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 . . .
Above: Bike racks at the University of Baltimore Barnes & Noble near MICA.
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.)
“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.
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.”
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 was laying the floor last week for its new high-end expansion.