Plan proposes 34 miles of bicycle routes around Annapolis
[B' Spokes: Historically Maryland gets $1 million a year just for trails like this (Recreational Trail Program) but sadly MDOT's made up policy says no we don't want to fund trails like this and we don't want to put out any public accounting on how we spend a million bucks. Ref <a href="http://www.baltimorespokes.org/article.php?story=20100430170721104">http://www.baltimorespokes.org/article.php?story=20100430170721104</a>; ]
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By Andrea F. Siegel, The Baltimore Sun
An off-street bike trail links Truxton Park in Annapolis to the Bates Sports Complex. A bicycle lane runs along Edgewood Road between the Back Creek Nature Park and Bay Ridge Road. A snippet of shared bicycle-motor vehicle lane cuts the angle from Bladen Street to Northwest Street.
There are six miles of trails in the city, but few connections between them, and almost no markers to point out routes to popular destinations.
The city council is considering a plan to create a network of 34 miles of marked bicycle routes: a mix of bike lanes on city streets, shared-use lanes for drivers and cyclists, and off-road paths.
In addition to routes that avoid the busiest sections of major roadways, said Iain Banks, the city's personal transportation and parking specialist, the plan also includes safety and educational programs, promotion of bicycling, links to other forms of transportation and bicycle parking.
Bicyclists praised the plan, an 86-page document that lays out a long-term strategy, and officials say the point is to create an environment that allows bicycles to be used safely for transportation and recreation.
But the larger issue may be whether the cash-strapped city will be able to implement it. The price for turning the plan into reality is $2 million in the first five years, with a total of $3.4 million over a decade.
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