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Western County Pedestrian & Bicycle Access Plan Update


[Please note the draft of Part One of the Bike Master Plan is up for reveiw.]

Richard Layman, Bicycle & Pedestrian Planner
410-887-3521
rlayman@baltimorecountymd.gov

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Introduction

The Western Baltimore County Pedestrian and Bicycle Access Plan will be an "action plan" for constructing pedestrian and bicycle improvements in the urban sections of the western part of Baltimore County.

The main impetus for undertaking this plan comes from Baltimore County's Master Plan 2010.  The master plan describes the need to improve the variety of transportation options available to its citizens.  It calls for a county-wide plan for developing and improving bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

Master Plan Goal for Pedestrian Facilities:  Develop and maintain pedestrian facilities that provide desirable levels of accessibility and safety for pedestrians, and encourage walking for both utilitarian and recreational purposes.

Master Plan Goal for Bicycle Facilities:  Develop and maintain bicycle facilities that provide an adequate level of convenience, mobility, and safety for bicyclists at all levels of experience, and encourage bicycle trips for utilitarian, recreational and commuting purposes.

Western County Planning Activities

The plan is being developed by an advisory committee composed of representatives from the community and county and state government, and will be based on the needs and desires expressed by the citizens who live or work in the area. It will identify specific projects to be implemented and provide recommendations for phasing and funding. 

The committee is currently reviewing a draft of the first section of the plan concerning "Engineering/Facilities for Walking and Bicycling."  Because the file size is large, it is available for viewing as Part One (PDF) and Part Two (PDF).

Pedestrian and Bicycle Planning E-newsletter

Sign up to receive the latest information about pedestrian and bicycle planning activities by subscribing to the County Pedestrian and Bicycle Access Plan E-Newsletter.

Walking and Biking Survey

Please take this online survey to identify areas for walking and bicycling improvements in the Western plan area. 

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Annapolis bike safety course 3/10 6 PM


Bicyclists of all abilities are invited to take a 2-hour Traffic Skills 101 course from City Police Officer Craig Medley, a certified League of American Bicyclists instructor. This course will give cyclists the knowledge and confidence they need to ride safely and legally in traffic or on the trail and covers bicycle safety checks, on-bike skills and crash avoidance techniques. Recommended for adults and children above age fourteen, this fast-paced, two-hour introductory course prepares cyclists for an understanding of cycling in traffic.

The course will take place at the Truxton Park Recreation Center on Wednesday March 10th at 6:00 PM. For more information please contact either Jennifer Bistrack, Dept of Recreation and Parks - 410.263.7958. Cost of the course is $10 and registration is available online at:
<a href="http://reg-e.annapolis.gov/Activities/ActivitiesDetails.asp?ProcessWait=N&amp;aid=427">http://reg-e.annapolis.gov/Activities/ActivitiesDetails.asp?ProcessWait=N&amp;aid=427</a>;

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Students Give Bikes To Disabled People In Ghana


BALTIMORE (WJZ) ― For some disabled children, a bicycle can mean a new life. Students at one Baltimore County school plan to give the gift of two wheels to disabled people in Ghana. As Gigi Barnett explains, it's a class project inspired by one athlete's story.
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Shortly after, Yeboah decided to apply for a bicycle from an athletic foundation in California. When the bike arrived, it meant freedom.

&quot;It's changed my life totally, 100%,&quot; he said.

So Yeboah pedaled 400 miles across Ghana, raising awareness for the disabled.
...
Brendan Fowl, Danny Bredar, Kyle Rice and Ben Love decided to ask other students to donate bikes. The teens will personally deliver them to disabled children in Ghana.

&quot;I think we're going to discover that the kids there are going to change our lives more than we could have ever imagined,&quot; Fowl said.

So far, they've filled a trailer with more than 200 bicycles. They will be accepting bikes for another two weeks.

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Hope for the Baltimore Area


by Richard Layman
...
Now that I am working in the Baltimore area (at least on one particular project), it happens that there are a bunch of things happening in Maryland (safe routes to school programs, planning for the Red Line light rail, state trail planning, transit planning generally) or the county (updating the master plan, universities doing campus planning) that I end up dealing with because of my work leading the development of a pedestrian and bicycle master plan for a portion of the county.

And unlike in DC, they actually listen.

E.g., the State Highway Administration is Maryland is looking to pilot test a cycle track somewhere in the state, because my paper on "Making Cycling Irresistible in DC" has been distributed throughout the agency. (Note that it's time to update the paper. OTOH, you could argue I am updating it, in the context of a pedestrian and bicycle plan for a goodly section of a large county.)

Or, because four of the proposed Baltimore red line light rail stations will be located in my plan's study area, and because the project is still in the pre-engineering phase, we have an opportunity to develop national best practice for integrating bicycling as a mode of transportation into planning for the stations and the line. (Although I hear that MTA is doing good things in this regard for the Purple Line, that Toole Design is working on that part of their planning there.)

Again, they are considering the various recommendations that "we" are making, ranging from incorporating a parallel bicycle trail into the line, at least in the Baltimore County section--which is planned to "emanate" from one of the major entry points to the Gwynn Falls Trail, bicycle sharing, and at least one bike station at the station serving the highest density employment center.
Light Rail in Barcelona
Could Barcelona provide the integrated transportation vision for the red line light rail in Baltimore County? Photo by John Norquist.

Or the points I am making about how to best change school district transportation planning and operations to a more balanced and sustainable paradigm will likely (although getting new legislation takes time) change the state policy (hopefully sooner rather than later), thereby changing practices in every one of the state's 24 school districts.

Or I am shaping two particular policies for the Transportation Element of the county master plan, requiring "complete streets" policies and setting up an overall paradigm of "sustainable transportation" which supports transit, walking, bicycling, and transportation demand management.

(Plus all the things that can touch pedestrian and bicycle planning, from green infrastructure to bicycle sharing to laying down a master network of trails and bicycle routes, etc., well, I get to cram them into the plan... at least before the inter-agency review period.)

It's the absolute craziest thing.

Contrast that to DC where I feel like I am talking into gale force winds.

But I can't say I enjoy the commute. ...

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Stop, Swap and Save Bicycle Swap and Consumer Expo


Sunday, February 14. 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Booths selling used bike parts, people looking to swap bikes, industry reps, and shops and vendors offering seminars, tutorials, remaindered parts, and other bike items.
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With more bicyclists on the road and a 3-foot passing law wending its way--again--through the state legislature, there is hope bicycling safety might enter public consciousness. Lately, we noticed bicycle safety posters on city buses, ironically enough, as bus drivers, along with their commercial counterparts, make for a frightening city bike ride. No matter, we continue to pedal to work and around town. We'll have to drive to Westminster, however, to meet fellow biking enthusiasts at the annual bike expo, which is to cyclists what Carlisle is to automotive enthusiasts: booth after booth of folks selling used parts, looking to swap rides, industry reps, and shops and vendors offering seminars, tutorials, remaindered parts, and stuff, lots of stuff. If you've thought of buying a bike, improving on what you have, learning about the sport, or want to just walk around and chat with fellow bike nuts, this is the place to be.

Tim Hill

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Commercial Real Estate: Plan's OK boosts value for General Growth


Howard County's approval of a massive growth plan for downtown Columbia removes some doubts about the commercial and residential renewal of the planned community.
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&quot;This plan incorporates green development, environmental restoration, arts and culture, workforce housing, pedestrian and bicycle connectivity, new amenity areas, transit, and a renovated Merriweather Post Pavilion, all in a carefully phased development plan with legislated benchmarks to ensure that what has been promised will be delivered,&quot; Ulman said.
...

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Western County Pedestrian & Bicycle Access Plan


Richard Layman, Bicycle & Pedestrian Planner
410-887-3524
rlayman@baltimorecountymd.gov

Western County Bike and Ped Map.

The Western Baltimore County Pedestrian and Bicycle Access Plan will be an "action plan" for constructing pedestrian and bicycle improvements in the urban sections of the western part of Baltimore County.

The plan is being developed by an advisory committee composed of representatives from the community and county and state government, and will be based on the needs and desires expressed by the citizens who live or work in the area. It will identify specific projects to be implemented and provide recommendations for phasing and funding.

The main impetus for undertaking this plan comes from Baltimore County's Master Plan 2010.  The master plan describes the need to improve the variety of transportation options available to its citizens.  It calls for a county-wide plan for developing and improving bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

Master Plan Goal for Pedestrian Facilities

Develop and maintain pedestrian facilities that provide desirable levels of accessibility and safety for pedestrians, and encourage walking for both utilitarian and recreational purposes.

Master Plan Goal for Bicycle Facilities

Develop and maintain bicycle facilities that provide an adequate level of convenience, mobility, and safety for bicyclists at all levels of experience, and encourage bicycle trips for utilitarian, recreational and commuting purposes.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Planning E-newsletter

Sign up to receive mailings about "County Pedestrian and Bicycle Access Plan" by subscribing to the Baltimore County Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Newsletter.

Walking and Biking Survey

Please take this online survey to identify areas for walking and bicycling improvements in the Western plan area. 

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DOWNTOWN COLUMBIA PLAN LEGISLATION


By Jen Terrasa

I appreciate your input and your continued interest in Downtown Columbia. As the time for a final decision on the bills approaches, I wanted to let you know about our upcoming sessions on the two bills that comprise the proposed Downtown Columbia revitalization.

Upcoming Work Session and Voting Session
1. WORK SESSION: Monday, January 25, 2010 beginning at 4:30 p.m., Board of Education, 10910 Route 108, Ellicott City, MD.
2. VOTING SESSION: Monday, February 1, 2010 beginning at 7:30 p.m., Board of Education, 10910 Route 108, Ellicott City, MD. The Council is scheduled to vote on Council Bills 58-2009 and 59-2009 during its legislative session.

Status of the Bills and Amendments
On Monday, January 4, 2010, five amendments were introduced for Council Bills 58-2009 and 59-2009. The two amendments to CB 58-2009 and the three amendments to CB 59-2009 were found to be substantive and have been “amended” into the bills as required by our charter. This means that the language from these five amendments has been added within the text of the complete bills. However, the Council can still amend these until the final vote on the bills. The amended bills can be found at:
http://www.co.ho.md.us/CountyCouncil/CCdocs/Amended CB58-2009http://www.co.ho.md.us/CountyCouncil/CCdocs/Amended CB58-2009

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8,800 speed camera citations issued in 6 weeks


BALTIMORE (AP) — Maryland highway officials say nearly 8,800 citations were issued during the first six weeks of the state's speed camera enforcement program.

In mid-November, State officials began photographing vehicles exceeding the speed limit by 12 mph or more on three stretches of highway marked as work zones and sending out $40 tickets.

Signs that read &quot;Speed Photo Enforced: Work Zone&quot; warn motorists that cameras might be present. Cameras are installed in a pair of white Jeeps that rotate among the three locations: Interstate 95 between White Marsh Boulevard and Interstate-895, around the Charles Street exit of Baltimore's Beltway and along the Intercounty Connector construction area on I-95 in Prince George's County.

State Highway Administration spokesman David Buck says the aim is to change drivers' behavior and get them to slow down in work zones.

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