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The problem: Bikes Colliding with Buses

B' Spokes: I am very concerned about how this cycling accident is being reported here. Previous experience with the Jack Yates and Nathan Krasnopoler fatalities has shown that police were very quick to put the blame on the cyclist and all initial reports said "the cyclist hit the motor vehicle" so the police found/made up something to justify their position that the cyclist was at fault, totally in error. And I will assert that if it were not for the involvement of the cycling community justice would not have been served.

Questionable quotes from the article: <a href="http://www.wbaltv.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/Owner-of-Nacho-Mama-s-dies-in-Ocean-City-collision/-/10131532/16265034/-/522nxc/-/index.html">http://www.wbaltv.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/Owner-of-Nacho-Mama-s-dies-in-Ocean-City-collision/-/10131532/16265034/-/522nxc/-/index.html</a>;
* the bike he was riding collided with a bus
* Emergency personnel determined that a bicycle being operated by an adult male impacted a city bus that was traveling in the northbound bus lane.
. [Note: As far as I am aware this is a bus/bike lane, not a bus only lane.]

So unless we have some evidence that the cyclists was traveling against traffic the reporting is highly suspect.

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Cyclist dies after being hit by bus in OC

by Daily Times Staff Report

OCEAN CITY -- The Ocean City Police Department is investigating how a cyclist and municipal bus collided Friday night.

The accident took place on Coastal Highway and 132 Street around 8:38 p.m. Friday night when a 49-year-old Cockeysville, Md., man and the bus ran into each other.

The cyclist, identified as Patrick Michael McCusker, was taken to Atlantic General Hospital and then Peninsula Regional Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.

McCusker was the owner of Nacho Mama’s and Mama’s on the Half Shell in the Canton neighborhood of Baltimore.

At this time OCPD is not releasing the name of the municipal bus driver.

Check back at <a href="http://www.delmarvanow.com">www.delmarvanow.com</a>; for continuing coverage or pick up a copy of The Daily Times on Sunday for full coverage.

<a href="http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20120825/WCT01/120825001">http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20120825/WCT01/120825001</a>;
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[Cyclists] Use some common sense

B' Spokes: This article forgot to mention that cyclists when using a doorway should also press their body as close to the door frame to make room for more important people to use the doorway at the same time. [/sarcasm.]

The point missed here is the travel lanes in question can only accommodate one vehicle side by side at a time. Bicycles need at least 5' of operating width, so subtract that from the roads in question and you get... motorist must change lanes to pass a cyclist and no amount of riding far right is going to change that. And PLEASE remember Maryland does have a 3' safe passing distance law, so you CANNOT just squeeze by a cyclists riding far right as implied in this article.


Re: I was raised that if a car is coming and I am in the road then I need to move as far to the side as possible,

I was raised that ignorance does not trump the law. The law clearly gives cyclists the right to the full lane when the lane is too narrow for safe side by side sharing.

Look at it this way, the law of the jungle is such the aggressive person will take advantage of the meek person every time. The defense against the aggressive personality type is not to be even more meek (ride further right) but to assert your rights.

My own point of view is if you are riding among polite and considerate drivers then riding to the right will probably work out. But if you are riding in aggressive traffic, riding far right is the last thing you want to do.

I may be over reacting to a poorly written article from someone ignorant of bicycle safety but I see this as a sign that southern Maryland is getting more aggressive drivers so you need to do the OPPOSITE of what this driver recommends and take the lane to prevent unsafe passing.

For more info on bicycle safety: <a href="http://www.baltimorespokes.org/links/index.php?category=Must+read+for+bike+safety">http://www.baltimorespokes.org/links/index.php?category=Must+read+for+bike+safety</a>;

The article to which I am reacting to: <a href="http://www.somdnews.com/article/20120803/OPINION/708039857/-1/use-some-common-sense&amp;template=southernMaryland">http://www.somdnews.com/article/20120803/OPINION/708039857/-1/use-some-common-sense&amp;template=southernMaryland</a>;
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New Maryland signs emphasize cyclists' right to the road

[B' Spokes: if there is a road where you think this sign would help contact the appropriate government agency (and cc'ing the appropriate bicycle advocacy organization would not hurt.)]
********************************************************************
by Jim Titus, Greater Greater Washington

...
The meaning of &quot;share the road&quot; has evolved. For decades, the law required cyclists to keep as far to the right as practicable. This made sense when most cyclists were children proceeding slowly. But at higher speeds, riding too far to the right is hazardous. Drivers and pedestrians are not looking for fast vehicles close to the curb, and cyclists can't see them emerging from driveways, cross streets, or parked cars.

When lanes are too narrow for a car to pass a bike safely, too many drivers try to pass bikes within the lane anyway. So on those roads, it is safer for a cyclist to ride near the center of the lane, according to Maryland's Driver Manual.

Section 21-1205(a)(6) of the Maryland Transportation Code says that a cyclist may ride in the center of a narrow lane. But many drivers learned to drive (and bike) back when cyclists were supposed to simply keep to the right. And on any given road, drivers and cyclists may have different perceptions about whether the lane is too narrow to share. So &quot;drivers and cyclists often must guess what the other is going to do,&quot; says Shane Farthing, Executive Director of the Washington Area Bicyclists Association.
...

&quot;The signs will increase safety by providing drivers with a warning about where bikes may be,&quot; says Dustin Kuzan, SHA's bicycle and pedestrian coordinator. A study in Austin, Texas found that placement of similar signs has little impact on where cyclists ride. But drivers moved to the left as they passed bikes enough to increase the median passing clearance by 3 feet.

John Townsend of AAA Mid-Atlantic agrees: &quot;These signs are a really good idea. Bicyclists have the right to use the full lane on narrow roads. As drivers, we are operating the heavier vehicle which can seriously injure a cyclist. So it is up to drivers to avoid a collision. But drivers need information about where the bicyclist might be riding, and these signs will help.&quot;

&quot;The signs may also decrease hostility between drivers and cyclists by informing all road users that cyclists have the right to be in the center of the lane,&quot; Kuzan adds.
...

Read more: <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/15264/new-maryland-signs-emphasize-cyclists-right-to-the-road/">http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/15264/new-maryland-signs-emphasize-cyclists-right-to-the-road/</a>;
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Share the road

[B' Spokes: Too good not to share.]
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By William Browne, Waldorf, So MD News


To answer the letter writer John Limerick [“Bicycling laws,” Maryland Independent, July 18]: It is legal for a cyclist to ride on any road in Maryland regardless of speed limit as long as it’s not strictly prohibited. Maryland law 21-1205.1 (a) (1) states: Cyclists may operate on the shoulder of a roadway where the posted speed limit exceeds 50 mph unless otherwise prohibited.

For instance, when entering I-95 signs are posted “no cyclists, pedestrians etc.” All of the roads listed in your letter are perfectly legal places to ride a bicycle. Cyclists are not excused from the rules of the road unless it’s a closed event. As far as “riding on the shoulder” goes, just because the shoulder looks safe and open while you fly by at great speed doesn’t mean it’s not littered with broken glass, debris and potholes. If that’s the case, cyclists are forced to ride near the white line.

The cycling event you are refering too was probably Bike MS, an event that raises money for multiple sclerosis research. Like any large event, permits are granted and roads closed and cyclists/motorists protected by police during these events.

Not everyone in Southern Maryland is blessed with an automobile. Some people are forced to walk or ride a bike and some choose to do this because they want to be healthy or like to help the environment out.

I would suggest getting on a bike and riding to the local grocery store and back home. See how difficult it is and how abused you feel at the end of your trip. You are just one of hundreds of motorists who whiz by, yell obsenities, throwing things and performing dangerous maneauvers with their vehicle all because you have been incovenienced for 15 seconds by the scourge of the earth “cyclists with attitudes.” How dare they infringe on you.

This is a small example of what’s wrong with our country today. No one can be inconvenienced by another party without taking it personally or berating that group altogether.

<a href="http://www.somdnews.com/article/20120727/OPINION/707259837/-1/share-the-road&amp;template=southernMaryland">http://www.somdnews.com/article/20120727/OPINION/707259837/-1/share-the-road&amp;template=southernMaryland</a>;
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FARS 2010 DATA (Maryland is still in the top 10 (worst))

Percentage of Road Fatalities that are Bike/Ped National Maryland Ranks #8 (worst)
Listing of Counties from worst to best with the total line sorted in to show who is above and below the state norm. (Counties with no bike/ped fatalities not shown.)
County Person Type Total Killed
Driver Passenger Motorcyclists Pedestrian Pedalcyclist Other/Unknown Total
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent bike/ped percent
ANNE ARUNDEL (3)1338.2514.7514.71132.400003410032.4
MONTGOMERY (31)1634919.1714.91429.812.1004710031.9
BALTIMORE (5)2440.7813.61016.91627.111.7005910028.8
BALTIMORE CITY (510)1128.2923.1820.51025.612.6003910028.2
CARROLL (13)1055.600316.7422.215.6001810027.8
ST. MARY'S (37)654.5218.200327.300001110027.3
QUEEN ANNE'S (35)654.5218.20019.1218.2001110027.3
PRINCE GEORGE'S (33)4247.21415.71011.22224.711.1008910025.8
WASHINGTON (43)637.5425212.542500001610025
Total21343.28817.88216.610120.581.610.249310022.1
HARFORD (25)626.114.31252.2417.400002310017.4
CHARLES (17)633.3527.8422.2316.700001810016.7
WORCESTER (47)433.3541.718.318.318.3001210016.6
CALVERT (9)337.5112.5337.5112.50000810012.5
CAROLINE (11)450112.5225112.50000810012.5
FREDERICK (21)1041.7520.8625312.500002410012.5
GARRETT (23)562.522500112.50000810012.5
CECIL (15)952.9423.5211.8211.800001710011.8
http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/States/StatesCrashesAndAllVictims.aspx#ctl00_PageContent_ctlStYrStCrVic6_lblTableName
Last Year
Pedestrian Fatality Rate National Maryland Ranks #8 (worst)
RankCountyPedestrians KilledPopulationPedestrian Fatality Rate per 100,000 Population
1GARRETT (23) 1 30,063 3.33
2CAROLINE (11) 1 33,093 3.02
3ST. MARY'S (37) 3 105,786 2.84
4WASHINGTON (43) 4 147,558 2.71
5PRINCE GEORGE'S (33) 22 865,271 2.54
6CARROLL (13) 4 167,241 2.39
7QUEEN ANNE'S (35) 1 47,899 2.09
8ANNE ARUNDEL (3) 11 539,198 2.04
9CHARLES (17) 3 147,086 2.04
10BALTIMORE (5) 16 805,709 1.99
11CECIL (15) 2 101,199 1.98
12WORCESTER (47) 1 51,431 1.94
13HARFORD (25) 4 245,177 1.63
14BALTIMORE CITY (510) 10 620,583 1.61
15MONTGOMERY (31) 14 976,203 1.43
16FREDERICK (21) 3 234,122 1.28
17CALVERT (9) 1 88,936 1.12
18ALLEGANY (1) 0 75,021 0.00
19DORCHESTER (19) 0 32,650 0.00
20HOWARD (27) 0 288,376 0.00
21KENT (29) 0 20,222 0.00
22SOMERSET (39) 0 26,481 0.00
23TALBOT (41) 0 37,834 0.00
24WICOMICO (45) 0 98,843 0.00
TOTAL1015,785,9821.75
http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/States/StatesPedestrians.aspx
Last Year
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Our View: Bicycles are going mainstream

via DelmarvaNow.Com

...
Each bicycle trip that serves a useful purpose translates to one less motor vehicle on the road. Cumulatively, this correlates to less wear and tear on roads and other infrastructure, less traffic congestion on some roads, less gasoline consumed and lower levels of emissions in the air. Over time, individuals using bicycles on a fairly regular basis to go places to which they otherwise would have driven a motor vehicle become more physically fit and healthier, which could lead to a reduced need for medical interventions and medications. That means whatever money the individuals might have spent on health care services remains available for discretionary spending. That can be thousands of dollars a year per household, enough to make an impact that's sustainable as long as the activity level is maintained.
...

The benefits of accommodating bicyclists are clear: Healthier people, lower emissions, fewer motor vehicles using the road, less wear and tear on both roads and motor vehicles, and more money in people's pockets. If there is a downside, it's not immediately obvious.

This increasing use of bicycles is a movement we'd like to see gain momentum.

<a href="http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20120727/OPINION01/207270318/Our-View-Bicycles-going-mainstream">http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20120727/OPINION01/207270318/Our-View-Bicycles-going-mainstream</a>;
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Press Release: Performance Bicycle Awards $30,000 in Grants - Bike Maryland gets $3,000

  Performance Bicycle ® Announces its 
'Better Bicycling Community' Grants Winners
Nation's Largest Independent Cycling Retailer Awards
10 Local Communities With $3,000 Grants 
CHAPEL HILL, NC - (Aug. 1, 2012) - Performance Bicycle®,the nation's largest independent cycling retailer, is proud to announce the winners of its $30,000 in "Better Bicycling Community" grants. Ten community organizations from across America were chosen to receive a $3,000 grant to support local efforts in making cycling more accessible.
 
"It was a tough decision to narrow it down to 10 recipients," said Performance Bicycle Chief Executive Officer David Pruitt. "We want to thank all the terrific organizations dedicated to making cycling more accessible. Each one is a vital part of their community and we appreciate their hard work and commitment."
 
From rejuvenating a mountain bike trail to raising support for better bike lane infrastructure, each grant will address a critical local cycling need. The grants will be administered in collaboration with the Alliance for Biking & Walking.
 
"It's been great working with Performance on this initiative," said Alliance for Biking & Walking President / CEO Jeff Miller. "Promoting safe and enjoyable bicycling is one of our top priorities, and to have a company like Performance help advance cycling at this level is fantastic. We are honored to be working with each of the community groups and looking forward to seeing the final results of their efforts."
 
The ten organizations that will receive a Better Bicycling Community grant are spread across the country. Each will involve the community and will work with their local Performance store to achieve their grant goals. . The funded campaigns are as follows:
 
...
Bike Maryland (Baltimore, Maryland): Bicycle Friendly Maryland Campaign
Bike Maryland is devoted to improving the overall bikeability of Maryland by implementing the guidelines laid out by the League of American Bicyclists' Bicycle Friendly America (BFA) program. Working closely with businesses, universities, and communities throughout the state, they strive to make Maryland a more bicycle friendly place to live, work, and play.
...

About Performance Bicycle®:
Performance Bicycle® is the No. 1 specialty bicycle retailer in the U.S. and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Performance Inc. Performance provides a multi-channel cycling retail experience that spans more than 100 stores nationwide, and www.PerformanceBike.com, all catering to both the avid cycling enthusiast and the recreational rider. Performance Inc. is majority owned by North Castle Partners of Greenwich, Conn. For more information about Performance Bicycle, please visit www.PerformanceBike.com.
 
About the Alliance for Biking & Walking:
The Alliance for Biking & Walking is the coalition of more than 200 state and local bicycle and pedestrian organizations working together to promote bicycling and walking in North American communities. To learn more about the Alliance, visit 
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MD Streets Rank No. 8 in Bicycle Safety

B' Spokes: (In reaction to the Silver Spring Patch article of the same name.) Er... no. LAB's ranking has nothing to do with safety, especially the overall ranking of all the following areas combined: Legislation and Enforcement, Policies and Programs, Infrastructure and Funding, Education and Encouragement, Evaluation and Planning.

I will also highlight LAB's feedback (note the last item in regards to safety.)

• Develop a Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) curriculum for bicycling enforcement both for new officers and continuing education – focus on laws related to bicyclists, interactions between motorists and bicyclists, and bicycle collision investigation.
• Adopt federal funding project rating criteria that incentivize bicycle projects and accommodations. The state is spending a low amount, less than .50 percent, of federal funding on bicyclists and pedestrians, particularly on transportation enhancements.
• Bicycle ridership, while good, must continue to increase. Determine barriers that people face when bicycling and implement a comprehensive strategy to reduce barriers and increase ridership.
• Add bicycle safety as an emphasis area in the state Strategic Highway Safety Plan and aggressively fund bike safety projects.

The Patch article: <a href="http://silverspring.patch.com/articles/md-streets-rank-no-8-in-bicycle-safety-119465af">http://silverspring.patch.com/articles/md-streets-rank-no-8-in-bicycle-safety-119465af</a>;
LAB's report card for Maryland: <a href="http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bicyclefriendlyamerica/bicyclefriendlystate/bfs_report_cards/maryland.pdf">http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bicyclefriendlyamerica/bicyclefriendlystate/bfs_report_cards/maryland.pdf</a>;
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