SURVEY: "SHARE THE ROAD" SIGNS INEFFECTIVE

-> Delaware got rid of its "Share the Road" signs about two years ago. They were widely misinterpreted — by both motorists and cyclists — as an exhortation to cyclists to stop "hogging" the road, or as a recommendation that drivers and cyclists share a lane (leading to tight squeezes and close passes). The state dumped the confusing message in favor of a less ambiguous one asserting that bicycles "may use full lane." A new survey (Bicycles May Use Full Lane" Signage Communicates U.S. Roadway Rules and Increases Perception of Safety: http://bit.ly/1ivTM8x) confirms that Delaware had the right idea. In all 50 states, cyclists have a right to the road — including the center of the lane, if that's the safest place for them to be. Turns out "Share the Road" had no effect whatsoever in leading people to respect cyclists' right to occupy a full lane of traffic. A sharrow helped a little. In the survey, by far the clearest indication that cyclists have an equal right to the road was a sign stating unequivocally that cyclists "may use full lane." http://bit.ly/1O0b4YA

from CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling & Walking.
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FIT BEFORE FLICKS: Tours de Federal Hill

Via Race Pace

Join us for relaxed evening bike rides before #Flicks!

When: Thursday, July 14 AND Thursday, August 4
Starts: 6:30pm @ Race Pace Bicycles (1410 Key Hwy)
Ends: ~ 8pm @ AVAM (800 Key Hwy)
Cost: FREE to ride!

AVAM & Race Pace Bicycles are teaming up once again for the annual Tours de Federal Hill bike rides – offered on 2 different Flicks nights! See the local sights & scenery from the seat of your 2-wheeler on these relaxed, evening rides. Each night, we'll meet at 6:30pm at Race Pace Bicycles (1410 Key Hwy), then pedal through the historic neighborhoods & parks of Federal Hill, ending at AVAM around 8pm – just in time for you to visit the museum & catch the free Flicks From The Hill movie at 9pm! Bring your own bike, or rent one from Race Pace Federal Hill (please call ahead to reserve as supply is limited: 410-986-0001); helmets, lights & locks are encouraged too. After the ride, take a stroll through our current exhibition: The Big Hope Show, as the museum is OPEN & FREE from 5pm to 9pm on Flicks nights. Then grab a blanket and relax under the stars while you enjoy the free outdoor movies on Federal Hill – part of AVAM's critically acclaimed, free outdoor film series: Flicks From The Hill.

http://www.avam.org/news-and-events/events/flicks-tours-de-fed-hill.shtml
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CDC: America Falling Behind Other Nations on Traffic Safety

by Angie Schmitt, Streets Blog

How is the U.S. doing on traffic safety?

To hear a lot of people tell it, we’re making great strides. President Obama recently referred to the reduction in American traffic deaths as a success story of sorts, contrasting it with the rise in gun deaths.

But while traffic fatalities in America are indeed trending downward, the improvement pales in comparison to what other countries have achieved, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control.
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http://usa.streetsblog.org/2016/07/07/cdc-america-falling-behind-other-nations-on-traffic-safety/
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MTA Bus Network Redesign

Network Redesign
The current MTA bus network has many routes that are antiquated, serve outdated job locations and are too long to manage reliably. Additionally, the routes that currently traverse downtown Baltimore compound congestion and jeopardize on-time reliability throughout the system. Under BaltimoreLink, we've created a more efficient and reliable bus network by spreading out the routes within the downtown core and creating a grid of high frequency routes serving more downtown locations. To accomplish these needed improvements, we are implementing three levels of bus service:
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https://mta.maryland.gov/baltimorelink/service/network-redesign
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Four wheels or two, safe roads are due

By The Herald Editorial Board

Even for the state ranked as the No. 1 Bicycle Friendly State, it still takes a court to explain to some cities that bicycles are a legitimate form of transportation and not just something that kids ride around the neighborhood.

Last week a state appellate court ruled that cycling is as much a mode of “ordinary travel” as motor vehicles and that cities and counties have to provide safe roadways for all traffic, whether its done on four wheels, two wheels or two feet.
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http://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/four-wheels-or-two-safe-roads-are-due
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Traffic pollution tied to slower cognition in schoolchildren

Via CBC News

Children who attend school in heavy traffic areas may show slower cognitive development and lower memory test scores, Spanish researchers have found.

About 21,000 premature deaths are attributed to air pollution in Canada each year, according to the Canadian Medical Association. The detrimental effects of air pollution on cardiovascular health and on the lungs are well documented and now researchers are looking at its effects on the brain.
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http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/health/traffic-pollution-tied-to-slower-cognition-in-schoolchildren-1.2980163
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We're getting closer to having a bike trail from DC to Baltimore

by David Cranor , Greater Greater Washington

Last month, a 1.7 mile section of the WB&A Trail opened, bringing the separate parts in Anne Arundel and Prince George's County as close to one another as they've ever been.
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http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/31060/were-getting-closer-to-having-bike-trail-from-dc-to-baltimore/
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Bicycling: The SAFEST Form of Transportation

By Mr Money Mustache

Of all the objections I get from people about why they can’t ride a bike to get around, perhaps the most frustrating is the claim that bicycling is too dangerous. According to this line of reasoning, we all need the protection of a two-tonne steel cage in order to survive the trip to the office or the grocery store.

I’ve always felt that this was complete bullshit, ...

http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2013/06/13/bicycling-the-safest-form-of-transportation/
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