September 1, 2001 Volume 12 No. 3 Issue #46

WB&A Loved by Families

In the cool of any evening it is a joy to park at the northern end of the WB&A (Washington Baltimore & Annapolis trail), just off Race Track Road, head through the tunnel out over the boardwalk and begin saying "hi" to the walkers, skaters and bikers. Especially pleasing is the number of families out enjoying the evening. How young are some of the children on their 2 wheelers with training wheels? I am amazed at the way they keep up with the parents. One family is always out there at 6:30 and I believe they do the whole trail from Rt 450 to the Patuxent and back. One father and two sons skateboarded all the way from Seabrook via the MARC tunnel to Rt. 450 then all the way to the Patuxent River end of the trail and back.

Homeowners are gradually accepting the trail and are beginning to help take care of it. Mr. Gilbert at High Bridge and other "friends" include it in their lawn mowing, probably due to René Albacete’s fine landscaping and planting around the bridge over High Bridge Rd next to his house. Others along the trail are cutting and trimming and thereby claiming the trail as their own. It is marvelous to see it all gradually coming together. Hopefully after business settles down this winter, I can organize a "Friends of the WB&A" modeled after the most successful "Friends of the B & A Trail" in AA County and we can see more families and organizations working to make the trail even more beautiful.

For the first time a "House For Sale" sign appeared along the trail. This one is at the Old Chapel subdivision just north of the railroad bridge at High Bridge. It is a fine house with a nice gate to the trail. I wonder how much extra money the trail will bring in.

The bridge crossing into AA County is still up in the air but wonderful help by WABA, League of American Bicyclists and many petitions passed out by bike stores, Annapolis Bike Club and many others seems to be having an impact on County Executive Janet Owens. Your letters and Email to Janet Owens, Arundel Center, 44 Calvert St, Annapolis, MD 21401 or Email: aacwebg@mail.aacounty.org  supporting building the WB&A on the present alignment as it crosses the Patuxent River would be appreciated.

Come join the safe, easy WB&A, discover your family but be sure to say "Hi" to everyone you meet or pass. It is a friendly place.

"Yield to Pedestrians"

Yes, it's dangerous for pedestrians out there, as Hugh Bethell notes. For bicyclists too. We can address the problem by "yield to pedestrians" laws, "share the road" signs, and calls for more civility. But we can also address the larger issue of traffic congestion, which seems to be creating ever more rude, aggressive and dangerous behavior. Why are our streets so clogged? Because for the last 80 years we have subsidized cars to a far greater extent than public transportation. The average Amtrak passenger, for example, pays about 80% of the cost of her trip, with the government picking up the rest. The average suburban commuter pays only about 25% of the cost of her trip. So why is it surprising that most of us choose to drive? It seems like a wise economic decision. Limiting the investment in public transit further supports the apparent wisdom of our choice by comparing the comfort and convenience of our cars with an often aging, shrinking, and occasionally dangerous transit system.

But let's look at this equation more closely. Consider the cost of road building and maintenance, subsidized parking and the land it sits on, police and other emergency services, the environmental damage caused by our dependence on cars, the cost of crumbling neighborhoods as our zoning laws and other policies encourage the creation of increasingly distant suburbs. Yet we don't see the true cost of our car dependence because so much of it is hidden in the form of income, property and sales taxes. In addition, we choose not to notice the rising incidence of respiratory problems, obesity, childhood diabetes as well as the cost of isolating ourselves from our neighbors and denying ourselves even a modicum of exercise as we sit in traffic and grumble about delays. Oh, and every day about 100 of us are killed in traffic accidents.

To make Baltimore, and the United States, safer for pedestrians and bicyclists, we must bear more directly the cost of driving our cars. What if we considered doing some of the following:

Cut property and income taxes. Replace the revenue with systems that charge drivers for the actual costs incurred by their driving. Account for all transportation costs (including upkeep, provision of police, fire, ambulance, and court services) borne by state government. Help people understand how much it truly costs to maintain our current transportation system. Encourage insurers to base premiums on annual mileage. Provide incentives for mortgage lenders to consider household transportation costs in qualifying borrowers. Eliminate incentives (and obligations) to provide free parking. Offset these incentives with payments for using public transit and bicycles. Provide incentives for employers to participate in trip reduction programs.

Do we have the courage to invest in public transit, to create neighborhoods where we can again walk to the store and the school, where bicycles are used as vehicles for short trips? Can we make the decision to drive more costly in the short run, while benefitting in the long? Well, many of us quit smoking, didn't we?

Bob Chauncey, Executive Director

One Less Car

437 Pear Tree Point Road

Chestertown, MD 21620

Mike Klasmeier, of the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) has arranged a Bicycle Advocacy Meeting. It is to be held Friday, November 9, from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm at the Anne Arundel County Chambers (Calvert & Northwest Sts). in downtown Annapolis. This meeting is to bring the Maryland Advocacy Community together to identify common goals and come up with a wish list. These items will be County and State location- and policy-specific. A report will be published. This summit will supplement the Bike/Ped Symposium that will be held on Feb 6, 2002 in Annapolis.

Mike can be reached at 202/822/1333 or by E-Mail at onespeeder@yahoo.com

Please contact Mike with comments, ideas and support.

Our CPABC Fall Ride/Tour is scheduled for 9:00AM Sunday October 28, 2001 leaving from REI in College Park. CPABC has two rides per year. The Spring ride (MD 500) is on the last Sunday of April and the Fall ride falls on the last Sunday in October. We’ve been following this schedule for many years so we won't conflict with other rides/tours around the region. The calendar picks the date and April and October are always great riding weather. In the Spring we rode US#1 in the curb lane from College Park to Mount Rainier, about 8 miles with a police escort from five police departments. It worked out very well and all enjoyed themselves and asked to do it again on October 28. As many of you know we at CPABC are working very hard to have US#1, especially in College Park, become a full service roadway (i.e., auto-bicycle-pedestrian-public transit) during its upcoming reconstruction. This project has not yet been approved and we need to keep attention on this important project. Having several hundred bicyclists riding down our Main Street, US#1, on Sunday morning lets our neighbors and officials know that we want bike lanes on US#1. Mark Sunday October 28, down and plan to attend. You will have fun and enjoy yourselves.

The next MD Bicycle-Pedestrian Advisory Committee (MBPAC) Meeting is Friday September 14, 2001 from 10:00 AM to Noon at BWI. This is the last meeting with a committee of 13. After Oct. 1, MBPAC will be expanded up to 21 members to include more pedestrians and the handicapped to encompass more diversity. New member Charles Crawford is executive director at the American Council of the Blind. MDOT has asked for the resumes of those interested. So far they have received 27. If you are interested in serving call D’Andrea Lancelin at 410/865-1387 or E-Mail dlancelin@mdot.state.md.us. The September meeting will likely be held at the MTA Bldg. on Aviation Drive, close to BWI Airport. Should be interesting. If you plan to attend, call Michael Jackson at 410/864-1237 for the latest. Believe it or not, the 20 year old MDOT HQ building is to be torn down to build a parking garage for 12,000 more cars at BWI.

State Highways had their US#1 hearing on June 27, 2001 at Ritchie Coliseum, U of M. They presented 3 options for improving 3 miles of US#1 Baltimore Ave (Sunnyside Ave to College Ave). The 3 plans are: 1). no build, 2). 4 lanes, raised medium with 16' curb lanes, 5' sidewalks on both sides and 3). 5 lanes, undivided, with 16' curb lane, 5' sidewalks on both sides. There was a big turn-out, 172 attended the 5 hour hearing. Of those testifying, 27 want option 2, 17 option 3, and 16 testified for somewhere in between.

We certainly made our case for Bike Lanes-Raised Mediums and Safe Pedestrian Crossing. Many elected officials attended, but only Mayor Mike Jacobs of College Park testified, along with Jack Perry and Bob Catlin from the City Council. Most observed the proceedings. Mayor Mike Jacobs testified that the City of College wants option 2 raised; medium, sidewalks and 16' curb lanes. Business owners and the fire department were against the wide curb lanes and a raised medium. A report is due in the Fall about SHA's decision on College Park's "Main Street."

The consultants working on the Bike/Ped Master Plan held a meeting on Aug. 28 2001 in Baltimore. It was a busy all day meeting with 55 in attendance. Mike Flood, Jennifer Toole and Michael Jackson presented phase one of the 3 phase, 2 year process. Phase one was briefly discussed and input was taken as to the needs of Bike Ped community over the last nine months. Phase 2 will inventory the 5,000 miles of State Roads, rate them for Bike/Ped travel and evaluate level of service components.

Local shareholder meetings will occur in October. The District 3 (Greenbelt) meeting will be on October 3, 2001. Time TBD. Several asked that it be held in the evening so working folks could attend. An Annapolis is set for Oct. 5. Follow up meetings will be held in December. We are still unclear on how the Master Plan is playing out, but phase 2 should be completed by Dec. 1 2001, and the completed plan should completed by the Fall of 2002. It should project for the next twenty years into 2020. The intent of the Master Plan is to bring Bike/Ped Planning closer to auto planning. Bike/Ped Planning currently seems to take place only when citizens vigorously press their elected officials and follow every step of the process to ensure space for walking or biking. Try to attend the Oct. 3 meeting in Greenbelt and add your input. For further info call: Michael Jackson 410/865-1304, Mike Flood 301/585-2885, Harvey Muller 410/850-9263 or Jennifer Tools 301/362-1600.

When the University of Maryland was building their new Comcast Arena adjacent to University Blvd, the Stadium Authority decided it would be all right to use the 8' shoulders for auto traffic when the crowd arrives and leaves the new Basketball Arena events. This 4 lane section of 193, between Adelphi Rd and US#1, has been a main east/west Bike/Ped Corridor for over 40 years. When we asked MDOT/SHA/Stadium Authority where people should ride or walk they stated that they really had not considered Bike/Ped travel when they filled the entire roadway with autos. We told them about the Bike/Ped 2000 Legislation passed in 1995 that stated when you remove existing Bike/Ped Facilities you have to replace it in kind.

The good news is we will have a 5' bike lane shoulder next to the guard rail and a 10' shoulder that will be used for autos during events between Adelphi R. to Metzerott Rd. The bad news is between Metzerott Rd. and US#1 there is a narrow 31' bridge over Paint Branch Creek that will not accommodate two 12' travel lanes, 10' shoulder and a 5' Bike Lane. So Michael Jackson and Harvey Muller came up with an alternate route where you exit when heading east south to Metzerott Rd. up the 13' bridge (one-way) across the Pt. Branch Creek up and across US#1 at Greenbelt Rd. down to 48th Ave. to Berwyn Rd to cross the CSX/Metro tracks on the Berwyn Boondoggle, up the Indian Creek Trail and return to #193 at 57th Ave. This route is recommended for both east/west travel when the roadway is full of autos. I suggested to Harvey and Michael we take a Bike Ride on this route especially at night. We have met with Harvey Muller, Michael Jackson and John Christman on several occasions in hopes of working out a better solution. We will keep you posted with our progress.

CPABC has served on the Master Plan-Transportation Committee for the past year. Progress is bing made. Consultants have suggested, and it appears the U of M is starting to believe it, that auto parking is getting too expensive ($1800 a space, see the last Pedal Power) and that maybe some of 100,000 daily auto trips could be better served by public transit, bicycling, or walking. They may well close off the campus center to traffic, installing a bus-loop around the core with loops out to rim parking. They use the word bicycle more often. They have planned a small 14'-wide curb bike lane (on-road) on the new Paint Branch drive from Rte #193 to center campus with a parallel 10' off-road trail. These are small steps, but are steps in the right directions! Call Kevin Brown at 301/405-3320 (campus bike/ped contact) for more info. We will let you know when U of M President Mote accepts these new concepts.

Under the able leadership of trails coordinator Fred Shaffer, the Bicycle Trails Advisory Group of Prince George's Co is meeting on a nearly monthly basis. Regular meetings are quarterly in Jan., April, July, and Oct., but there are special meetings working on the Potomac Heritage Trail System and the Joint-Signature Letter that give priority to Bike/Ped projects. The next special meetings are Sept. 11 and Sept. 25. The next Regular BTAG Meeting is Oct 5., 8:30 AM in Bowie City Hall. Give Fred Shaffer a call at 301/952-3661 for details. Plan to attend, you’ll be impressed with the good things happening in Prince George's County.

There has been new interest in extending the Anacostia Trail System from the Blandensburg Marina down the Anacostia River into Washington, D.C.. Secretary of Transportation John Porcari has called a summit-type meeting for October 24, 2001 at Park & Planning to discuss the working relationship between Maryland and Washington.

Greenway Conference to be September 16-19

The Governor's Mid-Atlantic Greenway Conference is set for Sept. 16 to 19., in Arlington, VA. The contact person is Bill Conkle at 804/786-5492. Folks are coming from all around the region for this important conference. There will be many bike rides connected with this get-together. Jim Hudnall (OHTBC, 301/567-0089) will lead a 32 mile day-long tour around Southern Prince George's Historic District. Allen Muchnick (703/271-0895) will be doing a WO&D to C&O Canal Loop also. The conference will be held at the Crystal City Marriott, 1700 Jefferson Highway Arlington, VA. web site magovcon@dcr.state.va.us.

WABA's Bike DC Tour - September 23

The Washington Area Bicyclists Association (WABA) is holding a 32 mile, 100% auto traffic free, city bicycle tour on Sunday, September 23. The start (8 am) and finish is at 14th & Pa. Ave. N.W. Washington is beautiful by bicycle and you’ll learn things that you never knew before. To get ready for this Sunday tour, stop by the D.C. Armory on Saturday Sept. 22. for their Bicycle Swap Meet. All these locations are accessable by Metro. You can bring a bike on Metro anytime on weekends. No permits needed. Think about going downtown by Metro, if you get tired on the ride, just hop on the Metro. More info at www.waba.org or 202/628-2500.

This is D.C.’s best tour! Mark you calendars, you won't be disappointed!

Color Coded Map for Better Understanding

There appear to be no two bicycle maps alike. Scales and color codes are different, are different and terms don't mean the same thing. I suggest we start a Uniform Standard In Maryland. First, let’s call routes on- and off-road, not class 1,2 or 3. Very few knew what that terminology means. In our busy lives it is always better to keep it simple-KISS-"Keep It Simple Stupid"!

CPABC has been pushing for years to get some standards in Bike/Ped nomenclature, but we have not advanced very far. So your chairman is going to focus on getting maps color-coded in the region. Many jurisdictions are putting new maps out and this is the time to them to use the same color to denote their trails. I suggest we color on-road routes GREEN-as a way to show progress- green to go, off-road trails BROWN to recall earth colors, and RED to denote roads that are not good or safe for Bike/Ped Travel (i.e., limited access if bikes are not allowed by law to travel or for roads that need improving). Yellow could be questionable or cautious roadways. Blue could be a signed first-class AASHTO approved/built route. Other colors could be used for equestrians and other uses. I don't have all the ideas and welcome suggestions and input. I just think we have to standardize our Bike/Ped Maps for user knowledge and usability.

Another mark I have seen on maps is chevrons (>>>) to indicate hills, especially up- hill. The > is placed in the direction of the uphill and the steeper the hill, the more are added. I want user-friendly and uncluttered maps. We the Bike/Ped Folks use these maps and we know what we need, so lets get behind a standardized mapping system for the region. I will take the lead, but need your help/input to make it successful. Let’s hear from you. Thanks , Bill Kelly

Olympics Still Possible for 2012

The Olympics for 2012 are still on the radar screen in the Washington/Baltimore

Region. The Olympics Search Committee visited College Park this Summer, checking out facilities. They were said to be impressed with the possibilities. Keep talking it up. It will greatly enhance our chances and will give us a great opportunity to really advance non-auto-travel!

John Christman is our SHA Bike/Ped Contact

John Christman is our Bike/Ped contact at the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA), District #3 in Greenbelt. John works for Greenhorn & O'Mara, Inc a consulting firm that Charlie Watkins has brought in to cover Bike/Ped Questions for SHA, Dist.#3 (all of PG and Montgomery Co). John is a planning engineer with over 20 years of Bike/Ped Planning experience and really knows and understands Bike/Ped Issues. Give John a call at 1-800/346-2349 or E-mail jchristman@GandO.com with your concerns/input/questions on Bike/Ped Issues.

Bob McCutcheon and Randy Mardres

In a July letter to Bill Kelly, SHA administrator Parker Williams announced a pilot program to open the shoulders of 3 controlled access highways (CAH) to cyclists: US 15 from MD 26 north to Pennsylvania; MD 4 from US 301 east to MD 258, and US 29 from MD 99 south to MD 650 (NH Ave). The pilot program will be in effect for a year, after which an evaluation will be made as to whether it should be terminated, should be kept on these roads, or should be expanded. This pilot is a direct realization of the recommendation in MBPAC's annual report for 2000: Shoulders on Maryland expressways and controlled access highways should be opened to bicyclists. Exceptions should be published and provided with signs. The SHA is to be applauded for its rapid implementation of this recommendation that puts Maryland in the ranks of New Jersey and Pennsylvania as one of 3 eastern states that allows bicyclists to use the shoulders of some CAHs. The program will go into effect progressively. As of this writing signs are on the verge of going up on US 15 with signs for MD 4 and US 29 scheduled to go up soon. These signs will alert motorists that cyclists may be present on the shoulders, and they will direct cyclists to ride only on shoulders. Other signs will direct cyclists to exit when sections not covered by the pilot program are reached. (Note - cyclists are already permitted to use MD 4 from MD 258 south and US 29 from MD 32 south). Look for the new signs on and let us know what you think of the pilot program (rmccutch@usa.net,  Randy.Mardres@mail.va.gov). Please follow and obey all signs, and be sure to give your thanks to the next SHA official you see.

Quick Takes

Powder Mill Road, Rte 212 to Riggs Rd, was re-striped last year with extreme variable-width shoulders. Parking issues are being looked into by John Christman. Bicycle or pedestrian concerns on state or federal highways (generally those with numbers like 212) can be taken up with him, our SHA bike/ped contact (800-346-2349, x14 or jchristman@G-and-O.com). Give him a call with questions, concerns or compliments - he’s not a Maytag service man!

Seven years ago, after much work, the citizens of NE Montgomery County described bike/ped facilities they thought would make their portion of the county most livable in the Fairland Master Plan. Five years ago Congressmen Wynn secured money for building several grade-separated interchanges.

Five to seven months ago these two actions came together. The Fairland Master Plan calls for a Commuter Bikeway to be built along US 29. These new interchanges, under design by Maryland SHA and Montgomery Co Maryland National Park and Planning staff, will better accommodate bicyclists both along and across this section of Colesville Road/US Route 29.

That’s the good news. The bad news is, though the state has had 5+ years to design for motorized traffic, it’s had only five months to prepare for a Commuter Bikeway, and funds where not put aside to build it! In the past that would’ve stopped a bicycling facility dead. Today state and county staff, citizens and bicycle activists are working together to develop a true bicycle commuter facility serving portions of four Maryland counties and Washington DC.

Md SHA is moving ahead with the one-year trial of providing access on the shoulders of two expressways and Route 29. With a positive outcome, the policy may be expanded statewide. They are also exploring developing a local bike trail on the east side of Rte 29 and have a concept design for a Commuter Bikeway that would continue equal bicycle-motor vehicle level of service. MNCP&P staff is moving ahead the Commuter Bikeway concept by working with designers, engineers and cyclists to assist SHA in developing a feasible and appropriate design. Obstacles and objections to the concept are being met by the staff with flexibility and research.

Bicyclists are participating with increased levels of coordination, support and resources. On August 10 more than a dozen staff members and citizens were called together by the Montgomery County BPAC representative. Participating were: the county’s bicycle organizations, the area’s citizen associations, Dept. of Public Works and Transportation staff, Park and Planning project staff, master plan participants, and Friends of RT 29. A fifty-page packet was distributed, showing the history and development of the Commuter Bikeway concept tying Prince Georges, and Howard Counties to DC though Montgomery County via the new intermodal Silver Spring Transit Center and the Metropolitan Branch Trail. The meeting was to create a county Commuter Bikeway taskforce to explore areas of agreement and concerns.

Bicyclists are calling for a regional Commuter Bikeway with grade-separated interchanges on par with what is being built for motor vehicles along US route 29 today. The US Rte 29 Commuter Bikeway will make eastern Montgomery County connected to and accessible to portions of Prince Georges, Howard and Anne Arundel Counties, and DC as well as southern and western portions of the county. A serious, grade-separated interchange all the way into the new Silver Spring Transit Center will connect to over 300 miles of already existing bicycle trails.

An equal transportation system requires bicyclists and motorists to continue to have the same level of service on major transit routes. The Capital Crescent and WB & A Trails make use of grade separation interchanges. The Metropolitan Branch Trail will have 12. A US Rte 29 Commuter Bikeway would be another spur in a regional bicycle system connecting into the Washington Bicycle beltway.

HELP MAKE IT HAPPEN! LETTERS ARE NEEDED NOW:

Also: Albert Genetti ( director.dpwt@co.mo.md.us ), Michael Jackson ( mjackson3@mdot.state.md.us ), Harvey Muller ( hmuller@sha.state.md.us ), John Christman ( jchristman@G-and-O.com ), Blair Ewing ( county.council@co.mo.md.us ).