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SHA begins work on first Anne Arundel bike lane project

By ZOË READ, Capital Gazette

The State Highway Administration is spending $1.3 million to add bike lanes to Route 170 in Linthicum, connecting neighborhoods along the busy roadway with the BWI Trail and the North Linthicum light rail station.

The 1.6-mile stretch will be the first SHA project in Anne Arundel County dedicated exclusively to improving bike access on a state road.

Linthicum residents, however, say they have been caught off guard by the project, and worry about traffic and whether anyone will use the lanes.
...

David Buck, an SHA spokesman, said a contractor will remove traffic lanes and shoulders to make room for the bike lanes on Route 170, also known as Camp Meade Road, between Andover Road and Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard. Completion of the project is expected next spring.

“We’re always looking for opportunities (to) slim down the number of road lanes and still have positive effects to other modes of transportation,” Buck said.
...

The lanes will connect to the BWI Trail, which loops around BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, at the intersection of Camp Meade and Andover roads.

“We hope to encourage the people that live in and near the Linthicum-Shipley community to bike to and from the BWI Trail,” Buck said.
...

<a href="http://m.capitalgazette.com/maryland_gazette/hot/sha-begins-work-on-first-anne-arundel-bike-lane-project/article_b30395be-7530-5689-b120-a8263ce32723.html">http://m.capitalgazette.com/maryland_gazette/hot/sha-begins-work-on-first-anne-arundel-bike-lane-project/article_b30395be-7530-5689-b120-a8263ce32723.html</a>;
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April Bike Rides Brings Cyclist Of All Ages

Via Catonsville Rails to Trails

On April 26, a small caravan of cyclists gathered behind Western School of Technology and Environmental Sciences and followed the proposed route of the Catonsville Short Line Railroad Trail from the rear of Charlestown to the Mews on the Mellor. The first annual Artstravaganza Festival with artists displaying their art work and a gathering of food trucks combined to make a fabulous event.

<a href="http://catonsvillerailstotrails.com/april-bike-rides-brings-cyclist-of-all-ages/">http://catonsvillerailstotrails.com/april-bike-rides-brings-cyclist-of-all-ages/</a>;
(There are pictures of the event in the link.)
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Annapolis Police See Spike in Bicycle Theft

Via Fox Baltimore

Annapolis police say they have seen an increase in bicycle theft as the weather grows warmer.

A total of six bike thefts were reported in April, police said Wednesday. Officers advise bicyclists to use a sturdy bicycle lock and choose well-lit, well-frequented places to leave the bicycle.

&quot;Protect it every time and everywhere,&quot; police said. &quot;Not only lock your bicycle, but lock it to something at least as secure as the lock itself.&quot;

<a href="http://foxbaltimore.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/annapolis-police-see-spike-bicycle-theft-27650.shtml">http://foxbaltimore.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/annapolis-police-see-spike-bicycle-theft-27650.shtml</a>;
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Baltimore County Disappoints Bike & Trail Advocates

[B' Spokes: I always wondered why we have a law to create priority funding areas for bike/ped projects but next to zero projects that come in under that funding. Well BMore Bikes has an explanation for Baltimore County and why they don't want free money for bike/ped projects. I recommend reading the whole thing but I'll pull some things that I hope will get your attention.]
...
When asked who was staffing the bicycle program, Ms. Schlabach indicated she was the only staff and only at a fraction of her time.  She also indicated that there was ZERO LOCAL FUNDING FOR BIKE PROJECTS! The Maryland Department of Transportation’s Bikeways Program and the Transportation Alternatives Program could potentially fund the vast majority of the projects suggested, especially if the available state and federal funding was combined to have state funds match the federal funds. However, for almost any project, the county would need to put up at least some local funding as a match and to devote some staff time to project coordination and outreach. Failing to do so leaves available money on the table for projects that have clear public support.

Ms. Silldorff also asked what else could be done for the county to support these projects.  Ms. Schlabach replied for committee members and the public to contact their council representatives to help fund these projects.
[B' Spokes: http://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/countycouncilmega.html]
...

Other ways the county is showing resistance to the national bicycle movement:

  • Baltimore County remains the only Maryland jurisdiction NOT to have the East Coast Greenway signed.  Some portions of the route are signed on the Torrey C. Brown/NCR Trail, but not the on-road section between Paper Mill Road and the city line.
  • No Bikes Allowed signs are popping up at Robert E. Lee Park
  • Baltimore County will not support any trail projects along the proposed Red Line improvements, even though it would connect two regional trail systems: Gwynns Falls Trail & Patapsco Valley State Park


http://www.bmorebikes.com/baltimore-county-disappoints-bike-trail-advocates/
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Getting on board the Fruit Bicycle

BY CLAIRE BOLDEN, Baltimore Post Examiner

...
Luda Bard, who runs the bike, says: ‘Reactions to this healthy and exciting deviation from the typical ice cream truck, have been amazing. People like that it’s different and our mission with the fruit bicycle is to create an environmentally friendly means of providing healthy organic fruit snacks.’

Run by a Columbia family of five that loves to hop on their bikes and ride the pathways to the farmers’ market, the library, or to the lake for an evening concert, Luda decided to make their family choices into public choices too.
...

image

http://baltimorepostexaminer.com/getting-board-fruit-bicycle/2014/04/09
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KENNEDY KRIEGER INSTITUTE WILL ROAR TO BREAK THE SILENCE OF AUTISM

Kennedy Krieger’s 10th annual ROAR for Autism fundraiser will feature a 25-mile bike ride, 5k run/road race, low-mileage fun walk and family festival

 

BALTIMORE, MD—For Autism Awareness Month in April, Kennedy Krieger Institute will once again bring the community together for its annual fundraiser, ROAR for Autism, on Sunday, April 27 at Oregon Ridge Park in Cockeysville, MD. Through biking, running and walking, families and supporters will gather with a united “ROAR” to raise awareness and funds for research into this puzzling disorder that so often silences the voices of those affected. Since the inaugural event in 2005, ROAR for Autism, presented by CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, has raised more than $2 million for autism research at Kennedy Krieger.

 

Autism is a brain-based developmental disability affecting the ability of 1 in 88 children to communicate and form relationships with others. As one of the nation’s leaders in autism research, Kennedy Krieger Institute strives to provide earlier diagnosis and develop successful treatments by discovering how autism affects the brain. ROAR for Autism gives participants a unique opportunity to help fight this complex, life-altering disorder that affects 1.5 million Americans.

 

The 10th annual event will be a fun-filled day with a meaningful purpose, featuring a 25-mile bike ride, a newly designed 5k course, low-mileage fun walk and a family festival. Cyclists will journey through the scenic countryside of Baltimore County and runners and walkers will enjoy the beautiful scenery surrounding Oregon Ridge Park. After biking, running or walking, participants will enjoy the Family Festival, featuring healthy snacks provided in the Wegmans Wellness Village, live music, mascot challenge, face painting, balloon art,coloring station, enclosed playground, nature trails, food from Kooper’s Chowhound Burger Wagon and Woody’s Taco Island Truck, and much more!

 

Participants and teams may go online to register and build personal fundraising pages—all in support of autism research. Want to support ROAR for Autism, but can’t drag yourself out of bed early on April 27? Go ahead and sleep in, just don’t forget to register to Snore for ROAR.

 

For more information about ROAR for Autism, or to register, visit www.ROARforAutism.org or call 443-923-7300.

 

What: ROAR for Autism 2014: 25-mile Bike Ride, 5k Run/Road Race, Low-Mileage Fun Walk & Family Festival

 

Where:

Oregon Ridge Park

13401 Beaver Dam Road

Cockeysville, MD 21030

 

When:

Sunday, April 27, 2014

6:30am              Registration and check-in opens for bike ride

7:00am              Bike ride begins and registration opens for 5k and Fun Walk

8:00am              All bike riders must be on course

8:00am              5k run and Fun Walk begins

8:30am              Family Festival begins

10:30am            Awards ceremony and mascot challenge

11:30am            Raffle drawing

12:00pm            Family Festival ends and start/finish closes

 

Cost:

AdvanceOnline Registration (ends April 23)

Adults - $35 (Festival only - $15)                         

Children 5-12 - $15 (Festival only $5)

Children 4 & under – FREE                                

 

Late/On-Site Registration (April 27)

Adults - $40 (Festival only - $20)

Children 5-12 - $20 (Festival only $10)     

Children 4 & under – FREE

 

Information: Visit www.ROARforAutism.org or call 443-923-7300. ROAR for Autism is on Facebook! www.facebook.com/ROARforAutism.

 

About Kennedy Krieger Institute

Internationally recognized for improving the lives of children and adolescents with disorders and injuries of the brain and spinal cord, the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, MD serves more than 20,000 individuals each year through inpatient and outpatient clinics, home and community services and school-based programs. Kennedy Krieger provides a wide range of services for children with developmental concerns mild to severe, and is home to a team of investigators who are contributing to the understanding of how disorders develop while pioneering new interventions and earlier diagnosis. For more information onKennedy Krieger Institute, visit www.kennedykrieger.org.
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Look out for a Honda SUV, Light colored, possibly silver or white - Hit and run

image

Update to two separate accidents involving bicyclists. #InfoSought on Hit & Run Driver. Please Share.

SUSPECT:
Vehicle/Suspect #1:
Unknown Honda SUV, Light colored, possibly silver or white...
Driver: White male 50 to 60 years of age, with grey mustache.
Fled scene west bound on Central Avenue

Southern District
Bicyclist Motor Vehicle Crash Davidsonville

On February 22, 2014, at approximately 5:09 p.m., officers from the Traffic Safety Section responded to westbound Central Avenue at the Patuxent River Road in Davidsonville for a report of a crash involving two (2) bicyclists.

The investigation revealed that the bicyclists were traveling west on Central Avenue approaching the Patuxent River Bridge. The bicyclists were on or near the roadway edge line when Bicyclist #1 was struck by a light colored SUV that failed to remain at the scene. The striking vehicle fled west on Central Avenue into Prince Georges County.

Bicyclist #2 was riding immediately behind Bicyclist #1 and as a result of the collision between the car and Bicyclist #1, Bicyclist #2 also crashed. After the collision, the bike ridden by Bicyclist #1 came to rest in the roadway and was struck by a 2005 Chevy Impala.

Evidence recovered from the scene indicates that the fleeing vehicle is a Honda SUV. Witnesses describe the vehicle as light in color (possible silver or white) driven by a W/M 50 to 60 years of age with a grey mustache and dark glasses.

Bicyclist #1, Ms. Kristianson was transported to University of Maryland Shock Trauma where she is listed in critical, but stable condition. Bicyclist #2, Ms. Neel was transported to Washington Hospital Center where she was later released. The driver of the Chevy Impala sustained no injuries.

The primary cause of this crash is driver error. The driver failed to yield to the bicyclists lawfully using the roadway. Speed does not appear to be a factor in the collision. Witness report that sun glare may have been a factor at the time of the collision.

Anyone with information about this crash is asked to call the Traffic Safety Section at 410-222-8573.


Bicyclist #1: Lynn Carol Kristianson, 62, of Arlington, Virginia.

Injuries: Life threatening, currently listed in critical condition
UPDATE: Now listed in critical, but stable condition.

Bicyclist #2: Maile Catherine Neel, 52, of University Park, Maryland

Injuries: Non-life threatening, currently listed in stable condition
UPDATE: Released from hospital.

Vehicle/Suspect #1: Unknown Honda SUV
Light colored, possibly silver or white

Driver: White male 50 to 60 years of age, with grey mustache.
Fled scene west bound on Central Avenue

Vehicle #2 2005 Chevy Impala, MD 3AJ8698

Owner/Driver: Tierra Lesley Harris, 21, of Oxon Hill, Maryland

Eastern District

Bicyclist Struck Severna Park

On February 22, 2014 at approximately 6:30 p.m. officers responded to the area of Ritchie Highway and Leelyn Drive for a report of an accident involving a bicyclist.

Upon their arrival, they observed a 14 year old male suffering from injuries sustained when he was struck by a car. The investigation revealed that several juveniles riding bicycles attempted to cross the northbound lanes of Ritchie Highway at Leelyn Drive against a red traffic signal.

The other juveniles in the group reported that they were attempting to cross when they observed a vehicle approaching. They advised they stopped. They further advised that the victim, a 14 year-old male, did not stop and was attempting to beat the car across when he was struck. He suffered injuries to his lower body and was transported by Medavac to Johns Hopkins Pediatrics for further evaluation. His injuries were not considered life threatening.

The primary cause of this accident is bicyclist error. No further information available.


Anne Arundel County Police Department
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Announcing the best Complete Streets policies of 2013

by Smart Growth America

...
Fifteen agencies led the nation in creating comprehensive Complete Streets policies in 2013. These policies are a model for communities across the country. They are:
...

#6. Baltimore County, MD
...

<a href="http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/2014/02/18/announcing-the-best-complete-streets-policies-of-2013/">http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/2014/02/18/announcing-the-best-complete-streets-policies-of-2013/</a>;
*******************************************************************************************************************
[B' Spokes: Now to see if they follow through or if this is just lip service.]
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