In search of a champion to win over the (Anti-)Environmental Matters Committee

HB 143 (3' passing) is in serious trouble, it does not have the votes needed to pass the committee so the forecast is that it is going to die in committee. (Please note that there is a correction to our previous statement about Del Malone following.)

The most troubling aspect in this is we really don't know who in the Environmental Matters Committee is not supporting this bill. Wait, what committee is not supporting bicycling?

That's right the Environmental Matters Committee, while Maryland is supporting other more costly green initiatives it is bicycle use, the zero carbon emission transportation that is the scourge of the Environment Matters Committee (EMC). This is going to be the third year in a row that the Environment Matters Committee has given us trouble on a bill of this nature even though past criticisms have been fixed! Enough already!

Kids biking to school - EMC says no, sooty, asthma producing diesel buses are better and a 15-20% increase in morning rush hour traffic of kids being chauffeured is better for the environment then kids on bikes.

Biking to work - EMC says Maryland's bike modal share of about half of the National average is good enough, Having a higher percentage of people who drive single occupancy vehicles is "better" for the environment.

Energy efficiency is often measured in terms of equivalent number of cars off the road, why not get some real cars off the road as well.

Motor vehicle driver's at fault in a crash with a cyclist - EMC says a low 31% at fault drivers is fair, while other states investigated have a near 50:50 who's at fault. This discouraging and anti-cycling bias in Maryland is good for the environment as it gets more people out driving their SUV's and helps keep their insurance rates down.

The increase in mid-block crashes and fatalities for cyclists - EMC says nothing needs to be done about this. In 2006 Maryland had %100 of our cyclists fatalities that were mid-block (29% under 15 years of age,) 52% of all bike/car crashes happen mid-block. It used to be intersections where the most dangerous for cyclists, times have changed and we need laws to reflect that change and the lack of safe passing distance is a contributing factor in mid-block crashes.

Maryland needs to strongly encourage cycling both for the health of the environment and health of its population. Please take the time to respond.

(Note: Statements attributed to EMC are not quotes, only statements about the results of their inaction.)

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First off our sincere apologies to Del. Malone who has been working very hard in pushing this bill. Next our sincere condolences to Maggie McIntosh on her loss in the family, this has put extra pressure on Malone as vise chair of the committee.

But we still have a problem, everyone seems to be in support of the bill but we do not have enough votes to pass the committee. (I know, does not make sense but that's how politics work.)

We desperately need someone to champion this bill past the nay sayers.
* That means those of you who have compelling real life stories and examples, get those to the full committee.
* That means encouraging your rep on the committee to get more involved and challenge their colleagues to support this bill.
* Report situations that have happened in the reps district even if you don't live there.
* That means forwarding this story to any and all potentially interested parties.
* That means writing letters to the newspaper.

Also keep it POSITIVE when writing (We totally blew that point last alert, sorry again Jimmy.)

To briefly answer some concerns that have been reported back:

It is unenforceable:
* Trust me, if a motorist passes a police officer on a bike (yes we do have those) with a foot or so space he would be more then willing to give a ticket and make it stick if we had a law that was clear.
* As with most other traffic laws the enforcement comes to play at the analysis of a crash or in court. We need enforcement of the fact that cyclists need more then just inches of safe passing distance, Wwe need to restore balance to who is at fault.

How are motorist expected to pass if a cyclists is hogging the road?:
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Baltimore Spokes
https://www.baltimorespokes.org/article.php?story=20080309153341392