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MICA campus? Bike-friendly. Surrounding streets? Eh, not so much.

On speeding traffic and tire-eating grates. Plus, how this year's Bob Moore Moonlight Madness ride differed from the latest by Critical Mass . . .

Liam Quigley, text and photos September 7, 2010 at 1:17 pm 15

bike racks at u of b barnes&noble

Bike racks at the University of Baltimore Barnes & Noble near MICA.

Photo by: Liam Quigley

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MICA has continued to add bicycle racks around its campus but something needs to be done about the whizzing cars.

A day will soon come when there are enough cyclists to warrant serious traffic-calming on Mt Royal Avenue (as if the droves of pedestrians on this stretch of road weren’t enough.)
Bike racks outside MICA's new "1515" building at 1515 Mount Royal Avenue.

“Yield to Pedestrians” signage has been about as effective at stopping drivers as the always-ignored and rarely-useful signage that can be found on the Hopkins campuses.

Maryland Institute College of Art is remarkably bike-friendly as an institution, but oddly, little seems to change on the surrounding streets. The recent “improvements” to the intersection of North Avenue and Mt Royal seem to have only reinforced the old substandard design. The new pavement even includes bike UN-friendly storm water grates, which should not continue to show up in construction projects.

Mount Royal and North avenues intersection, view over the handlebars.

Mount Royal and North avenues intersection, view over the handlebars.

Pedestrian and bike unfriendly streets and intersections like North Avenue reinforce borders and divisions between neighborhoods, stifling growth in Baltimore and making upper-class oases more common. Speaking of which…

The Fitzgerald, which houses the new Barnes and Noble “University of Baltimore Edition,” has added bike racks towards the middle of Oliver Street. They border the entrance to the 950 (!) spot parking garage. Progress.

- Three pro-cycling bills completed part of their journey through the Baltimore political system on Monday.

One interesting detail: bike lane obstruction fines will likely be $75-per-offense, though the officer will have the option to level a $250 fine if they decide the vehicle is “blocking (automobile) traffic.”

Sidewalk riding on North Avenue. (Photo by Liam Quigley)

Some sidewalk riding on North Avenue during recent Critical Mass ride.

- The Bob Moore Memorial Moonlight Madness ride was a blast. The group was orderly, generally very law abiding, safe, fun, and kept a consistent pace. Critical Mass on the other hand was it’s usual self – a testosterone and alcohol driven ride that was either going too fast, too slow, or just stopped in a crosswalk. It’s still a great spectacle, but the little moments of joy had by those participating are probably outweighed by the bad vibes people get from those who ride on sidewalks to get to the front of the ride. CM is what it is, but anyone who thinks it’s helping us get more respect needs to stop pretending.

- Baltimore Bicycle Works was laying new floors for their high-end expansion last week, as well as putting on a back-to-school sale with student discounts.

Baltimore Bicycle Works expanding. (Photo by Liam Quigley)

Baltimore Bicycle Works was laying the floor last week for its new high-end expansion.

  • Dukiebiddle

    Great writeup. You know, where I'd really like to see some bicycle friendly engineering improvements around MICA would be on Mt. Royal heading Southeast and downhill towards the Cathedral Avenue fork. I'd be willing to guess that the majority of cyclists are staying on Mt. Royal towards Charles, yet many of the motorists speed up and right hook cyclists while heading onto Cathedral. I know I've been right hooked there a couple of times. The safe option, of course, is to take the full right hand lane (or hug the left side of the right hand lane), but that's a pretty advanced maneuver for cyclists and isn't really practicable for beginners, if it would even occur to them that the fork is a problem.

    It would also be great if the Fitzgerald could install a secure bike cage within its 950 space garage. Surely with that many spaces a cage taking up 4 to 6 spaces could be manageable.

  • Rachel

    Support cycling safety and infrastructure, register for the October 3rd Tour du Port and learn more about what Maryland's smart transportation advocacy group is working on @ http://www.onelesscar.org.

  • Urban Jones

    Most of us cyclists are quite sensible. For the 10% who aren't, or simply haven't been told:

    – If the good people of Baltimore spend their tax dollars to build a blacktop bike path right next to a road, please use it instead of the parallel road. I know you're making a point, and I know some pedestrians will complain, and I truly do understand, but please believe me when I say that 95% of the drivers just think you're a clueless jerk — and they're the ones who should be your biggest allies.

    – Your overpriced fixed-gear bike isn't fooling anyone. If you're really that anti-elitist, go buy a used Schwinn 10-speed at a garage sale for $20. It's cheaper and better for your knees. While you're at it, hipsters: Wear a helmet. Your brain is worth more than your hair.

    - If you're in the road and expect respect, please show some. Respect stop signs and lights. Again, as a fellow cyclist, I know exactly why it makes sense to cruise through lights; that doesn't stop you from looking like a jerk to a vast majority of people when you do it.

    Happy riding.

    • Dukiebiddle

      On the issue of the Falls road bike path: I happen to use it, but it is important for people to understand that high speed 22-25 mm tires are designed for the road, not for bike paths. There is too much debris on that bike path, and all bike paths, for narrow tired bicycles to use it safely. Also, road cyclists average 14-17 mph, that is NOT a safe speed for a cyclist to share an MUP with little children or leashed dog walkers. Just a few months ago the Maryland law was modified to allow cyclists to choose what is the safest option for themselves. So even with the building of bicycle infrastructure, do NOT expect to see lycra clad performance cyclists using the infrastructure, as it is not designed for them and is not safe for them. The safest option for them is to share the road with motorists.

      As for overpriced fixies: I'm not a fixie rider myself, but the are the lowest priced bicycle available on the market. They only cost a couple of hundred dollars new, while mountain bikes average about $700 and road bike average about $1100. A used Schwinn that cost $20 at a yard sale would probably cost $400 do restore to safe use, while converting it into a fixed gear may cost only $150 at the most. Also, a $20 garage sale bike is a horrible option for someone who does not know what they are buying.

      Helmets do no do what many people think they do. They are not likely to help you in a critical accident. Their effectiveness for minimizing critical head traumas are only about 20% for adults and police estimates for the reduction of cyclist fatalities are below 15%. They are not designed to help minimize concussions, they are designed to reduce skull fractures, which according to UK estimates (that has very similar bicycle safety statistics to the United States) are once in 8,000 year events for average cyclists, and bicycle fatalities are once in 22,000 year events. Given that in a once in 8,000 year event the helmet effectiveness of only 20% does not support hypothesis that riding without a helmet while engaged in normal everyday riding is an irresponsible act.

    • Dukiebiddle

      Oh, and I should also point out that I actually agree with your final point completely. Yes, like you, I agree that it is safe to run reds and cruise through stops, but ever since I've embraced 100% legal and safe practices the respect I receive from motorists is so much greater. I'd estimate that 80% of the abuse I used to receive from motorists has disappeared. They may still hate me, but they feel legally obliged to respect my right to the road, which I never received when I used to jump lights early or Idaho stop at signs.

      I really don't want to tells others that they should do the same for all cyclists' sake, as I fully understand their safe practice argument, but I really would encourage all cyclists to give 100% safe and legal practices a week long try to see how it feels. I think they would instantly the greater respect that they command from motorists, understand that it is a far more chill and relaxed experience and actually increase your endurance by affording you little breathers. Always being on high adrenaline and peering through traffic to find a hole to squeeze through is just so exhausting and unnecessary.

  • Virchow

    Seems that there is a lot of demand for a safe passage through the North Ave wasteland. A few positive signs — businesses like Joe Squared popping up, for example, but a long way to go.

    • http://blog.cyclosity.com/ Liam

      I can think of few intersections along North Avenue that feel safe. Park Avenue is ok, but the surrounding neighborhood can be kind of unfriendly. Mt Royal is miserable but manageable.

      One thing that could be done immediately on Mt Royal at North Ave : Increase green light time for left turns coming off Mt Royal Terrace + 83 and Mt Royal Avenue – right now it seems like about 6 seconds which is hardly enough time for bicyclists to fully turn left onto North Ave from Mt Royal.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_SXS2KHWUDYK5BKB4XNCCAAQDLE Gerald Neily

    Great write-up, Liam. I think we're stuck with the rhetoric of schizophrenic policies like “traffic calming” and “bike friendliness”, attempting to coexist with a new 950 space parking garages built as part of “transit-oriented development” – in this case, right next to the University of Baltimore light rail stop. A bad euphemism used by the propagandists for such contradictions is “creating travel options”.

    I think the intersection of North Avenue, Mount Royal and the JFX is pretty hopeless, because motorists are willing to endure and fight through massive congestion to get on the JFX at that point. It points out the folly of congestion being a tool in traffic calming. Reality is quite the contrary. Congestion usually only makes matters worse.

    As for the Mount Royal/Cathedral split, the city proposed a traffic roundabout of some sort there. I have trouble imagining that being anything except a Darwinist disaster.

    But there are still many things that can be done if we quit speaking in terms of propaganda generalities. My favorite idea in the MICA/Uof B area is to turn Oliver Street into a civilized street instead of a dumpster den. See the Brew from April '09:

    http://www.baltimorebrew.com/2009/04/22/dumped-on-oliver-street-to-become-book-lovers-boulevard/

    What you wrote should be part of the start.

    • Dukiebiddle

      While I agree with some of your concerns on Guilford I'm a bit leery of your use of the terms like 'Propaganda' when addressing contemporary urban design. The propagandists have successfully installed these devices in Manhattan, which have lead to significantly reduced motor vehicles accidents, significantly reduced pedestrian collisions, a 50% reduction in bicycle accidents between 2006 and 2008 along with a 66% increase in bicycle modal share, and none of this has caused significant congestion problems beyond a few grousing cabbies. Perhaps the old philosophy was just profoundly wrongheaded?

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_SXS2KHWUDYK5BKB4XNCCAAQDLE Gerald Neily

        Yes, in places like Times Square, the hype has been backed up with a significant and meaningful traffic management plan. What I'm referring to as propaganda are notions such as that a 950 car parking garage next to the U of B light rail station is “transit oriented development” or that a proposed high volume roundabout on Mount Royal is “traffic calming”.

        • Dukiebiddle

          Gotcha. Thanks :)

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_SXS2KHWUDYK5BKB4XNCCAAQDLE Gerald Neily

    Yes, in places like Times Square, the hype has been backed up with a significant and meaningful traffic management plan. What I'm referring to as propaganda are notions such as that a 950 car parking garage next to the U of B light rail station is “transit oriented development” or that a proposed high volume roundabout on Mount Royal is “traffic calming”.

  • Dukiebiddle

    Gotcha. Thanks :)

  • http://bike.baltimorecommutes.com Nate Evans

    Mt. Royal is currently being re-engineered by the city's DOT. The project (Midtown Streetscape) will include bike lanes on Mt. Royal from Guilford to McMechen.

  • Cyndel

    Would you say MICA is in a safe area? I am thinking of applying and I currently live in Seattle, but have never been to Baltimore. Thanks!

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