If you missed Sunday's ride you missed a great event, great weather and supporting a great cause. We hope to see you next year.

This Sunday, October 5th, Tour du Port rides again along Baltimore's waterfront. Make sure to register before midnight tonight if you want to avoid the higher walk-in registration fee. This is your last chance!

To register or for more information visit our website www.onelesscar.org/TDP/2008/

Remember - This year's ride will begin at the Canton Waterfront Park at 3001 Boston Street in Southeast Baltimore. The park is located right on the water with a view of the city and the big ships that make the Port work. JOIN US FOR A GREAT DAY IN THE CITY!

AND REMEMBER! All registration fees and t-shirt sales help our effort to get more cars off Maryland's congested roads and neighborhood streets.

The Jones Falls Watershed Association will be hosting the Rally for the River this Sunday, September 21st, on the Jones Falls Expressway (I-83) in Baltimore from 8AM to 2PM. The Rally is a great way to get the rare chance to bike and walk all over the big bad highway that lords over the Jones Falls river valley. There is a nominal $5 fee to participate. Parking is available at the Cold Spring Lane exit. One Less Car will be in attendance, so stop by our booth for free bike maps, transit maps, etc. etc.

Last year's Tour was great but we think the 2008 edition of One Less Car's biggest fundraiser will be even better. Here's why:

No more long waits at the registration table in the morning. Everyone who registers online will soon be getting a paper ride number in the mail. The number will identify you as a TDP rider. When you show up on the morning of the event just have the number visibly attached to your clothing and you will be ready to go!

The food and entertainment will be REAL good. When you get back from your ride you'll be treated to a pizza party provided by S'ghetti Eddie's, one of North Baltimore's best places for tasty comfort food. And we've ditched the D.J. in favor of a cool live band!

Location, Location, Location. This year's ride will be at the Canton Waterfront Park at 3001 Boston Street. We'll be right on the waterfront and just a few minutes ride from all the goings on at the annual Fell's Point Fun Festival.

Baltimore's "cyclist in chief" Mayor Sheila Dixon will be our Grand Marshall. You can join the Mayor as she leads the riders out at 7:30AM. Will you be able to keep up with the leader of our fair city?

So, if you haven't signed up, now is the time! We will close registrations at 2000 participants. The last day to register online is September 30th. Click here for the Tour du Port 2008 site. We hope to see you there! http://www.onelesscar.org/TDP/2008/

And remember - all registration fees go towards One Less Car's statewide advocacy efforts!

Richard Chambers, Executive Director

If you have ideas on what it would take to make Maryland a better place for biking, walking or mass transit stop by One Less Car's forum and express yourself.

I would like to invite you to join One Less Car as a volunteer on October 5th, 2008. We will host our 15th annual Tour du Port bicycle ride and fundraiser. The ride, which will start and finish at the Canton Waterfront Park at 3001 Boston Street, we will close the ride at 2000 byclists.

To ensure the success of this ride One Less Car is seeking volunteers to participate as Route Marshals and Rest stop workers along the Tour du Port route. Benefits of volunteering include a Tour du Port long sleeve shirt, good food, and a fun time!

On Sunday, October 5th, Tour du Port rides again along Baltimore\'s scenic waterfront. This year One Less Car is closing registration at 2000 riders. If you plan on riding but have not yet registered, please register as soon as possible to reserve your spot!

To register or for more information visit our website www.onelesscar.org/TDP/2008/

This year\'s ride will begin at the Canton Waterfront Park at 3001 Boston Street in Southeast Baltimore. The park is located right on the water with a view of the city and the big ships that make the Port work. JOIN US FOR A GREAT DAY IN THE CITY!

AND REMEMBER! All registration fees and t-shirt sales help our effort to get more cars off Maryland\'s congested roads and neighborhood streets.

By Ron Cassie - News-Post Staff

One Less Car, a statewide nonprofit organization that advocates on behalf of bicycling and pedestrian issues, will sponsor a Maryland Bicycle Fall Forum for the first time next month in preparation for the start of the next General Assembly in January.

"It's a cattle call; all the bike clubs will be there – the College Park Area Bicycle Coalition, the Baltimore Bicycling Club, Oxon Hill, Howard County, MoBike (Montgomery Bicycle Advocates), and others," said One Less Car executive director Richard Chambers.

"Anybody who's got a bike and is interested is welcome," he said. "It's a free advocacy event."

The forum, scheduled to run from 6 to 9 p.m. , will take place Oct. 6 in the Parsons Theater at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab in Laurel .

[For more information or to RSVP, please send an email to rchambers"at"onelesscar.org]

Chambers described the forum as a summit of sorts, to talk about upcoming legislation. He said it's an opportunity for bicycling advocates to discuss what the state needs to do to promote safe riding, such as adding bike lanes and racks and connecting trails – all of which makes more bicycle commuting possible.

"Maryland Department of Transportation bike/pedestrian coordinator Stephanie Yanovitz has already committed to being there, and we've invited John Porcari, Maryland 's transportation secretary, highway administration people, and elected officials," Chambers said. "I think we're going to get over 100 people to attend. Obviously, with gas prices, this is an issue that has legs."

Bill Smith of the Frederick Pedalers said bicycle advocates working in different parts of the state benefit by coordinating with each other.

"Many of us know each other via e-mail only," he said. "I've only met in person 10 percent of the advocates statewide. I want to know what is happening in other areas and I want to communicate that to all of the bicyclists in this area."

Smith, who said there are good things happening all over the state and in Frederick for bicyclists, said he wants to ensure that routine accommodations for bicyclists and pedestrians are considered during every part of the legislative and planning process, so that all transportation needs are met, not just those of drivers.

Chambers also confirmed last week that One Less Car now expects to continue its annual fundraising ride, Cycle Across Maryland, after planning to drop sponsorship of the event earlier this summer.

After several years on Maryland 's Eastern Shore , the ride shifted its home base to Mount St. Mary's in Emmitsburg this July. In its 20th anniversary this year, the ride went smoothly and registration jumped 25 percent to more than 500 riders, said Charina Chatman, One Less Car's events coordinator.

"The board has not voted on it yet, but I'm 90 percent sure we're going to go ahead," Chambers said.

One Less Car's largest ride, its annual, noncompetitive "Tour Du Port" trek around the Inner Harbor and Fort McHenry , is expected to attract more than 1,500 cyclists in Baltimore on Oct. 5, the day before the Maryland Fall Bicycle Forum.

Our second Baltimore Area Transit Advocacy Summit will be held at the Knott Foundation, 3904 Hickory Avenue in Hampden on September 4th from 9 AM to 1 PM. We'll be focusing on creating a workable vision for transit in the Baltimore area and discussing a legislative agenda for the 2009 General Assembly session.

Seating for this summit is very limited. Please contact rchambers"at"onelesscar.org if you are interested in attending.

One Less Car would like to thank the over 500 cyclists who made Cycle Across Maryland a terrific event this year.

The highlight of the weekend may have been the Friday night awards ceremony which attracted over 300 people. The night was made extra special by the appearance of CAM founder Pat Bernstein, who reminisced about the storied history of the Cycle Across Maryland ride.

After expenses, CAM raised $50,000 for One Less Car's advocacy efforts across the state.

Considering this year's success, the Board of Directors of One Less Car is seriously considering hosting CAM for another year. A decision will be made in the next month. Look for more information and a link to a "CAM pics" page in next month's email update.