When life imitates art
We have congestion and we want more cars to make it worse?
Bumper-to-bumper traffic is America’s collective nightmare, and like the movie Groundhog Day it repeats on a daily basis....
Yet over 100 million automobile commuters each day feel like they have little option. “We put so much of our national wealth and our identity into the whole motoring thing,” says James Howard Kunstler, author of Geography of Nowhere, “that we can’t imagine doing something different.”
Anthony Downs, author of Stuck in Traffic has identified four reasons for America’s congestion problem, also applicable to most European and Asian economies: first, most of us work during the same hours of the day; second, the country’s economic success has allowed households to buy multiple cars; third, there are more people now than when most roadways were conceived; fourth, more cars means more accidents which means more delays. [Note: cyclists are not the problem here, its too many cars.]
In other words, this problem isn’t going anywhere. So the Daily Beast set out to figure out the worst of the worst.
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#21, Baltimore Beltway, surrounds Baltimore
Weekly hours of bottleneck congestion: 152
Worst bottleneck: Southbound, I 70/Exit 16
Length of worst bottleneck: .46 mi
Weekly hours of congestion on worst bottleneck: 13
Speed of worst bottleneck when congested: 24.3 mph
[If my math is right going from 60mph down to 24.3mph for .46 of a mile is a delay of 40 seconds for the individual. OMG How can people live with such conditions? :p Anyway if you want to avoid the frustration... bike, it's fun, good for you and it makes it easier on those that drive. It's a win win solution.]
Cycling in Baltimore (the little green card)
Avid cyclists and aspiring city bike riders are recommended to keep their eyes peeled for this handy little green wallet card containing a wealth of information about bicycling in Baltimore. The card has been distributed to area businesses and organizations.
The Resource Card For Baltimore Bike Enthusiasts has been created courtesy of Tour Dem Parks, a major fund raising event focused on supporting groups and organizations dedicated to improving Baltimore’s park system.
Below is an sample of some of the information contained in the card:
Baltimore Bicycle Organizations & Information
Baltimore Bike Club
Baltimore Spokes
Charm City Cycling
One Less Car
Velocipede
Baltimore Bicycle Shops
The City of Laurel Gets Tough on Cyclists Riding on Public Parking Lots? WTF?
"It is unlawful for any person to ride any bicycle, moped, motor vehicle or play vehicle, on any public parking lot and public sidewalks in the City of Laurel, except those areas designated (none current and when approved, by sign designation)"Oh and lose that "Recreational Vehicle" title some people believe it or not use their bike as transportation just like a car.
Veloci-Prom!!!!
Start Time: Saturday, February 13, 2010 at 9:00pm
End Time: Sunday, February 14, 2010 at 2:00am
Location: The Windup Space
Street: 12 West North Avenue
City/Town: Baltimore, MD
The Thirteenth Annual Maryland Smart Transportation and Bicycle Symposium Agenda
One
Less Car Presents the 13th
Annual
Smart Transportation and Bicycle Symposium
February 3rd, 2010 President's
Conference Center East, Miller Senate Bldg., Annapolis
The 2010 13th Annual One Less Car Smart Transportation and Bicycling Symposium in Annapolis will be a little different this year! The Symposium will be more inclusive covering many bicycle and pedestrian topics, as well as, presentations on smart commuting/alternative transportation initiatives.
Attendees will learn about the link that exists between our reliance on the automobile, climate change, public health concerns, land use planning, alternative transportation opportunities, livable communities and more.
This Annual Symposium is an outstanding opportunity for people to meet and share information with advocates, planners, state and local officials, and community leaders who want more bike lanes, better sidewalks, more trails, a statewide Complete Streets policy and access to a variety of modes of efficient transportation for everyone. The Symposium is the perfect setting to inform our state Delegates and Senators that Maryland communities need smart commuting opportunities and safe bicycle and pedestrian access to be fully sustainable and livable.
This free event includes educational exhibits and presentations throughout the day! A continental breakfast and pizza lunch will be provided.
* Please RSVP by contacting Carol Silldorff.
* To have an exhibitor table, obtain sponsorship information or to volunteer contact: Carol Silldorff.
http://onelesscar.org/page.php?id=157
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Draft
Agenda:
Obama Quietly Gets Federal Agencies Involved in Transport Planning
by When President Obama signed an executive order in October requiring federal agencies to craft strategies for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions, he described the mandate as Washington "lead[ing] by example" on the pollution-reduction front.
(Photo: AP)...
that are pedestrian-friendly, near existing employment centers, and accessible to public transit, and emphasize existing central cities and, in rural communities, existing or planned town centers;
The overall goal for government agencies, as Obama's order put it, should be to "strengthen the vitality and livability of the communities in which federal facilities are located." Given that more than 2,200 communities host federally owned or leased property, that edict could unleash a lot of local energy for transit and pedestrian improvements.
Oprah's distracted driving show, online pledge provide huge public service
by It is fitting that The Oprah Winfrey Show chose the Martin Luther King Day of Service to air its program on distracted driving. Spreading awareness about this deadly epidemic is a huge contribution to the safety of millions of Americans.
For that public service, I enthusiastically thank Oprah.
And I encourage everyone who didn't see the show to visit Oprah's website where you can watch segments of the show, read the transcript, and SIGN THE PLEDGE!
Oprah's online pledge draws a line in the sand that says, "NO! We will not do this anymore."
I signed it. So have tens of thousands of others. Now we need you to sign it. And then we need you to get your friends and your family members to sign it. And then we need them to get their friends and family members to sign it. That's how it works, folks, moving out one expanding circle at a time.
From Oprah's website. In the top half of the image above we see all of the information necessary to navigate the intersection safely. In the bottom half we see what the distracted driver sees. Notice this driver's attention blindness literally blocks out the pedestrians, the stop sign, the bicyclist, and the crossing guard.
One of the most compelling of those is an extended video, "After the Show," of survivors telling their painful stories of loss due to distracted driving.
Now, over and over during the show, the word "preventable" comes up. Every single one of these tragic losses was preventable. Preventable just by people keeping their hands on the wheel and their minds on the road.
So, please, while we're all thinking about service, let's do what we can to end this epidemic. Visit www.distraction.gov to learn more about what we're doing and what you can do.
Then one day we will look back and say, "Yes. We kicked that deadly habit." And when that day comes, we will have all sorts of heroes to thank. Among others, we'll thank Jennifer Smith. We'll thank Shelley Forney. We'll thank Reggie Shaw.
And we'll thank Oprah Winfrey.
Maryland Budget Map Game
I played with the basic tack of getting cars to pay their own way and cut $700M from the budget with no opposition reported. But I doubt any of those items will happen. Keep in mind that recommendations are limited to what they give you so I will strongly assert that half of our budget crises is because of supporting a (government paid) discount on overly car centric development. In all things there is a balance and nothing wrong with cars per se but they are not paying their own way as many think.
Oprah Show targets distracted driving on Monday
...I cannot thank Oprah enough for using the popularity of her television show to call attention to this grave problem. And I urge everyone to watch the show Monday and find out why I'm on such a rampage about it.
Look, it's awful--truly, truly awful--that we have to devote our resources to this ridiculous and deadly behavior. But, since we must, I think it's great that we have strong partners like Oprah in our fight to keep our roads safe.
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