A year after opening the 15-mile Gwynn Falls Trail linking parks in the western half of the city and on the heels of completing the first phase of the 10-mile Jones Fall Trail, Baltimore is expected to officially adopt its first Bicycle Master Plan in more than 20 years Thursday.
“It?s really exciting to be finally moving forward with the project after so much discussion,” said Stacey Mink, executive director of One Less Car, a Maryland bicycling and pedestrian advocacy organization. “The money is allocated and we?re going to be able to make this happen.”
The plan, if approved, will allocate $3.5 million over the next three years as part of the introductory phase of the long-term project, and connect 150 miles of city streets, bike lanes, paths, trails and assigned routes.
The capital improvement budget money will be spent on resurfacing roads, replacing hazardous metal grating, adding signs, lining bike lanes, building paths and increasing the availability of bicycle parking at city institutions, universities and major employers.
“Most of the changes are pretty basic,” said Bob Patton, an engineering consultant on the project with the Toole Design Group. “Baltimore has lagged behind many cities on this issue and this is like playing catch-up.”
The plan also calls for the hiring of a full-time city bicycle coordinator and includes funding for education, safety and outreach programs. More than 100 people showed up to participate in the January planning meetings, and the proposal has solid support among recreational and commuter bicyclists.
“Cities like Davis and Palo Alto, Calif., have 6 percent of the work force commuting by bike,” said Greg Cantori, a bicycle commuter and Baltimore Bicycling Club member. “In Maryland, it?s about 1.5 percent. So we can do a lot better. This is a start, but we need to change the culture, too.”
Cantori would like the city to close some streets on Sundays as well, as is done in Rock Creek Park in Washington and other major cities worldwide, to encourage riders and families to get out on their bikes.
Approximately 325,788 Baltimore residents either live in households without an automobile or are too young for a driver?s license.
Final Baltimore City Bicycle Master Plan documents and maps are available on the Comprehensive Master Plan Web site: www.liveearnplaylearn.com/Publications/BaltimoreCityBicycleMasterPlan.
