Hello All,

As some of you may know, She Got Bike is scheduled for September 14th and we would love to have some of you as volunteers.

We need people for a variety of positions and Deb Taylor is coordinating all volunteers this year so she will be your contact person.

AND (here's where the begging comes in) .... We have run into an unusual situation: Many of our volunteers from last year are going to be away during She Got Bike - so, if you've helped out before and you ARE in town - we really need you! AND if you've never volunteered and would like to help out - we really need you too!

All you need to do right away is respond to this post and let me know if you're available on September 14 and if you are willing to help us out.

Then we'll get back to you with all the details.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Susan O. & Deb Taylor

[Note: The metro area has some nice plans for bikes but little to no funding to implement them, this has to change! We need to get this stuff off paper and on the ground!]

July 30, 2008 (Baltimore, MD) - When the Maryland General Assembly passed a revenue enhancement package during the recent special session, it left the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board (BRTB) with a problem we'd all like to have - what to do with extra money. Now the BRTB is looking to the region's citizens for advice.

The revenue enhancement package is expected to produce nearly $340 million more over the next 20 years than the BRTB budgeted in Transportation Outlook 2035, the region's long-range transportation plan. In response to public input and amid concerns about escalating costs, the BRTB has determined that additional funds for capital expansion should be directed toward a combination of short- and long-term transit projects.

"Our transportation network is a crucial element in our region's quality of life," said Howard County Executive Ken Ulman, the BRTB Chair. "Our citizens feel the pinch at the gas pump, and suffer the consequences of increasing traffic congestion. There is growing concern about dependence on fossil fuels and the emissions that contribute to air pollution. It only makes sense to give citizens an opportunity to share not only their concerns, but their suggestions for improving our transportation network, at the beginning of the process."

Hi Everyone,

Wow, what a great turnout for the ’08 Bike to Work Day on May 16! Despite the torrential rains, nearly 85 of the record number of 171 registrants participated. I am happy to announce that Harford County has kept its “title” as the second largest rally in the Baltimore region. For the past two years we have more than doubled the number of registrants and are confident, with your support, that this trend will continue. In this edition, you will find highlights of the rally and some really great photographs from the soggy morning event.

There are other growing trends in the cycling world as well. Since the price of gas has topped the $4 a gallon mark, many folks are rethinking the use of their bicycles to commute to work. This is a good news/bad news kind of situation. It’s great that more people are taking their bikes out, riding them, getting their exercise, reducing pollution and traffic congestion, and saving the environment. But more bikes mean more accidents. For many it has been a long time since they have ridden a bike and they really could benefit from a “bike mentor” to help them brush up on their safety skills.

If you want to learn more about bike safety, or want to sharpen your cycling skills, check out the Harford County Commuter Assistance Website at www.harfordcountymd.gov/commuter/ to contact a mentor. You might even want to sign up to become a mentor. Contact us. We welcome all the help we can get.

Pat Fielder Harford County Commuter Assistance Program

[From the BBC List Serve]
This time they got us good. I woke up this morning for work and walked down to the kitchen only to notice that the light in the garage was flashing. My heart sank when I walked out to the garage and found its door open. A trash can was lying on its side causing the doors sensor to flash. Missing amongst the 3 bikes was Margaret's new Lemond Versailles. To make a long story short I called the Baltimore Co. police. They came out within 15 minutes and took a report, lifted fingerprints, etc. Then the officers noticed Margaret's unlocked car door. Apparently the thief(s) found the garage door remote on the visor after stealing change and Marg's Camelback water bottle. Just click, open and steal a bike. If anybody sees within the next month a Craiglist or Ebay listing in the Baltimore or Washington area please let us know. Here are the specs on Marg's Lemond and a Lemond website pix:

Coalition presses education, legislation as planners foresee network of lanes

By Shayna Meliker | Sun reporter

Rick Wilson's father taught him how to ride a bike.

The pair, who lived on the Carroll County side of Mount Airy, used to travel into Howard County on the weekends to ride the paths.

But one summer day in August 1979, Wilson's father did not come home. As he was cycling along Route 27, when it used to be a rural road, he was hit by a truck and killed.

Wilson, now an Ellicott City resident, did not pick up a bike for 17 years, but he started riding again 12 years ago for health reasons. He was principal of Glenwood Middle School for five years and will start the next school year as principal of Folly Quarter Middle.

But Wilson has taken on more than his school duties. He heads cyclist education and safety for the Bicycling Advocates of Howard County, a coalition formed in February to address bike safety issues through education and being an advocate for legislation. The organization has nearly 200 members and 13 who serve on its executive board.

"There's no doubt that Howard County is becoming more populated, and the roads are getting tighter with more vehicles," Wilson said. "It's not as safe as any of us, bikers or drivers, would like for it to be."

And that calls for action, Wilson said, adding that he believes road safety is the dual responsibility of cyclists and drivers.

"It's too easy for bikers to point fingers at the drivers, and conversely, for the drivers to blame bikers for road issues," Wilson said. "There needs to be an understanding that bikers have the right to be on the road, but that they also have a responsibility to be smart about it."

Wilson has a particular concern for Howard County students who want to bike to school. Wilson said riding to school is a great way to instill a healthy lifestyle in students, but safety issues concern him. He is the Howard County schools liaison for BAHC.

Jack Guarneri, chairman of BAHC, estimated that there are more than 1,000 cyclists in Howard County. Of those, he said 90 percent are recreational and sport cyclists, meaning they ride primarily in the spring, summer and fall. The other 10 percent are people who commute daily to work or to public transportation hubs, even in winter.

But summertime is when cyclists have to be the most aware, said Guarneri, an Ellicott City resident who is an operations analyst at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. He is especially concerned about drivers being less patient with the increasing number of cyclists in western Howard County, where the roads and shoulders are narrower.

BAHC is taking several preventive steps in the near term, he said, including posting "Share the Road" signs, planning safe-riding seminars and creating brochures for drivers about sharing the road with cyclists.

"But we need long-term action," Guarneri said. "We have to increase the width of shoulders on the roads, and we have to be building roads that are conducive to cyclists. We need to create a bike master plan."

And county officials are listening.

Iron Girl Columbia Triathlon Road Ride
leave at 6:30PM - new time to avoid rush-hour traffic

Ride 18 miles on the bike leg of our local, popular triathlon. Meet at Princeton Sports' Columbia, MD & change in dressing rooms, fiil-up water-bottles & be ready to leave at 6:30PM Sharp! It's a no-pressure ride with a rider leader, sag rider, helpful store employees & volunteers from the Bicycle Advocates of Howard County to answer your questions & give tips. Cue Sheets/Maps available; Weather Permitting; Ride Waivers Required
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Columbia Triathlon Road Ride
leave at 6:00PM

A fast training ride for AA, A, & B level riders (22 mph to 16 mph average) on 25 miles of rolling hills of Howard County. Cue Sheets/Maps available; Weather Permitting; Ride Waivers Required
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Bring a friend! Call our store or e-mail lrussell"at"princetonsports.com for more info. See you here.

[Note I am placing this in the Bike Metro section as the Laural trail head is just a few miles from the B&A Trail and the Full ICC Trail will be a wonderful resource for Balto area bicyclist just as the B&A trail is.]

Please make your voices heard at the July 10th Montgomery County Planning Board hearing on the Intercounty Connector Trail! Let them know you do not want any sections of the trail to be eliminated from the county master plan! If you can\\\'t testify, please send letters and emails to the Planning Board and cc the County Council. See contact info at the bottom of this message.

In what would be a very short-sighted decision, the Planning Board may forever eliminate important sections of the planned trail along the Intercounty Connector highway by removing them from the county master plan. The Planning Department (led by the Board) is making the argument that the trail would cause irreparable environmental damage in natural park areas, despite the six-lane highway next door! Incredibly, this is the same Planning Board that endorsed the highway in 2005. Staff is saying the trail may be the \\\"straw that breaks the camel\\\'s back\\\", ignoring the tons of highway the camel will already be carrying.

The Planning Board would replace the removed sections of trail with sidepaths along busy roads, including New Hampshire Avenue, East Randolph Road, Fairland Road, Briggs Chaney Road, Bonifant Road and Notley Road. The detours are circuitous and force trail users to cross several major intersections and countless streets and driveways where cyclists must be extremely careful. That is inappropriate for a trail meant to serve inexperienced riders and families, and it undermines the promised transportation value.

Removing this trail from the master plan would be a death knell, making it extremely difficult to ever finish the trail even 20 years from now, when gas prices have hit $12 a gallon and global warming has ruined sensitive areas the size of Alaska. Even if the ICC trail isn\\\'t built right away, we MUST keep the entire route in the master plan. Highways attract development and employment sites that must be served by good bike routes. Just imagine if I-270 had a parallel bike path. That highway was also planned to have a path, but it too was canceled -- by the state -- 20 years ago.

Trails through parks and along highways were planned to be the skeleton of the county bike trail network, providing efficient mobility for cyclists by virtue of their length and location away from street crossings and traffic lights. The ICC trail was meant to be the backbone of that skeleton, linking together many north-south trails. Unfortunately the Planning Board has removed several park trails from the master plan over the years. This trend must stop.

The worst and longest detour being discussed is the one circumventing the Paint Branch Stream Valley Park. This would eliminate three miles of trail and replace it with five miles of detours. But trail impacts in that region have not even been studied. Changing a master plan should never be done without adequate study. Please insist that the Planning Board fully study the trail (how to build it, not just why we shouldn\\\'t) for ALL the detour sections.

I'm in need of a bicycle "cheering squad" on 6/24 6:00 PM at 2700 Lighthouse Point East (2700 block of Boston Street), Suite 310, in the Canton area of southeast Baltimore City. (arriving a bit late will probably be ok.)

We are 8 years into the State's 20 year master plan to make Maryland the best state for bicycling and walking. How are we doing in planning and building comfortable bike routes to work, shopping centers or even make biking to a trail a pleasant experience?

What is the State's policy in planning and funding extra road width to comfortable accommodate cyclists using the best engineering practices? What is the State's policy in following federal guide lines in utilizing Federal Funding to address the "needs" of bicyclists? Is the state listening to the needs and concerns of bicyclists?

What I have uncovered is truly shocking and has to change! This is a rare opportunity to address the State's implementation of Federal policies and dispersement of Federal Transportation Funds.

Please try and come if you can.

[From Bicycling Advocates of Howard County]

I hope everyone has seen the SHARE the ROAD signs up on the Columbia tri route and on Carrs Mill Rd that Bicycling Advocates encouraged the county to install. Bicycling Advocates also hopes to do *cyclists education*.

Our thinking is the more polite cyclists in Howard county are to motorists the more influence we will have on motorists to be considerate of us. In the next couple months leading up to the Iron Girl triathlon, the Princeton Sports Tues night ride has many newbie inexperienced cyclists. It's a very large ride with many cyclists. To help educate them on how to bike safely and courteously, we are looking for a few VOLUNTEER ROAD MARSHALS to bike along with them on the Tues night ride from Princeton Sports.

Please help these new cyclists learn how to bike safely and do a nice ride too!!!! Princeton plans to eventually provide *yellow jerseys* to road marshals.

If you are interested in being an occasional road marshal, please contact Mike Carney (Mcarney "at" cfmortgagecorp.com). He is coordinating volunteer road marshals. We only need a couple each week. Thanks again for all your interest in helping bicycling in Howard County!

Thanks to Gordon Peltz, Howard Kaplon, and Gary Brandon for a great 2008 BBC Instructional Ride Series

The participants from the 2008 BBC instructional ride series (and previous years) want to thank Gordon, Howard, and Gary for leading this year's class and rides. The three leaders took a rag tag bunch of bicyclists from all levels and turned us in to a rag tag bunch of better bicyclists. Gordon, Howard, and Gary did it with grace, good humor, dedication, and lots and lots of patience.

We gave the ride leaders each a bicycle-related gift and made a separate donation to One Less Car in their honor.