Cyclists ride to Annapolis to achieve passage of 3-foot rule
by Gene Bisbee
An organized bike ride from Baltimore to Annapolis by 85 cyclists on Monday may have ensured the passage of the 3-foot passing law in Maryland, as well as 3 other bicycle friendly measures during the last day of the legislature.
The Maryland Legislature became the 16th state body to pass the 3-foot bill, which goes into effect in October 2010 if signed by the governor.
On the last day of the session on Monday, cyclists rode to the noon rally in Annapolis in memory of bicyclist Lawrence Benksy, 43, of Owings Mills. He was killed April 6 when he was struck by a car as he rode his bike along the shoulder of a road in Baltimore County. Another cyclist also was struck in the rear-end collision.
Reaction
Reacting to passage of the bills, Carol Silldorff, executive director of One Less Car, exclaimed at the Maryland bike advocacy group's website:
"It is time to celebrate! I returned from Annapolis a few hours ago where four significant Bike/Ped/Transportation bills passed! The bicyclist’s show of support in regard to the bicycle safety legislation was meaningful."
Other bills
In addition to the 3-foot legislation, the legislature also passed:
-- A bill recognizing cyclists as legitimate road users. It also allows cyclists to ride on the shoulder if they choose to (they don't have to, though), pass on the shoulder, ride in crosswalks and ride 3-wheeled bikes on the shoulder;
-- A bill making it the policy of the Maryland Department of Transportation to ensure there is a balance between funding for specified transportation projects for pedestrians and bicycle riders and specified highway construction projects;
-- A transportation transparency bill that sets criteria for transportation projects, creates regional transporation impact review, and better tracking of transportation funds.
Much greater detail is available at One Less Car website.
Other 3-foot states
The other 15 states that require motorists to give cyclists a 3-foot wide gap when passing are Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi (effective July 15, 2010), New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin.
The Maryland bill --- SB 51 -- appeared to be pigeon-holed in a committee as the session rolled toward the finish, but it was voted out of the committee late last week. An amendment added by the House of Delegates, however, had to be approved by the Senate before it could become law.
The amendment says that motorists don't have to give 3 feet if the roadway isn't wide enough to pass otherwise.
The Baltimore Sun blog reports that the Baltimore Bicycle Club and the University of Maryland School of Law Cycling Club were among the rally organizers.
http://www.bikingbis.com/blog/_archives/2010/4/13/4504608.html