Bike Baltimore E-Newsletter, October 2009

Bike Baltimore , Vol. 1, Issue 4

Thank you for subscribing to the BIKE BALTIMORE e-newsletter distributed by the Baltimore City , Department of Transportation.  Here you will find the latest information regarding the city’s efforts to make Baltimore a safer and more enjoyable place to bike.

NEWS!

The Baltimore City Council will conduct a hearing on

the Equal Rights for Bikes Task Force

Friday, October 23^rd at 12:30 pm.

Du Burns Council Chamber, 4th floor, City Hall

While this Task Force is a good idea, the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee (MBAC) are already fully engaged in many of its goals.  DOT has since submitted a list of other laws that would help improve cycling in Baltimore :  Complete Streets, mandatory bike parking, Cyclists’ Bill of Rights among others

Please attend this important hearing to make Baltimore a better place to bike!

• The Mayor's Bicycle Advisory Committee will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, October 20th at 6pm in the Department of Planning Conference Room ( 417 E. Fayette St , 8th Floor).  If you want to have comments submitted to City Council on the 23rd, please attend this MBAC meeting!

• The Baltimore Metropolitan Council has completed the BICYCLE COMMUTER RESOURCE GUIDE for the Baltimore Region.  The guide contains an array of information road rules, outfitting your bike, and where to ride.  The guide also contains information for employers on how to encourage employees to commute by bike.  The guide is now available online.

• A map of the Park Heights Bicycle Network will soon be availabe at the Bike Baltimore website.

• The on-street bike parking in Charles Village will return after St. Paul Street is resurfaced within the coming months.  Along with the bike parking's return will be new bike lanes!!!

• The bike lanes on Fallsway will be unavailable for a couple days over the coming weeks as they will undergo "improvements." 

• The biking community of Baltimore welcomes Richard Layman as the new bicycle pedestrian planner for Baltimore County !  Richard will be developing the Western County Bike & Pedestrian Plan as well as focused planning in the Towson area.

BIKE EVENTS

• Tour du Port, Baltimore 's premier bicycle event, took place October 4th with nearly 2000 riders!!! Congratulations to Carol Silldorff and ONE LESS CAR on the Tour's success.  All proceeds from the Tour go directly to advancing the programs and advocacy efforts of One Less Car, a non-profit dedicated to walking, bicycling and mass transit in Maryland .

• Baltimore's first CYCLOVIA event will be Sunday, October 25th in Roland Park!!!  Sponsored by the Roland Park Civic League, Roland Ave will be transformed into a temporary park from 8am - 1 pm between Cold Spring Lane and Northern Parkway .  For more information or to volunteer, email Mike McQuestion at mike.mcquestion@gmail.com

• The Southeast BIcycle Network will be unveiled Wednesday, October 28th 6:30 pm at the Southeast Anchor Library.  See what new bike facilities will be coming to Highlandtown, Canton , Fells Point, Little Italy and points in between.

• The annual Baltimore Halloween Bike Ride (Critical Mass) will take place on Friday, October 30th starting at the Washington Monument at 7pm.

These events and more can be found on the Bike Baltimore website at www.baltimorecity.gov/bike