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Laws give pedal power to the people

Like it or not, bicycles are here to stay – deal with it

By Michael Dresser - Baltimore Sun

Michael Harris of Catonsville is a serious bicycle enthusiast, 56 years old, who races with an Annapolis team and trains on a 33-mile course in the Baltimore suburbs. After reading last week's column about bicyclist-motorist interactions, he sent me this account of a recent ride on semi-rural Landing Road in Howard County:

As I was approaching the intersection of Ilchester Road a group of young men in a 4-door Jeep came within 6 inches of my handlebars. One jerk yelled in my ear an obscenity as the vehicle passed by. I could hear the laughs as they came to a halt at the intersection.

As I found out later when I caught up to (another) group of racers, a few of them were abused in the same fashion as the car blew by. Are our driving schools, these kids' parents not educating the young about sharing the road?

udging by some of the reaction to last week's column, no. In fact, parents might be a big part of the problem. Many older motorists, it seems, have some quaint but somewhat delusional ideas about life, logic and the rules of the road. The young gentlemen in the Jeep could very well have cultivated their attitudes about bicyclists while sitting in the passenger seat of the family car.

Quite a few readers objected to the column's suggestion that motorists quit bellyaching and learn to give bicycles the 3-foot berth required by a newly passed bill. Several recounted anecdotes about occasions when they witnessed misconduct by bicyclists and attributed that behavior to everyone on a bike. Their conclusion: Bicyclists should be banished from roads that just happen to be near where these motorists live and drive.

Let us apply that reasoning to the circumstances encountered by Harris: Young men in a Jeep misbehaved on a country road. Therefore all Jeep drivers – no, make it all SUV drivers -- are hooligans. So let's ban all SUVs from country roads. Ridiculous? Absolutely. But many folks in cars seem perfectly willing to apply that tortured logic to bicyclists.
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Speed cameras are nothing more than a "revenue grab" on unlawful and unsafe drivers

Well at least that's what Sykesville feels while the No. 1 complaint received by Police Chief John Williams is motorists speeding on quiet streets. But with a force of only seven officers, he said, there is no way to enforce traffic laws with radar guns alone.

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Action Alert: Accidents Involving Pedestrians Rise In Balt. Co.

[B' Spokes: This article makes my blood boil, too many pedestrians and cyclists are "at fault" because the road was designed only for cars and dangerous for everyone else. Part two what's the point of having laws to protect cyclists rights to the road if police never learn them or even bother to read the law as they pertain to cyclists? After the fold is the email address of Baltimore County Police.]

************************************************************************************
By Suzanne Collins

BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. (WJZ) ...
...
Pedestrian accidents, especially fatal ones, are way up in Baltimore County.

They involve bicyclists, joggers, and people on foot.

From 2006 through 2008 an average of 15 people were killed [per year.] Last year that rose to 19.

In the first four months of this year already eight have died. If that rate continues, there could be 24 deaths before year's end.

"What we're finding is, of those accidents involving a pedestrian, that generally the pedestrian is at fault," said James Johnson, Chief Baltimore Co. Police.

The police report shows the truck driver in Tuesday's crash may not be at fault.

Police say the bicyclist wasn't wearing a helmet [as the law allows,] and they believe he was riding in the middle of the car lane [***as the law recommends.***] They also say the driver probably had a blind spot when he came over the hill [as if the hill makes the cyclists at fault.]

A group promoting bicycling says its riders observe traffic rules, but drivers need to know of a new law.

"Drivers need to know to give cyclists three feet when passing, which is a safe passing distance," said Carol Silldorff, One Car Less.

And if it's a narrow road, Silldorff still says drivers should be accountable.

"You wait, just like if you were passing a child," she said.

Because of the rising number of fatals, county police have been out giving warnings to pedestrians who violate traffic laws. They will kick off an education campaign soon.

"Certainly both the pedestrian and the motor vehicle operator have responsibility here. Obviously a pedestrian has responsibility to obey traffic laws not cross in areas that are dangerous," said Johnson.

In two bike fatalities so far this year and several serious injuries, they were riding outside the beltway mostly on rural roads without sidewalks.

The county also is working to engineer its roadways to accommodate both forms of transportation.

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City Hall: City of Annapolis releases new bicycle map

By RHONDA WARDLAW, For The Capital

The City of Annapolis is pleased to release its new bicycle map, which will guide cyclists in navigating Annapolis.

On the map, you will find local attractions, scenic routes, Maryland bike laws, how to take your bike on Annapolis buses, local bicycle tours and much, much more.
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Man was hit by a truck on Belair Road Tuesday, suffered life-threatening injuries

By Jessica Anderson, The Baltimore Sun

Police have identified the cyclist who remains unconscious with life-threatening injuries after he was hit by a truck on Belair Road Tuesday.

The man is a French national, but his has not been released pending family notification, said Lt. Robert McCullough, a spokesman with Baltimore County police. He said the man was identified Wednesday night by residents from his Baltimore County neighborhood.

Police said the man was injured while riding his bike northbound on Belair Road, near I-695 at about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday when he was hit by a Ford Pick-up truck, which was also traveling northbound on Belair Road, according to a police news release.

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Commuters embrace new fiscal 'cycle'

More employers support biking to work, electric trend in gear

By ELISHA SAUERS, Staff Writer
Published 05/02/10

About two years ago, Liz Thibodeau resolved she'd rather not stare into the bumper of a car each morning in stop-and-go traffic.

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Paul W. Gillespie — The Capital Geoff Elliott, owner of Green Pedals on McGuckian Street in Annapolis, sells electric bicycles. Green Pedals will participate in the city’s Bike to Work Day event on May 21 to encourage local commuters that bicycling can be both effortless and better for the environment than automobiles.

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey conducted three years ago, a little less than half of a percentage point of workers nationwide - or just more than 650,000 people - used a bike as transportation. However, many bike sellers and associations believe that number has since grown due to the economic downturn and bouts of sky-high gas prices.

Some entrepreneurs are so convinced that bike commuting is on the rise, they're hoping to build a business centered on it.

Geoff Elliott opened Green Pedals on McGuckian Street in Annapolis almost a year ago. He sells electric bicycles, and they can cost a customer about $1,500 to $3,000 apiece.

These vehicles, which can be pedaled while offering a little bit of electrical power assistance, can run on lithium-ion batteries for about 30 miles between recharges. Because of current laws, the bikes are capped to not exceed 20 mph.

An electric bike's target market may very well be the work-commuting cohort. Without having to grunt through the difficult legwork, a rider could potentially arrive at the office armpit-stain free. In other countries where electric bikes are more popular, this already seems to be the case.
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It's just a shame and that's all

[Note on format on this article; Headlines-link, comments and brief intro to next headline.]

Mother, 17, hit and killed while pushing son in stroller <a href="http://www.explorebaltimorecounty.com/news/105884/mother-17-hit-killed-while-pushing-son-stroller/">http://www.explorebaltimorecounty.com/news/105884/mother-17-hit-killed-while-pushing-son-stroller/</a>;
Here is an idea for complete streets: between an interstate entrance/exit, shopping mall, major road, lets put in only two crosswalks (none across the high speed right turn lane) and lets save some money on paint and not put in the zebra stripe for the crosswalk (at least per Google Street View.) This is a fine example of car centric design.
<a href="http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&amp;hq=&amp;hnear=Baltimore,+Maryland&amp;ll=39.336822,-76.490623&amp;spn=0,0.308647&amp;z=12&amp;layer=c&amp;cbll=39.336822,-76.490623&amp;panoid=prdlf_vOY8hPs_vOlzp-GQ&amp;cbp=12,48.65,,0,1.6">http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&amp;hq=&amp;hnear=Baltimore,+Maryland&amp;ll=39.336822,-76.490623&amp;spn=0,0.308647&amp;z=12&amp;layer=c&amp;cbll=39.336822,-76.490623&amp;panoid=prdlf_vOY8hPs_vOlzp-GQ&amp;cbp=12,48.65,,0,1.6</a>;

And then a couple miles away
Girl, 13, Hit By Car In Essex <a href="http://www.wbaltv.com/news/23324973/detail.html">http://www.wbaltv.com/news/23324973/detail.html</a>;

2 Teen Pedestrians Struck In Separate Incidents <a href="http://wjz.com/local/pedestrian.teen.2.1670220.html">http://wjz.com/local/pedestrian.teen.2.1670220.html</a>;
Road not designed for pedestrians to cross = pedestrian error


Safe crashing with infant fail:
2 adults, infant injured in 3-car crash in Owings Mills <a href="http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2010-04-06/news/bal-md.briefs062apr06_1_owings-mills-three-car-accident-two-adults">http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2010-04-06/news/bal-md.briefs062apr06_1_owings-mills-three-car-accident-two-adults</a>;

I am totally speechless on this one, does being in a car distance you that much from reality and the potential harm you can do?
Motorist Mom Mows Down Cyclist Son <a href="http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2010/04/28/motorist-mom-mows-down-cyclist-son">http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2010/04/28/motorist-mom-mows-down-cyclist-son</a>;

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Harford Community Services Corrals Safety with Bike Rodeos

From Harford County government:

(Bel Air, MD) – - Each year when May, designated as Clean Commute Month, rolls around and when Bike to Work Day occurs, Harford County encourages people to explore riding a bicycle as a fun, environmentally-friendly and cost-effective way to get around. This year, as in the past, the Harford County Department of Community Services’ Commuter Assistance Program, in collaboration with the Harford County Public Library and the Sherriff’s Office, offer free Bike Safety Rodeos to promote bicycling safety among children.

There are two Bike Safety Rodeos scheduled for Friday, May 7 beginning at 5:30 pm at the Abingdon Library, 2510 Tollgate Road.

In the springtime, concerns turn toward the hordes of child-cyclists turned loose upon the streets of cities and towns across the country. Bike Safety Rodeo events are, in many cases, the only opportunity to educate parents and children about the safety aspects of riding a bicycle on public roads. The goal is to empower young cyclists with a skill set for on-the-road riding.

What is a Bike Safety Rodeo? Harford County’s Bike Safety Rodeo is formatted as a bicycle clinic featuring safety inspections, optional quick tune-ups, and a safety lecture on the rules of the road from Sgt. Kevin Thomas of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office. This is followed by a ride on a miniature “chalk street” course on the Abingdon Library parking lot where young cyclists are shown where and how to apply the rules. Other activities include helmet fittings, prizes and drawings.

Participants are escorted through the course by Sgt. Thomas’ knowledgeable assistants who point out hazards, provide safety tips and explain how to apply the rules of the road that were mentioned in the lecture. This year, Sheriff Bane will be on hand to provide guidance and encouragement for the participants. The main focus of a Bike Safety Rodeo is cycling safety for young cyclists, from kindergarten through middle school.

There will be two safety sessions, one at 5:30 pm and one at 6:30 pm on Friday, May 7. Children must have a helmet and be able to ride without training wheels. To register your child for this Bike Safety Rodeo experience, visit the Abingdon Library or call 410-638-3990 for details. Register soon; space is limited.

For more information on Clean Commute Month and its signature event, Bike to Work Day, visit <a href="http://www.harfordcountymd.gov/commuter">http://www.harfordcountymd.gov/commuter</a>;.

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