WABA Quick Release

I had a great ride today, and was thrilled to see so many of my fellow Washington area cyclists out for an easy spin on a beautiful Mother’s Day Sunday. There was definitely a hitch or two, but I’m confident in reporting that thousands of us finished the ride with giant smiles on our faces. So I thought I’d share my experience of the day.  Hit the jump for more.

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It should surprise no one that WABA has been working to improve traffic enforcement and the protection of bicyclists on the District’s roadways. We have worked countless hours on this issue and testified at two hearings held by the DC Council’s Committee on the Judiciary on this matter. Those hearings led to a finding by the Office of Police Complaints of deficiencies in the Department’s enforcement and relationship with cyclists and led MPD to appoint a liaison to the bicycling community to work with the District’s Bicycle Advisory Council.

These are positive steps, but there is much more to be done.

Often, when there is a major crash or a cyclist is cited for an infraction that he or she feels is undeserved, that cyclist or a family member calls WABA for advice. And often, when a WABA staffer or an attorney for the cyclist/family follows up on the facts of the case, we find that the story is quite different than the one contained in the police reports. In some cases, the facts presented in the reports or the citations issued simply do not match the stories of those on the scene.  In other cases, even as presented, the facts do not justify the conclusion drawn or the citation issued.

We have been working to make the case that as cycling grows in the District with the support of District programs and infrastructure, the District also has a responsibility to educate police officers on the application of traffic laws to bicyclists. Absent the physical protection of an automobile surrounding us, we rely on the protection of the law.

Unfortunately, we tend to encounter these enforcement errors on an individual basis, one at a time, as impacted cyclists contact us. We have worked to systematize this and get better data through the creation of our crash tracker survey, and it has been useful in getting more information on more crashes. But we are still working to show that the issue is not an occasional error by an occasional officer who misunderstands a provision. Rather, it is a systemic lack of appropriate training for all officers that needs to be rectified by a significant training effort.

Lacking the resources to launch a full analysis of every crash report related to bicycling, we recently chose to focus on a single regulation and review every citation for a violation. We submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to MPD and the DC Department of Motor Vehicles. Because the names and contact information of the cited party are not disclosed through the FOIA process, we attempted to select a provision in which we would not need to contact the cited party or follow up with witnesses to show errors. For this reason we selected the District’s “riding abreast” regulation, 18 DCMR 1201.7:

Persons riding upon a roadway shall not ride more than two abreast except on paths or part of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles. Persons riding two abreast shall not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic and, on a lane roadway, shall ride within a single lane.

Note that this law:

1. Cannot apply to a bicyclist riding alone;
2. Does not relate to the relationship between any bicycle and any non-bicycle vehicle.

We submitted our request seeking information on citations for violation of the “riding abreast” regulation on March 16. The statutory period for acknowledgment passed without response from MPD. On April 9, we followed up with MPD, noting the delay beyond the statutory limit, and also submitted an identical request with the District’s DMV, which oversees adjudication services. On April 19, we did receive acknowledgement of the initial request from MPD but have received no substantive response to date.

DMV, however, has provided both an initial response with overview data of the citation history in its records, as well as a more detailed supplemental response including individual Notices of Infraction. Both responses are below.

Dmv Foia Riding Abreast 1 of 2

Dmv Foia Riding Abreast 2 of 2

A very quick analysis reveals that not a single citation is supported by the officer’s description. In many cases no description is provided, so one cannot conclude whether the citation was justified. But in every case in which a description was provided, a violation of 18 DCMR 1201.7 is not described. Also, notably, there was no instance of two citations being issued at the same location, as might be expected for a law requiring two bicycles.

We continue to be concerned that officers entrusted with enforcing the laws that we need to help keep us safe on the roadways are not adequately trained on those laws or the application to cyclists. Wrongful citations have ramifications, and those ramifications can go well beyond the $25 fine or the frustration of being ticketed when the other party committed the unlawful act. Under the District’s contributory negligence system, insurers will frequently rely on a citation to deny coverage for injuries in a crash, forcing the cyclist who acted entirely within the law to run a complicated legal gauntlet of contesting the wrongful citation and winning, then taking legal action to compel the insurer to provide compensation for any injuries.

In short, bicyclists need MPD to get these citations right. We have seen recent cases in which the intervention of the officers appointed to act as liaisons to the cycling community–Lt. Breul and Commander Crane–have led to the withdrawal of improper citations. The documents provided reveal another such instance. But this sort of intervention is only available in the rare and clear-cut cases in which the officer’s description fails to match the citation as a matter of law. Intervention of this sort is unavailable when the dispute is a factual matter, such as which party has the duty to yield. In any event, the District cannot rely on one or two individual officers to catch the mistakes of many. MPD needs to improve its understanding and application of laws as applied to bicyclists, and that requires a real, robust, and funded training effort.

We hope that the District’s leadership will view this analysis broadly and conclude that we have a real, systemic problem with MPD training that needs a solution. In the absence of that, we hope that this law–which seems to do nothing but provide an invitation to wrongly cite bicyclists–will be amended or repealed to ensure that the wrongful application stops.

And finally, we hope that this analysis will spur others to help us to evaluate the application of laws to bicyclists and push for improvements. We focused on a single, seldom-used citation in this analysis. There are many other provisions that need exploration, but that will generate much more data and, potentially, require much more investigation and follow-up. If you are interested in focusing on these issues, WABA has applied for and received a $3,000 Advocacy Advance Rapid Response Grant to provide stipend(s) to support this campaign and our efforts to show the need for better training of law enforcement officers in the District.

If you are interested in helping WABA make our streets safer by helping us in this manner, send an email to advocacy@waba.org explaining the approach you would take or provisions of law of interest to you.

And please mark your calendar for the next hearing on bicyclist and pedestrian safety and enforcement before the DC Council Committee on the Judiciary: May 30th at 10am. It is important that as these hearings continue bicyclists continue to show up, tell their stories, and ensure that the Committee and the Council takes bicyclist safety seriously. To sign up to testify, contact Jessica Jacobs at jjacobs@dccouncil.us.

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As a WABA member, you benefit in countless ways:

• From the ever-growing network of bike lanes and trails throughout the region.
• From the recently-installed bike racks outside your favorite businesses.
• From the Metro cars and buses that you can take your bike on (on those days you and your bike just need a lift).
• From the cyclist-protective laws now on the books.
• From the fast-expanding network of Bikeshare stations.
• From the  increased number of confident city cyclists on area streets and trails.

By being a WABA member, by supporting our advocacy efforts, you are helping to bring about better bicycling in the region, and thereby, creating the ultimate member benefit: a bicycle-friendly community!

Amazingly though, your member benefits don’t end there. A number of partner businesses, as a thank you for your support of WABA’s work for better bicycling, have kindly extended special benefits to you, our members. We want to let you know more about these additional benefits. Each month we will highlight a different member benefit. Because May is Bike Month, what better member benefit to first highlight than a local bike business:

Bike and Roll

Friends or family in town for the weekend? Wanting to take them out on a trail ride or cruise around the city for an afternoon? Don’t have enough bikes (or the right size or style) to accommodate everyone? Bike and Roll is the answer!  Rent a Bike and Roll bike and explore the Nation’s Capitol. Even better, try out one (or all) of their bike tours, combining history, sites, and/or politics with biking! What could be better than that?  A DISCOUNT! WABA members receive $10 off bike rentals and $10 off bike tours!

Yet, that’s not all. Bike and Roll also regularly partners with WABA to provide free bikes for our Learn to Ride classes.  They truly are a bike-friendly business helping to make the Washington area more bikeable.  Now that’s a member benefit!

 

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We can’t stress this enough; thanks to generous donors throughout the region; we have…

An incredible raffle and silent auction lineup at BikeFest, INCLUDING 8 BIKES!

So we encourage you to take a moment and browse through our list of the silent auction packages, and raffle items before the big show.

Silent Auction Packages
Package Name	Goodies	Donors
E plurbus Unicycle	Unicycle lesson with WABA Staffmember Greg Billing, Citizen Black Chrome messenger bag, your very own copy of BikeSnobNYC’s latest, The Enlightened Cyclist	Greg Billing, Chrome messenger bag, BikeSnobNYC, Chronicle Books, KIND Healthy Snacks
50 States Ride Sneak Peek	50 States Ride preview with WABA staffmember Nelle Pierson, (sm/m) Nutcase Helmet, Water bottles, KIND Bars, Sunscreen	Nelle Pierson, Nutcase USA, KIND Healthy Snacks
Jazzy ride… All things considered	NPR Tour with WABA Board Member, Pedicab Ride, and lunch at Perry’s	Emily Littleton, National Pedicab, Perry’s
C&O Canal of Love	Overnight stay at C&O Canal Lockhouse No. 6, Bike rack and panniers, Picnic blanket, Bottle of wine, chocolate, and bike lube. Plus 1 yr subscription to Momentum magazine and KIND Healthy Snacks	C&O Canal Trust, Tish King, Momentum Magazine, KIND Healthy Snacks.
Rehoboth Summer Classic	Pints and Paddles tour; explore the Broadkill River and tour the Dogfish Head Brewery and end the day with dinner at Dogfish Head Flagship Restaurant. 2 Dogfish head jerseys, socks, water bottles, and sign. Plus a box of KIND Healthy Snacks	Quest Fitness Kayak Tours, Dogfish Head Brewery, KIND Healthy Snacks
The Georgetowner	$50 Gift Card to Cyclelife USA, 2-hour Jack’s Boathouse Kayak rental for 2, $50 Gift Card to Baked & Wired and a box of KIND Healthy Snacks	Cyclelife USA, Jack’s Boathouse, Baked & Wired, KIND Healthy Snacks
H Street Cycle Chic(k)	Yakkay Helmet,bike basket, and skirt garder, flower pedals, Enlightened Cyclist	The Daily Rider, BikeSnob NYC, Chronicle Books,
Health	Subscription to SnackPackers (healthy snacks delivered to your work) and 5-class pack to Stroga, Strength + Yoga sessions	Stroga, Snackpackers
Classy Commuter	Deluxe Burley Travoy commuter trailer	Burley
BIKE: Raleigh Back Alley	Reynolds 520 frame and chromoly fork, Weinmann deep-V rims and Vittoria tires, flip flop between freewheel or fixie drivetrain.	Revolution Cycles
BIKE: Kona Dew	Fast, comfortable and confident geometry, with components designed to stand up to the rigors of daily commuting, including a Kona 7005 aluminum butted frame, Shimano components, Shining rims and Kenda tires.	Kona and Bikenetics
BikeBuild LIVE Auction
BIKE: Papillon Cycles	Vintage Tandem and cycle chic coat	Papillon Cycles
BIKE: Silver Cycles	Tween Cyclocross seat tube is 43cm, top tube 50cmBest for rider 5’2″ and under or a rider with approximately 26 to 29″ inseam	Silver Cycles
BIKE: Threepenny Bikes	Bamboo Mixte  frame size is equivalent to a 34, two-speed internally geared kick-shift	Threepenny Bikes
Raffle
BIKE: Easy Breezy	Breezer Zig 7 Folding bicycle with 20 inch wheels, frame size fits most.	Silver Cycles
Bike Baggin’ It	Ortlieb commuter/travel panniers	Bike Rack
Coffee Clash	$20 Northside Social Gift Certificate & BikeSnob “Enlightened Cyclist” $16.95	Northside Social, BikeSnob NYC and Chronicle Books
Coffee Clash	$20 Northside Social Gift Certificate & BikeSnob “Enlightened Cyclist” $16.95	Northside Social, BikeSnob NYC and Chronicle Books
BikeSnob Starter Kit	$50 Spokes Etc. & BikeSnob “Enlightened Cyclist” $16.95	Spokes Etc. Chronicle Books
Petal Power	Handmade ceramic bike-themed mug $25, flower pedals and $20 gift cert to Northside Social	Nelle Design, Silver cycles, Northside social
Biker’s Dozen	Bakeshop Gift Certicate for 12 cupcakes ($25) & Momentum Subscription  ($19.95)	Bakeshop, Momentum Magazine
Biker’s Dozen	Bakeshop Gift Certicate for 12 cupcakes ($25) & Momentum Subscription  ($19.95)	Bake Shop, Momentum Magazine
District Hardware	$25 gift certificates to District Hardware–The Bike Shop	District Hardware
District Hardware	$25 gift certificates to District Hardware–The Bike Shop	District Hardware
Not Toolin’ Around	Park Tools Class $200 value	Spokes Etc.
Don’t Mess with X-fit	Gift Cert to Arlington Crossfit for Assessment and intro to Crossfit	Arlington Crossfit
Cateye Combo	Urban Wireless Bike Computer $35.00 Rapid 3 Rear Light $23.00, Automatic “Jido” Front light $35.00 side rear-view mirror $12.00	Cateye
The Triple P	1 Fuji Tire Pump ($59.99) & Pedal Pusher T-shirt size Medium ($19.50)	Silver Cycles, Pedal Pushers Cliub
The Triple P	1 Fuji Tire pump ($59.99) & Pedal Pusher Jersey size L ($52.00)  Silver cycles water bottle	Silver Cycles, Pedal Pushers Club
Races and Rambles	2 Air Force Cycling Classic VIP Passes ($100), Framed print of country cycling ($50)	Arlington Sports Inc., Rob Layborn,  Bruce and Linda Dwyer
Potomac Pedalers & Company	Potomac Pedalers membership ($30)  2 jerseys ($25 ea), 1 vintage art  ($50)	Potomac Pedalers, Bruce and Linda Dwyer
Phoenix Rising	$50 Gift Phoenix Bikes Gift Certificate, T shirt, Water bottle	Phoenix Bikes, Henry Dunbar

 

And THIS JUST IN. BicycleSPACE donated 2 custom Tweed Cruisers to the Silent Auction. No words can describe these bikes, so you’ll just have to check them out in person.

If you haven’t purchased tickets yet- get to it! The odds are in your favor- you’re going to have a great time and possibly walk away with some cool prizes!

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If you’ve seen information about BikeFest on the web or on the streets, then you probably have the basics down. For instance, the event details, a sneak peek of the jazz acts, suggestions on the laid back, incentivized and dapper dress code, a glimpse of the BikeBuild bikes and the bikes we’re auctioning off, and perhaps you’ve checked out our most romantic silent auction package.

That’s lovely, and all that jazz… but we’re going to take our promotion a step further. We encourage you to purchase tickets soon and attend BikeFest for the following reasons:

This event is your ticket to a roaring good time. For you will enjoy an evening of:
-Free catered appetizers all evening long by Occasions Catering
-2 free alcoholic or nonalcoholic beverages
-1 free raffle ticket
-A vote in the BikeBuild Contest
-Some of the best live jazz in the region
-Local bike art
-An extensive Silent Auction and Raffle line-up
-Some surprise on-stage and off-stage performances
-Mingling with 400 other bike-loving, WABA supporters. The people you share the lanes with everyday .

This event is your ticket to growing bike advocacy because:
-100% of the proceeds from registration, and 100% of the contributions made throughout the evening,  directly fund WABA’s mission of transforming the greater Washington area into a more bicycle-friendly community. In other words, it’s going to be a fun night and lots of cool people will be there. But more importantly, you will be supporting an incredible local non-profit that has…dare I say…changed your life in the region.

For those of you on the edge of your seats to purchase tickets now, WABA members receive a $10 discount on tickets with the discount code “Speakeasy”.

 

 

 

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Join America Bikes, Senator Ben Cardin, Congressman Earl Blumenauer for a press conference announcing new survey results on Wednesday, May 9.

A new national poll by Princeton Survey found that the overwhelming majority of Americans want to maintain or increase federal funding for sidewalks, bike lanes, and bike paths. These results add a critical perspective to a pressing national debate about transportation, as lawmakers conference to develop a new transportation bill that will affect bike infrastructure funding in DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

The press conference is open to all and will take place from 9:30 until 10:15 AM on Wednesday, May 9 at the House Triangle on Capitol Hill.

Speakers will include Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland, Representative Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, a statement from Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine, and Angela Fox of the Crystal City Business Improvement District.

The press event at the House Triangle follows a National Bike to School Day celebration in Lincoln Park. From 7:30 – 8:30 a.m., school children will gather in Lincoln Park and ride in bike trains to nearby Capitol Hill public schools.

Sandra Moscoso, a lead organizer of the Capitol Hill Bike to School Day event, will also speak at the America Bikes press conference. As a parent who enjoys biking with her kids to school, Sandra is glad that federal bike funding has benefitted her neighborhood.

“My best days are the ones when I bike to school with the children,” says Sandra. “It’s really fun, biking to school. We have this time together on the road, not plugged into a cell phone or reading in the back seat.”

Sandra appreciates the bike lanes in her neighborhood and the educational programs that make biking more accessible. Sandra’s family recently took WABA’s ABCs of Family Biking class, and her kids have participated in bike education offered through DDOT’s Safe Routes to School, a federally funded program for students.

Federal funding had provided education and infrastructure to make biking safer and more accessible for her family, says Sandra.

“There are mental barriers to biking, and there are physical barriers. We need federal funding to address both.”

This post was written by WABA Member and America Bikes Communications Coordinator Mary Lauran Hall.

 

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Congratulations to all the jurisdictions awarded Maryland Bikeshare Program grants.  Within our immediate area, Montgomery County and UMD/College Park received implementation grant awards, and Prince George’s County/City of Greenbelt received feasibility study grants.

From the MDOT release:

The grant-winning projects include both feasibility studies for several jurisdictions and actual implementation and opening of bikeshare stations for others that are further along in the planning and design process.  The winners are divided into two categories – funding to implement a bikeshare facility and funding for a feasibility study to determine potential bikeshare station locations.  The Bikeshare Grant Program is funded through the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Program and will cover 80 percent of the total project cost.  Local jurisdictions are required to pay a 20 percent match.

The winners of grants to implement bikesharing systems are:  Baltimore City, Montgomery County and joint partners with University of Maryland at College Park and the City of College Park.  The winners of grants for feasibility studies of potential bikeshare stations are:  Frederick City, Howard County and joint partners with Prince George’s County and the City of Greenbelt.

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Join us for a happy hour drink TONIGHT (5/9) at Sidebar in Silver Spring.

We’re raising money for Team WABA and the 2012 Climate Riders and need your help! We’ve raised an impressive $29,758.53 of our $38,400 goal so far! However, we have $8,641.47 to go and less than two weeks to do it!

Sidebar has been generous enough to offer us 10% of the night’s sales. So bring your friends, co-workers, family, and significant others. Munch, mingle, and have a beverage. You’ll be helping us move closer to our fundraising goal with each sip or nibble, but you’ll be doing it while getting to know our 2012 Climate Riders, WABA members and other fellow cyclists!

This is a free event.  However, we strongly encourage you to make a donation of $5 or more to support Team WABA. Register here or just show up!

 

EVENT DETAILS

When: Wed., 5/9, 6-8pm

Where: Sidebar
8081 Georgia Ave.
(enter on Sligo Ave.)
Silver Spring, MD 20910

Can’t make the happy hour? Consider making a donation online. From the “Team WABA” page, pick any of our team members or choose “general team donation” to benefit the entire team.

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Prince George’s County Council voted unanimously to support becoming a more walkable and bikeable county this past week. Voting 9-0, Councilmembers passed the “Adequate Public Pedestrian and Bikeway Facilities in Centers and Corridors” Act (CB-2-2012) which requires developers to build bicycle and pedestrian connections from their new developments to nearby destinations. This bill seeks to begin fixing the years of allowing street designs that were inhospitable to pedestrians and bicyclists.

This is giant step forward for Prince George’s County. The County has one of the highest rates of pedestrian deaths in the Maryland and has recently been dangerous and deadly for bicyclists too. The County Council, under the leadership of Councilmembers Olsen and Franklin, has made a statement about a future vision for the county and has recognized the need to begin building safe, connected and protected places to walk and bike.

WABA staff testified several times in support of this initiative and we are pleased with the unanimous result.  We would like to thank the Prince George’s County Council for providing county residents with expanded transportation choices. We would also like to thank our friends at the Coalition for Smarter Growth for their dedication to this initiative and their work in Prince George’s County.

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On Saturday, WABA provided our first mobile bike repair clinic of the season alongside the Anacostia River & Jazz Festival at the Anacostia Park skating rink.  We made lots of friends, gave out nearly 100 DC bike maps, and fixed dozens of bikes.  Thanks to all who came out, and especially to our volunteer mechanics.

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