Another barrier to cycling hits the dust

Thanks to the efforts of One Less Car, Baltimore Bicycling Club, Baltimore Spokes and people like you who got involved, Maryland's law that prohibited cyclists on all toll bridges and ramps has been changed to allow the Chairman of MdTA to authorize toll bridges for bike/ped use. Governor Martian O'Malley signed this into law on 4/24 and will take effect in October of this year.

PLEASE do not head across the Bay Bridge or through the Harbor Tunnel on your Schwinn claiming this new law as justification. It is still prohibited. Instead, participate fully in the public input to future construction and rehab projects to make them bike/ped accessible.[Read comment for more details.] You can download the pic from here (DSC_5143.JPG)

FWIW I had a nice 75 mile bike ride that day and averaged 16.7 mph getting to Annapolis (14.? overall for the day.)

by B' Spokes

Like most people I live a hectic life and who has the time for much exercise? Thanks to xtracycle now I do. By using my bike for daily activities I can get things done and get an hour plus work out in 15 minutes extra of my time, not a bad deal and beats taking the extra time going to the gym. In case you are still having trouble being motivated; the National Center of Disease Control says that inactivity is the #2 killer in the United States just behind smoking. ( http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/bb_nutrition/ ) Get out there and start living life! I can carry home a full shopping cart of groceries, car pool two kids or just get lost in the great outdoors camping for a week. Well I got go, another outing this weekend.
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It is important to remember that this new law does not mean bikes and peds are now allowed on MdTA facilities. It merely allows the MdTA to authorize future bike/ped access, which, until the new legislation, was against the law. As most, if not all, MdTA facilities are grossly inappropriate for bikes and peds in their current condition, I do not anticipate that there will be any change in actual access until facilities are improved. The purpose of the legislation was to allow MdTA to build new facilities and/or improve existing ones to accommodate bikes and peds. This applies most immediately to the Gov. Nice Bridge (301 across the Potomac), due for replacement, and the Gov Hatem Bridge (40 across the Susquehanna), due for improvement. PLEASE do not head across the Bay Bridge or through the Harbor Tunnel on your Schwinn claiming this new law as justification. It is still prohibited. Instead, participate fully in the public input to future construction and rehab projects to make them bike/ped accessible. Greg Hinchliffe Mayor's Bicycle Advisory Cmte (Baltimore) MBPAC East Coast Greenway