B'More Bikes Blog - Latest Comments

Re: Bike Lanes Come to Perry Hall

Ted — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 19:09:26 -0000

Just read something about bltmores proposed bikeshare not being safe becausr we dont have enough bike lanes. What routes should be a priority before we get a system in place?

Re: Bike Lanes Come to Perry Hall

Kolo Jezdec — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:37:48 -0000

Rode through here yesterday. Bike lane is marked (sparsely) and no signage yet. Be careful if you ride through here as I saw many drivers using the bike lane to pass on the right.

Re: Bike Lanes Come to Perry Hall

Kolo Jezdec — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 18:15:01 -0000

I suppose you are right. But when news of the lane changes were first released back in February, I questioned Baltimore County Councilperson David Marks about maybe putting bike lanes on Seven Courts. He responded that there were "no plans in the immediate future" to have bike lanes, and asserted that the new markings were a "traffic calming" strategy. There were similar lines a few years ago on Kilbride Road (also in Perry Hall) with no signs or markings. When the road was repaved, the lanes were never repainted.

At any rate, we will wait and see what happens.

Re: Bike Lanes Come to Perry Hall

B'more Bikes — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 08:45:59 -0000

...which is pretty standard for new bike lanes worldwide. Looks like the county has more work planned (signs, markings) along with a ped crossing at the school taking the bike lane into consideration.

Re: Bike Lanes Come to Perry Hall

kolo jezdec — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 09:37:11 -0000

Fact is, in the top photo, you can clearly see a car traveling in the 'bike lane.'

Re: Bike Lanes Come to Perry Hall

Kolo Jezdec — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 22:50:20 -0000

Actually it is hard to call this a bike lane. There are no signs and no road markings indicating a bike lane. The lane is well within the 'door zone' of parked cars. Cars regularly drive in this so-called bike lane to pass cars making a left off of Seven Courts and drivers seem to believe the 3 foot law does not apply if there is a 'bike lane.' I would advise you travel in this lane at your own risk.

Re: Bike Lanes Come to Perry Hall

B'more Bikes — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 15:47:15 -0000

Neves Ct to Proctor Lane

Re: Bike Lanes Come to Perry Hall

Bike Blaze Guy — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:13:25 -0000

Where do the lanes start?

Re: Bike Parking & Pump at Penn & Camden Stations

Fran — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 12:15:16 -0000

Is there an existing motorcyle parking area ? If not, can you ask for one ?

In general, scooters and mopeds in bike racks is not a welcome thing. This rack in particular is a hanging rack, the bike hangs verically on a post. So the scooter weight is a problem for the rider lifting it, and then there would be a problem of the rack safely supporting that scooter weight. I imagine a scooter is beyond the design weight limit.

Re: New Bike Lanes on Fort Avenue

Bike Blaze Guy — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 16:09:15 -0000

I used Google Mapmaker (http://www.google.com/mapmaker... to add the new
bike lanes to their bicycling map. If anyone knows of any other bike
lanes or paths in the Baltimore area that aren't on Google maps, e-mail
me at bikeblaze@yahoo.com .

Re: Bike Parking & Pump at Penn & Camden Stations

jchapline — Fri, 31 May 2013 17:15:38 -0000

At Penn Station, you definitely need to lock it with a heavy lock. You could have locked it to the old bike racks, but since the bike parking situation is changing, you should scout it out. There are lamp posts and other structures that bicycles and scooters have been locked to in the past; I'm not sure if the management plans to change enforcement of that since the new racks are being installed

Re: Old Line Velo/MORE Hosting Loch Raven Fundraiser

baltimoron — Fri, 31 May 2013 11:19:54 -0000

I'll be there with bells on!

Re: Poor Bike Locking or Entrapment?

B'more Bikes — Fri, 31 May 2013 11:09:07 -0000

Great idea! The bike map has good locking info, just a little too big

Re: Poor Bike Locking or Entrapment?

Nicholas — Fri, 31 May 2013 09:25:05 -0000

I have this eternally unfulfilled plan of creating business cards offering free bike locking advice and leaving them on all of the bikes that are hopelessly free for the taking. I learned the hard way, but seeing a nice bike with hardly more than a paperclip holding it in place is painful.

Re: Bike Parking & Pump at Penn & Camden Stations

Craig — Fri, 31 May 2013 00:10:01 -0000

I just purchased a Vespa scooter. Was hoping to use it to catch the MARC train. I was hoping I could park at the station - for free. Can I park my Vespa scooter at Camden Yards or Penn Station safely during the day and pick it up in the evening? (BTW: I am a avid bicycler but not so much at 6am) My big concern is the scooter being there when I back. What is your experience?

Re: Downtown Crackdown on Bike Parking

chris — Thu, 23 May 2013 23:37:00 -0000

Sounds like a job for a certain statewide advocacy group...

Re: City Approves Bikeshare Grant Agreement

guest — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:25:13 -0000

According to the infrastructure costs in the Washington Post article ($54K per station), the grant from MDOT would only cover 15 stations, not the 25 originally planned. Baltimore's probably planning on smaller stations than DC, but we need to be realistic about what's viable in the short term and push for the funding (public and private) to operate and expand the system rapidly.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/...

Re: Poor Bike Locking or Entrapment?

guest — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:17:16 -0000

He must like that front wheel, but not the frame.

Re: Downtown Crackdown on Bike Parking

guest — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:16:16 -0000

Based on the property boundaries & aerial photography on the Merlin website (http://www.mdmerlin.net/mapper..., the Stadium Authority's property extends almost all the way to Pratt St. and halfway across Howard St.

Re: Downtown Crackdown on Bike Parking

Wally Pinkard — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:30:30 -0000

Where does the stadium authority's property end? do they own the sidewalks or just the parking lots?

Re: Downtown Crackdown on Bike Parking

Billy — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:08:49 -0000

As usual, cyclists are being given minimal infrastructure to support bike commuting/parking and are expected to maximize beyond what little is set up for us. For example, only 6 racks to lock up bikes in the Inner Harbor which was a posted here a few days ago. I am happy that has finally been re-installed after 1.5 years of nothing, but the amount that is there is simply pathetic. Who really think that at any given time no more than 12 people will need a place to lock up a bike while visiting or working the Inner Harbor?

Without proper signage throughout these institutional property, how is it even legal for a private institution to vandalize someones personal property in the name of pedestrian safety? Signage is EVERYWHERE telling car drivers where they can/can't park, etc. What's next, writing parking tickets to cars that are parked in a unsigned no park area? I guarantee that ticket would be fought in court and probably won by the defendant simply on the grounds they didn't know because a sign didn't say they couldn't. This is really no different in my opinion.

I would love to see them try putting big nasty stickers on someone's car window or leather seats for double parking in Harbor East and not be subjected to a large public outcry. But since we are only cyclist and they are "just bikes" no one cares about our vehicles, nor do they realize how much they can cost when outfitted with better than stock components.

Re: Downtown Crackdown on Bike Parking

B'more Bikes — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:32:33 -0000

City property vs. state property. State property wins

Re: Downtown Crackdown on Bike Parking

Guest — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:32:09 -0000

city property vs. state property

Re: Downtown Crackdown on Bike Parking

seth — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:22:21 -0000

On one hand, this:

"The City of Baltimore’s Legal Department determined that most bicycles (excepted when parked in the road at a metered location) locked to fixtures within the public right-of-way are done so legally. Therefore, the stickers placed on bicycles are comparable to property damage and vandalism."

On the other hand,Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) Title 14, Subtitle 25, Chapter 2, Article 13-703, Parts a, b & c

What trumps what?

Re: Downtown Crackdown on Bike Parking

B'more Bikes — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:18:56 -0000

Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) Title 14, Subtitle 25, Chapter 2, Article 13-703, Parts a, b & c