HB 667 Manslaughter by Vehicle or vessel - Criminal Negligence. SUPPORT. Increases the penalty for negligent motorists who cause the death of another person.

Unfortunately, Maryland is a great state for reckless and negligent motorists. Unless you are drunk or drugged - or actually trying to murder someone - its highly unlikely that you would ever pay more than a $500 fine for killing a person with your car.

The reason for this? Maryland applies a very high (and increasingly unusual) standard of "gross negligence" to cases where a person's reckless driving causes the death of another.

HB 667 would remedy this problem by creating the crime of "Manslaughter by Vehicle". It would give a fine and jail time to someone who causes a death as the result of the person's reckless and negligent driving. This bill would put Maryland in line with over thirty other states that have the same law.

Right now HB 667 has the support of a diverse group including the Maryland States Attorneys Association, AAA Mid Atlantic, and the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland. Still, it could languish in the Judiciary Committee if we don't make our voices heard. So, if you live in the areas represented by the Delegates below, PLEASE send them an email or call their office and tell them to support HB 667.

Hi Everyone,

It looks like the legislative alert we sent out last week was a success. I've heard back from quite a few of you who took the time to email and call your legislators. This is great!

So, we've got a little more work for you. The following two bills currently being considered in the House of Delegates will, if passed, greatly improve safety on our roads.

What we want from you is simple. If you live in the district of one of the legislators listed below please give them a call or send them an email telling them that you support these bills. Always remember to include your home address so that the legislator knows that you live in his or her district.

And if you're not sure who your representatives are in the House of Delegates, please check out the state's "Find Your Legislator" site.

THANK YOU!

Richard Chambers, Executive Director

Photo credit: Doug Retzler

One Less Car will be supporting three bills (at least) in the Maryland General Assembly this year. The following is a quick summary of each bill, a link to the text of the bill, and the date when the bill will be heard in committee. If you are interested in writing letters to your representative or testifying in person to support these bills, please contact Richard Chambers at 410-235-3678 or by email rchambers@onelesscar.org

HB 143 - Bicycle Safety

* Requires that a driver of a motor vehicle, when overtaking a bicycle, not pass at a length of less than 3 feet, and that the driver of a motor vehicle yield the right-of-way to a person who is riding a bicycle in a designated bicycle lane. This bill creates a legal "safe-zone" for bicyclists and gives them an extra added measure of safety on the road.
* First Hearing - House Environmental Matters - Tuesday, Feb. 5th at 1PM
* Read the bill http://mlis.state.md.us/2008RS/bills/hb/hb0143f.pdf

SB 204 - Makes transit-oriented development a State transportation priority

* Ensures that commercial and residential development adjacent to transit stations is a statewide "transportation priority" and expands MTA's ability to coordinate and further these projects. More transit oriented development means less sprawl and more options for Marylanders who don't want to travel everywhere in their car.
* First hearing - Senate Finance Committee - Wednesday, Feb. 6th at 1PM -
* Read the bill http://mlis.state.md.us/2008RS/bills/sb/sb0204f.pdf
* This is cross-filed in the House under HB 373
* Read the Baltimore Sun editorial in support of this bill. http://xml.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bal-ed.transit31jan31,0,3701372.story

SB 492 - Bicycle and Pedestrian access on MdTA toll facilities

* Removes the state's current total prohibition on bicyclists and pedestrians on Maryland Transportation Authority (MdTA) bridges and tunnels and gives the MdTA the option of allowing access. This means future and current bridges and tunnels may be fitted with bike/ped facilities.
* First Hearing in the Senate - Not scheduled yet
* Read the bill http://mlis.state.md.us/2008RS/billfile/sb0492.htm

At the Symposium you get to meet and share information with advocates, planners, state and local officials, and community leaders who want more bike lanes, wider sidewalks, better trails and a statewide COMPLETE STREETS policy. Best of all, you will have the opportunity to tell your local representatives your story of why better and safer bicycle and pedestrian access is important where you live.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Date Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Time 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM Symposium

Location President's Conference Center ,
Miller Senate Office Building in Annapolis .
11 Bladen St.
Annapolis, MD 21401

8:30 AM Registration
9:00 AM John Porcari, Maryland Secretary of Transportation
9:30 AM Stephanie Yanovitz, Acting Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator, SHA
10:00 AM Update State Bike Master Plan, Michael Jackson Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator, MDOT
10:30 AM Visit your legislators office
11:00 AM Panel Discussion Bicycle Performance Measures (Bob Patten, Toole Design, Dave Whittaker, Maryland Dept. of Planning & Barry Childress, Baltimore Mayor's Bicycle Advisory Committee)
Noon 2008 One Less Car Excellence in Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Awards Ceremony and Pizza Lunch (Del. Jon Cardin will present)
1:00 PM Update on Baltimore City Bicycle Master Plan, Jessica Keller-Watson, BDOT
1:30 PM "Ciclovia in Bogota" video and presentation, Greg Cantori, The Knott Foundation
2:00 PM A Short History of the Bicycle in Maryland, Randy Mardres, Montgomery County Bicycle Action Group
2:30 PM Talk to your legislators

The Annual Maryland Bicycle & Pedestrian Symposium
Feb. 6th 8:30 - 4pm President's Conference Room, Miller Senate Office Bldg Annapolis

The symposium brings together planners, advocates, state and local officials working across the state to make Maryland better for biking and walking. This year, awards will be given honoring the most bicycle, pedestrian and transit friendly project, and posters will be on display from these and other noteworthy programs, efforts and organizations.

Advocates will have an opportunity to meet with their elected officials and talk about the programs important to your community. For those with strong opinions on new directions in transportation and land use, this may be just your opportunity to use the bicycle as your trojan horse. As you know, transit, regional planning, equity issues, etc. all carry certain stigmas, however, not that many people are strongly opposed to bicycling (unless we're in front of their SUV).

MDOT Secretary John Porcari will be the key speaker, and is expected to announce some exciting new initiatives. Congressman Jim Oberstar (MN) avid cyclist, who as chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure may be the most important person for transportation policy in the country, MIGHT make an appearance. Great turnout is essential! Please join us to support the cause of safer streets and healthy, bike and pedestrian friendly neighborhoods.

For those who believe in actions over words, each year there is a group that rides form Baltimore to Annapolis via the light rail and B&A Trail.
For more information, and to register: http://www.onelesscar.org/what_events_bikeped.php
See you in Annapolis.

The 2008 Bicycle Symposium is February 6th, 2008 in the President's Conference Center of the Miller Senate Office Building in Annapolis. Doors open at 8:30 AM. Learn about some of the great bicycle-oriented projects going on around the state, while rubbing elbows with your local representatives. And don't forget - free day-glo bike pins for everybody! Want to be there? Just register here. Remember, the Symposium is free and open to EVERYONE.

One Less Car is proud to announce that we're the first organization to have the Maryland Department of Transportation's new bicycle safety video, "Competence & Confidence: A Bicycling Guide for Adults", online and fully accessible. MDOT received a lot of input from the bicycling community while putting it together and we think it's a great resource for people who want to be more effective and safer cyclists. It also has some sobering information on our state's relatively high rate of bicycling-related injuries. Take a look by clicking here.

If you have been reading our email updates, or have checked out the Ciclovia page on our website you know that One Less Car has been at the forefront of the push to bring South America's coolest street festival to Maryland's biggest city. In case you don't know what it is, Ciclovia is when big cities like Bogota and Guadalajara open up miles upon miles of streets to pedestrians, bicyclists, roller-bladers and all manner of non-motorized traffic every Sunday morning. It's a great way for people to "take back" the streets and see their city from a totally new angle.

Last week One Less Car's Executive Director, Richard Chambers and Ciclovia Coordinator, Carol Silldorf, rode along a possible route for a Baltimore Ciclovia with city transportation officials and members of the Mayor's staff. The potential route would traverse neighborhoods as different as Federal Hill and Collington Square. The city's wonderful waterfront would also be showcased.

Although Mayor Dixon has not yet fully committed to having Ciclovia (or "Sunday Streets" as it is also being called) start this Spring, she has shown great interest in the concept and has invested real time and talent into making this happen.

See update: http://www.baltimorespokes.org/article.php?story=20071121162452981


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