Wall Street Journal suggests going carfree to save money


Posted by Elly Blue of Bike Portland on January 5th, 2009 at 10:20 am

“Whether you drive a hybrid or an SUV, your car is a cash-guzzler. Families trying to save real money should consider going without.”

It may be a true sign of change when the Wall Street Journal suggests that giving up your car could be good for your personal finances and the economy as a whole.

In his December 22 column, A real auto bailout: Escape your car, WSJ staff columnist Brett Arends wrote:

Last week, the auto industry finally got its bailout.

But is it time for Americans to rescue their own finances from their cars?

…Forget lattes and store-brand cereal. If you really want to see where your money is going, take a closer look at your car. Foreign or domestic, it doesn’t matter. It’s a cash guzzler, and it is probably costing you more than anything else except your home.

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Draft of Baltimore\'s Sustainability Plan


The Baltimore Office of Sustainability is pleased to announce that the Draft Sustainability Plan is now available for public comment.

 

 

The Draft Plan can be accessed through either of the following links:

www.transformbaltimore.net

or

www.baltimorecity.gov/sustainability

 

To comment on the online document, you must first register and loginThis online tool will allow you to leave comments about specific sections or goals within the document.  This site is shared with another document “Transform Baltimore”.  To access the Sustainability Plan, scroll to the bottom and click on the “Sustainability Plan- draft”. Please note that this is a draft, and the layout of the final version will include graphics, tables, and photographs, etc.

 

The Draft will be available at this site for public comment until January 30, 2009

The Planning Commission Hearing will be February 5, 2009

 

Many thanks to all those who contributed to the creation of this document.

 

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Bicyclists welcome at Obama's inauguration January 20


[Stay tuned, there maybe a bike convoy leaving from Baltimore.]

By Gary Boulanger, US editor - Bike Radar

Record crowds are expected in the National Mall of Washington, DC on January 20, 2009, as Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States, and a record number of bicyclists are expected as well, which may cause some two-wheeled congestion problems without prior planning.

"Cyclists will be able to bike to the inauguration," Henry Mesias, Program Assistant for the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA), told BikeRadar Thursday. "There will be a security perimeter set up that bicycles will not be allowed through. That security perimeter will have all metal detectors that everyone will have to go through. WABA is working with local authorities, including the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) to provide bike valet parking areas for those that wish to bike to the event, but the decision to have a bike valet is not official yet."

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Baltimore City bike routes


In preparation for the City's bike map we are collecting routes commonly used by bicyclists through a collaborative effort on Google maps. If you have a good bike route you want to share with others please take the time to make sure its on the map. Thanks!

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Environmental News Brief


sunflowerEnvironmental News Brief  Presented by the Baltimore Metropolitan Council for the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board
Quick Links
Additional Links
January 2009
Baltimore Region Nonattainment for Fine Soot
Greenhouse Gas Auctioning Process Begins
BMC Board Creates Regional Sustainability Committee
Transportation Outlook 2035 Draft Amendment Open for Review
Report of Interest

The following news "briefs" highlight recent news regarding transportation-related environmental issues, primarily air quality, affecting the Baltimore region. Please note that this brief is not all inclusive of the variety and magnitude of activities in the region. It is intended for informational purposes only; refer to the source, guidance, or program for additional information.

 

Baltimore Region Designated Nonattainment for New Fine Particle Standard

On December 22, 2008, the EPA announced Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Harford County,
Howard County, Anne Arundel County, and Carroll County have all been designated "nonattainment" for the 2006 24-hour fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) standard. This means that they do not meet the standard for daily levels of PM 2.5 that was established by the EPA to protect human health.
 
Fine particle pollution is around 1/30th the diameter of a human hair.  It consists of liquid droplets and microscopic solids that are suspended in the air.  This pollution comes from power plants, industrial facilities and vehicles, as well as other sources such a wood burning.
 
The State of Maryland must submit an air quality implementation plan to EPA by April 2012.
 
smogGreenhouse Gas Auctioning Process Begins
On December 17th, a second auction was held as part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.  The purpose of RGGI is to reduce emissions from power plants, which contribute to global warming and climate change. 
 RGGI is a cap-and-trade program for carbon dioxide emissions, a key greenhouse gas.  A cap is set on the total amount of these emissions allowed from electricity generators in the RGGI region, which includes ten states in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic U.S.  Then, an auction is held in order to distribute allowances for emissions.  Total emissions in the RGGI region are capped at 2009 levels, from 2009 to 2014.  From 2015 to 2018, the cap will go down by 10 percent.  The first RGGI auction was held in September 2008.  The first two auctions were pre-compliance because the obligations for compliance did not come into effect until the beginning of 2009.
 
In Maryland, revenue from the auctions will go towards promoting cleaner energy sources, energy efficiency and conservation, and provide rate relief for low and moderate income households.
 
Click for more information on RGGI.
BMClogoBMC Board Creates Regional Sustainability Committee
The Board of Directors of the Baltimore Metropolitan Council has created a Regional Sustainability Committee to share information and coordinate activities that will benefit the entire Baltimore region. Joshua Feldmark, Director of Howard County's Office of Environmental Sustainability, serves as the committee's chair.

The committee has initially identified a number of areas to address:
1. Coordinate regional sustainability programs.
2. Foster cooperation between state and local governments.
3. Maximize partnerships with public, private and quasi-governmental agencies.
 
View the BMC press release. 

Transportation Outlook 2035 Draft Amendment Open for Review
The BRTB is pleased to present, for public review and comment, the draft preferred alternative for the amendment to the Baltimore region's long-range transportation plan, Transportation Outlook 2035: Creating a Blueprint for the Baltimore Region's Future.

This draft preferred alternative proposes $225 million in funding for regional transit projects, beginning in the year 2020.  The projects included in this amendment focus on ways to make the regional transit system more user-friendly and attractive to a broader segment of the region's population and workforce. This amendment will not affect currently funded projects in Transportation Outlook 2035 which was adopted in November 2007.

A public input period is being held from Tuesday, December 16, 2008 to Friday, January 23, 2009.  During this time, public comments will be accepted by mail, fax, and online using our public comment form.  All comments must be received no later than 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 28, 2009. 
 
Comments may also be submitted in person at a public meeting on Thursday, January 15, 2009 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. or 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the BMC offices located at 2700 Lighthouse Point East, Suite 310, Baltimore, MD 21224.
 Report of Interest   cap photo The Climate Action Plan. Maryland Commission on Climate Change. August 2008.
This final report, released on August 27, 2008, documents a plan of action for the state to "address the drivers of climate change, to prepare for its likely impacts in Maryland, and to establish goals and timetables for implementation."    Download the report.
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Howard County survey


Some of you may know the BAHC president, Jack Guarneri. We are trying to get a survey going to rate roads in Howard County. Participation is not quite what we hoped for. If any of you ride Howard County roads, can you give us some feedback? (the survey is Howard County only...we are trying to stay focused.)

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12th Annual Bicycle Symposium


Hi Bike Advocates. Happy New Year. As you are putting together your new 2009 Event Calendar, Please Mark Wednesday February 4, 2009 for the 12th Annual Bicycle Symposium in Annapolis from 9:00AM to 4:00PM and plan to attend. There are several very important Bike Related Issues that need to be discussed and your expertize and in put are greatly needed:

1.Several Bike Related Bills Pending in Annapolis
2. A Major Change for/at the Bike Coordinator Office at SHA
3. Maryland Rated at 35th Place out of 50 States in LAB Bike Friendly States Survey.
4. Major Discussion on the Curb-Lane Striping Changes on State Roads.
5. Sec. Trans John Porcari's ruling to NOT Have Bikes(ON Road) on any part of the ICC Toll Road Corridor. And
6. General Well-Being of Biking in Md.
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