck by an OCPD police cruiser. According to police reports, the girl had crossed the northbound lanes of Coastal Highway against a traffic signal causing northbound motorists to avoid hitting her.

The cyclist attempted to continue to cross before abruptly changing directions and turning back into eastbound traffic at Coastal Highway and 45th Street, where she was struck by an on-duty OCPD officer in a marked departmental vehicle. The officer, who was traveling southbound, had the right-of-way, but was unable to stop to avoid hitting the girl on the bicycle.

The initial investigation revealed the bicyclist was in a crosswalk, but was crossing against a traffic signal. The victim was taken to Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury where she was treated for minor injuries sustained in the collision. The investigation is ongoing and charges are pending, according to police reports.

Meanwhile, the OCPD is reminding all visitors and residents to be cautious on and around Coastal Highway. Pedestrians are urged to use sidewalks and designated marked crosswalks. Those riding bicycles and scooters are urged to ride in the bus lane and obey all traffic laws including all lane markings, traffic signals and stop signs.

Back to School Means Back to Basics When it Comes to Safety

As school doors open across Maryland for another year, now is the time to remind ourselves that we all play a role in protecting the safety of our children.  In the upcoming weeks, roadways will again be crowded with youngsters and teens heading back to school - some by car or bus, others on foot or bicycle and others driving themselves for the first time. 

Unfortunately, each year more than 300 Maryland children are injured in crashes during school arrival and dismissal times.  Those of us behind the wheel can help prevent these crashes by reviewing the rules of the road and practicing courtesy and common sense when driving.  The opening of school brings more traffic to area roadways so build more time into your commute, especially during morning and afternoon travels.  Stay alert, give driving your full attention and control your speed, especially in and around school zones, where the posted speed may be lowered. 

Know the rules of the road when encountering a school bus.  It is against Maryland law to pass a stopped school bus while its lights are flashing and its stop arm is extended.  Motorists approaching from either direction must wait until the red lights stop flashing before proceeding.  Remember to be patient when following a bus.  The lives of dozens of young passengers are at stake.

Finally, be on the lookout for children walking along the road and for those waiting for school buses.  Children can be unpredictable, so be prepared for the unexpected.  Remind children to only cross the street at a crosswalk and that, before crossing any street, they must look left, then look right and then look left again to make sure their path is clear before taking that first step.  Motorists should remember that state law requires all vehicles to stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk.

To help everyone make safe choices on the road, the Choose Safety for Life campaign emphasizes that everyone "B-SAFE."   "B-SAFE" includes five key reminders: Buckle up, Slow down - speeding kills, Always drive sober, Focus and Everyone share the road - everyone gets home.  Parents, please take the time to review the rules of the road with your child.  Make sure he or she understands how to cross the street and how to travel on the school bus safely.  You and your child can learn more about safety at www.choosesafetyforlife.com as we all strive for a safe, happy and productive school year.



Beverley K. Swaim-Staley
Secretary, Maryland Department of Transportation

By Bob Mionske

Most people don’t follow traffic laws. Motorists speed. Cyclists roll stops. Pedestrians jaywalk. And that is where the police come in–to enforce the laws. It’s good that they do, because when people on the road obey the law, we are able to predict with some measure of accuracy what will happen, allowing us to avoid most collisions. But what about when the officer is just plain wrong on the law? There are three things to keep in mind during any such encounter.

If you’re ordered to stop, then stop. The officer is not going to let you ignore an order, and the situation will become worse if you attempt to do so, even if you’re in the right.

Let the officer be in charge. Police officers are trained to maintain control of encounters. If you attempt to take control, you will find the tension escalating very quickly. So keep your interactions polite. Besides, nobody likes dealing with unpleasant people.

Be absolutely certain you are right. This means that you must not only know your state’s laws, but also any relevant local laws. Unless you’re sure, do not assume that the officer is wrong.

Beyond these rules, how you handle the encounter will depend on your goal. If you simply want to continue on your way with minimal hassle, then you should politely comply with the officer’s interpretation of the law. If you want to assert your rights under the law, then ultimately you must be willing to be ticketed, go to court and fight the citation.

However, when you were first stopped, the officer may not yet have decided to ticket you; he may have merely intended to have a talk with you. In this case you have an opportunity to discuss why you believe you were in the right. If you want to try to convince the officer that you were riding lawfully, keep in mind that your greatest chance for success is in not demeaning the officer. For example, it might be useful to have a copy of your local traffic laws on hand as a reference source, but suggesting that the officer should read the laws probably isn’t such a good idea.

Often an officer will relent, particularly when he knows that you’re right but stopped you for your own good, because he thinks that where you were riding is unsafe. But if the officer continues to insist that you are violating the law, your only recourse will be to ask the officer to cite you, which means your fate ultimately will be decided by a potentially disinterested traffic court judge burdened by a heavy docket. Still, that’s the place to use all your evidence and powers of persuasion–far better than having an interaction with an officer go south and decide your fate for you.

[B' Spokes: I disagree with the above paragraph. We have had a lot of success writing to the Chief of Police after the fact, no citation needed.]
...

By Ryan Marshall, Times Staff Writer

Among all the things youngsters have to worry about when it comes time to go back to school, getting there shouldn't be one of them.

With school in Carroll County scheduled to start Tuesday, the State Highway Administration is warning drivers to watch out for children and other pedestrians along Maryland's roads.

Once school starts back up, there will be many more children walking, and drivers accustomed to less busy roads in the summer should be aware of the change, said SHA spokesman Chuck Gischlar.

Traffic usually decreases by about 15 percent during the summer as schools are out and people are away on vacation, he said. But fall brings more students walking, and roads are busier from school buses, parents driving children to school and teens driving themselves to classes.

It's important that drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists all use caution any time they're on the roads, said Lt. Andrew Winner, commander of the Westminster barrack of the Maryland State Police.

"It's inherently dangerous to walk on a roadway [that is] traveled by vehicles," he said.
...

By Kim

Wow, thank you for all of your comments on my Cycling and Traffic post.  I received a ton of helpful advice!  I thought that I would add it here so that everyone can benefit.

First of all, there is this brilliant essay from Eye on Annapolis, which was sent to me from Jen.  In the essay, Ann Brennan talks to drivers about why she does some of the things she does while she is out on the bike.  A great read for cyclists and non-cyclists alike.

Kitzzy sent me a few links that are specific to the Orlando area, but are still wonderful tips for everyone.  CommuteOrlando offers some tips about being a confident cyclist.  Cycling Savvy comes from the Florida Bicycle Association, and offers some tips about certain maneuvers you can make while on the road.

Kitzzy also sent the Bicycling Street Smarts manual, which includes a lot of helpful information, plus diagrams about riding in traffic, on streets, in darkness, etc.  I especially like the section on riding through traffic circles, which will be helpful if and when I get up the nerve to ride the Route 30 (Hampstead) Bypass, which is the closest Bike Route to my house.

My friend Misty sent me a link to Bicycle Safety.  This offers a lot of information that was in the Bicycling Street Smarts manual, but in a shorter version with catchier titles.  This site also offers a lot of statistics on how many bicycle accidents occur from different mistakes.  My takeaway is that around 33,000 people die in car crashes in the U.S. each year.  About 1 in 41 is a bicyclist.

After Kitzzy's links that were local to Orlando, I decided to do my own research to see if Maryland or Baltimore had any bike information out there.  I found my county office of tourism offers some interesting bike tours of my local area.  This is interesting, and offers some routes I'd love to try, but doesn't really go into safety at all.

Baltimore City offers some information on Bike Baltimore, but again, this is mostly maps and not really information about biking safely in Baltimore City.  The Maryland Department of Transportation offers similar services, with bike maps of the Bike Routes in the state of Maryland.

The best Maryland resource that I found was OneLessCar.org,   This includes events, news and information for Maryland cyclists, but their safety page didn't include nearly the important information that was found in any of the links that anyone sent me.  It did, however, include a wonderful fact sheet on Bicycle Safety for Children.  There are some great tips on that one, so take a look at it if you are thinking of buying your child a bike.

The biggest thing that I've learned from reading up on all of these websites is that I should sit and memorize all of this before going out on the road.  Right now, I only interact with cars at trail crossings and in my own neighborhood.  I can begin practicing the safety lessons that I've learned in my neighborhood, but it will be a little while before I've learned enough to ride on roads outside of my neighborhood.  Right now, for example, I am still not quite confident enough to reach down and grab my water bottle while I'm riding.  If I can't do that, then I'm not ready to ride on a bigger street just yet.

Image Credit: One Less Car.org

Maryland attorney general rules that state police were wrong to charge motorist with felony for recording his traffic stop.

Making a recording of a police traffic stop is not a crime in the opinion of Maryland's attorney general. In a ruling issued last month from the state's top law enforcement office, Chief Counsel Robert N. McDonald found the legal grounds weak for felony wiretapping charges of the type brought against a motorcyclist who posted a video of himself being arrested on YouTube. Maryland State Police had taken advantage of ambiguity in the law to prosecute Anthony Graber, 25 for the April 13 recording.

"No appellate decision in Maryland specifically addresses the application of that law to recording of police activity," McDonald wrote in his opinion.

Graber had been stopped for speeding on Interstate 95. While driving an unmarked car in plain clothes, Maryland State Trooper Joseph David Uhler cut off Graber as he brought his motorcycle to a stop. Uhler then jumped out of his car, gun drawn, commanding, "Get off the motorcycle" before identifying himself. Graber had a camera on his helmet that recorded the entire incident, which he later posted on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHjjF55M8JQ ). The sight of Uhler wielding his weapon in public over a traffic infraction drew a storm of criticism. Uhler responded by ordering his colleagues to raid Graber's residence and confiscate all of his computer equipment as evidence of wiretapping. By filing charges that could send Graber to prison for sixteen years, the state police wanted to send a clear message to anyone who might consider documenting police misconduct in the future.

Under the interpretation of the state police and prosecutors, a police officer has an expectation of privacy while working on public streets. Ordinary citizens on those same streets, however, have no such expectation and are subjected to constant monitoring by the state's red light cameras, speed cameras and recently expanded automated license plate recognition systems. The attorney general's office examined the question of whether the conversation in a traffic stop constituted an "oral conversation" that is "intercepted" under the wiretap act if a citizen records the arrest. After considering a related attorney general ruling from 2000, McDonald ruled that there is no difference between a police officer and a citizen as far as the statute is concerned.

"The reasoning of that excerpt, which suggested that a police officer would not face prosecution or liability under the act for recording an arrest or traffic stop in a public place, would apply equally well to a private person involved in the same incident," McDonald wrote.

Several other states, with the exception of Massachusetts, have developed case law that clearly allows the recording of police traffic stops. The attorney general's ruling did not directly consider the details of the Graber case, but it concluded that the most likely outcome should it come to trial would be acquittal.

"A court could hold that a police stop of an individual necessarily is not a 'private conversation' and therefore does not involve an oral communication covered by the state wiretap act," McDonald ruled. "This conclusion would be consistent with the suggestion made in the 2000 opinion and with the holdings of the courts in most other states construing state eavesdropping statutes. Given the language of the Maryland statutes, this seems the most likely outcome in the case of a detention or arrest."

By GRETCHEN REYNOLDS

For a study published last year, British researchers asked 12 healthy male college students to ride stationary bicycles while listening to music that, as the researchers primly wrote, “reflected current popular taste among the undergraduate population.” Each of the six songs chosen differed somewhat in tempo from the others.

The volunteers were told to ride the bicycles at a pace that they comfortably could maintain for 30 minutes. Then each rode in three separate trials, wearing headphones tuned to their preferred volume. Each had his heart rate, power output, pedal cadence, enjoyment of the music and feelings of how hard the riding felt monitored throughout each session. During one of the rides, the six songs ran at their normal tempos. During the other rides, the tempo of the tracks was slowed by 10 percent or increased by 10 percent. The riders were not informed about the tempo manipulations.

But their riding changed significantly in response. When the tempo slowed, so did their pedaling and their entire affect. Their heart rates fell. Their mileage dropped. They reported that they didn’t like the music much. On the other hand, when the tempo of the songs was upped 10 percent, the men covered more miles in the same period of time, produced more power with each pedal stroke and increased their pedal cadences. Their heart rates rose. They reported enjoying the music — the same music — about 36 percent more than when it was slowed. But, paradoxically, they did not find the workout easier. Their sense of how hard they were working rose 2.4 percent. The up-tempo music didn’t mask the discomfort of the exercise. But it seemed to motivate them to push themselves. As the researchers wrote, when “the music was played faster, the participants chose to accept, and even prefer, a greater degree of effort.”
...
[but there is more]

I find the aspect of traffic law that requires a officer to witness a event in order for a citation to be issued rather a severe restriction. And if a camera catches the event we need legislation to allow that to be used to issue a lot lower fines and less severe consequences. I would think illegal activity caught on camera would be just as good as a police officer witnessing the event. Illegal should be illegal no matter how someone was caught.

Anyway I have witnessed motorist honking at other motorist that have stopped for a school bus. So we essentially have peer pressure used to encourage more drivers not to stop for school buses and nothing about this on our "hard" 20 question drivers' test.

Expires: Friday, August 27th, 2010
Location Maryland, United States
Issuer Government : County

The County is seeking proposals for the development of a plan for improving bicycle and pedestrian facilities in the rural portion of the County. The plan will be the third phase of the countywide pedestrian and bicycle access plan. the plan will be based on the first and second phase plans but will incorporate different elements to reflect the rural nature of the plan area.