Baltimore County Disappoints Bike & Trail Advocates
[B' Spokes: I always wondered why we have a law to create priority funding areas for bike/ped projects but next to zero projects that come in under that funding. Well BMore Bikes has an explanation for Baltimore County and why they don't want free money for bike/ped projects. I recommend reading the whole thing but I'll pull some things that I hope will get your attention.]
...
When asked who was staffing the bicycle program, Ms. Schlabach indicated she was the only staff and only at a fraction of her time. She also indicated that there was ZERO LOCAL FUNDING FOR BIKE PROJECTS! The Maryland Department of Transportation’s Bikeways Program and the Transportation Alternatives Program could potentially fund the vast majority of the projects suggested, especially if the available state and federal funding was combined to have state funds match the federal funds. However, for almost any project, the county would need to put up at least some local funding as a match and to devote some staff time to project coordination and outreach. Failing to do so leaves available money on the table for projects that have clear public support.
Ms. Silldorff also asked what else could be done for the county to support these projects. Ms. Schlabach replied for committee members and the public to contact their council representatives to help fund these projects.
[B' Spokes: http://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/countycouncilmega.html]
...
Other ways the county is showing resistance to the national bicycle movement:
- Baltimore County remains the only Maryland jurisdiction NOT to have the East Coast Greenway signed. Some portions of the route are signed on the Torrey C. Brown/NCR Trail, but not the on-road section between Paper Mill Road and the city line.
- No Bikes Allowed signs are popping up at Robert E. Lee Park
- Baltimore County will not support any trail projects along the proposed Red Line improvements, even though it would connect two regional trail systems: Gwynns Falls Trail & Patapsco Valley State Park
http://www.bmorebikes.com/baltimore-county-disappoints-bike-trail-advocates/
What's Related