B' Spokes: Another reaction to Sarah Goodyear's article by Henry Grabar, The Atlantic Cities: http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2013/05/why-we-should-never-fine-cyclists/5571/

Some of my thoughts; We typically punish behavior that is a danger to others but what about a danger to the individual, like attempted suicide by overdose? Would a several hundred dollar fine be appropriate and discourage that behavior? And even closer to the point I am trying to make, would a fine be appropriate every time you bought medicine you *could* overdose on? After all we are trying to prevent unsafe behavior, right? (Isn't that like ticketing a red light running cyclist when no traffic is present because if the details of the circumstances were radically different then for sure that would be unsafe behavior.)

You see I like to bike on bike friendly streets, or a more appropriate label would be car friendly streets, you know streets where motorists can easily pass me. These typically are not major streets and when you do have to cross a major street you often have to do so without aid of a traffic light. If it really was so dangerous crossing a major street without a green light every single intersection would have a light but as Henry points out we are expected to take advantages of gaps in traffic on a fairly routine basses.

But cyclist must be suicidal, right? Just look no helmets, running red lights, riding in heavy traffic and so on. But just ask any suicidal cyclists and you'll find it is not a very effective way to go.

This gets to the heart of the problem, while I will strongly assert we are not suicidal but just trying to make the best use of car centric road designs we still have to deal with those in authority who think we are crazy or suicidal and something must be done to stop us (That kind of thinking needs to stop as well.) So just as attempted suicide is treated more as a medical problem than a criminal one. We need to stress bike infrastructure is our "medical" cure and fining cyclists for a legal technicality is as inappropriate as fining attempted suicide.

[A few more thoughts after the fold. (Read more)]

B' Spokes: This is why I think it is very important that drivers understand the laws giving cyclists the right to the road and all the benefit cycling has. Not to mention the practically of cycling. For me a 10 mile car trip takes 30 minutes and by bike 45 minutes. So I just "saved" 15 minutes by using the car but now I need to get an hours worth of exercise later. That is not a time savings!

If people think cycling is impractical or illegal you get crazzy stuff like this: http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_23250013/driver-arrested-cyclists-death-had-complained-bicyclists-dont

That's why I am very offended by WTOP's article and the police saying stuff that is not part of the laws regarding cyclists. (Ref: http://www.baltimorespokes.org/article.php?story=20130430133239834 ) We need this kind of junk to stop!

by David Cranor, Greater Greater Washington

Sarah Goodyear of the Atlantic has an article for Bike to Work Week entitled "Cyclists Aren't 'Special', and They Shouldn't Play by Their Own Rules." The thesis seems to be that now that cycling is mainstream, cyclists need to behave better.

I would argue that whether or not cycling is mainstream you need to ride safely and courteously. In fact, an increase or decrease in cycling mode share shouldn't change the way you ride one iota.

Goodyear is asking cyclists to become foot droppers and thinks that more enforcement of cycling laws is what is needed for cycling to "get to the next level." I disagree which is easy to do since Goodyear offers no evidence, no data and no defense of her position. It appears to be 100% emotion-based opinion.

When I look at great cycling cities in Europe it doesn't appear to me that there is some point where increased enforcement is needed to keep growth going. Growth is fueled by better designed streets, laws that protect cyclists, and increasing the costs of driving. If anything, what I've read about Amsterdam and Copenhagen is that they don't tolerate the kinds of bad driving that are considered normal here. I don't read about ticketing blitzes.

She makes the point that many cyclists are rude or ride dangerously and that she'd like to see such behavior ticketed. I have no problem with ticketing dangerous behavior - though if we're really going to focus on the MOST dangerous behavior, that will rarely mean ticketing cyclists. And if law enforcement were to blitz cyclists, it would likely not be for their most dangerous behavior (riding at night without lights or too fast on the sidewalk or against traffic) but rather not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign during a charity ride or at some out-of-the way intersection.
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http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/18870/cyclists-are-special-and-do-have-their-own-rules/
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[B' Spokes: Let me stress that "safety" ticketing blitzes should never be confined to one class of road user especially if it is a vulnerable road user as is too often the case around here. We let motorist unsafe behavior off because otherwise it's a revenue grabbing scheme, automated ticketing of motorists going 12 mph over the speed limit, that's outrageous and needs to stop... ah but unlawful cyclists are the problem so let's ticket them. If the police are going to crack down on the nitty gritty they need to do it across the board! Too many of the unsafe and illegal behaviors by motorists the police are totally unaware of... and that to me is is the major issue. I don't like the distracting argument that cyclists don't obey the laws, motorist don't either and they are the ones that kill!]

B' Spokes: I'm sharing this because Mitchell Krasnopoler is in it. Nathan will be missed.

http://www.kmbc.com/news/kansas-city/Event-brings-cyclists-together-to-ride-remember/-/11664182/20167926/-/ufhx0jz/-/index.html

B' Spokes: This is why LAB ranks Maryland very high, we have policies that say this should not happen and we have personal in SHA that work to make sure this does not happen but ...

Here we are months after reporting and still nothing. Do we really need to get the statewide advocacy group on this just to get a pot hole patched? Something isn't right here.

Ref: http://seeclickfix.com/issues/220714

[B' Spokes: Can you imagine if this was common in Maryland?]

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Via Urban Places and Spaces

Police say charges pending

By Timothy B. Wheeler, The Baltimore Sun

A Pikesville man was seriously injured Friday when he was struck by a sport utility vehicle while bicycling near his home, Baltimore County police said.

Melvin Pachino, 52, of the 2700 block of Waco Court, was riding west on Smith Avenue near Carla Road shortly after 11 a.m. when an eastbound Honda Pilot made a left turn and struck Pachino, according to Julia Hardgrove, a county police spokeswoman. The vehicle was driven by Shunji Watanabe of the 7600 block of Carla Road, she said.
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http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-05-03/news/bs-md-co-bicyclist-struck-20130503_1_pikesville-man-baltimore-county-police-shock-trauma

By Kaid Benfield

A new, peer-reviewed analysis performed by the staff of Jonathan Rose Companies, with assistance from the federal EPA, shows the power of a superior location in substantially reducing a household’s environmental footprint.  In fact, it shows this is so whether the housing type is a single-family home, townhome, or multi-family building.  In particular, a comparison based on national averages indicates that the energy consumption (and, thus, global warming emissions) of a typical household in a transit-oriented location is likely to be less than that of a household in a conventional suburban location (i.e., “sprawl”), even if the household in a conventional suburban location employs energy-efficient building technology and drives fuel-efficient vehicles.

...

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http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/kbenfield/households_in_transit-oriented.html

By Jack Lambert, Digital Producer-Baltimore Business Journal

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Dropkick Murphys and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones are coming to Baltimore this fall as part of an all-day concert in Southwest Baltimore.

The artists are part of “The Shindig” — being promoted by 24-7 Entertainment — on Sept. 14 at Carroll Park. General admission tickets to the day-long concert cost $48.50, while VIP tickets are priced at $125. Tickets go on sale to the general public May 17 at 10 a.m.

Gates will open to the park at noon for the concert, with musical acts scheduled to take the stage around 1 p.m.
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http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/blog/charm-city-flavor/2013/05/shindig-carroll-park-sept-14-joan-jett.html