From Harford County government:
With spring finally arriving, Harford County and the Baltimore Metropolitan Council celebrate May as Clean Commute Month. They are encouraging residents to Bike to Work at Aberdeen Proving Ground and Bel Air. County Executive David R. Craig, urges everyone to bike to work or try biking for fun, fitness or transportation.
The continually growing event has launched their website and online registration is now open. All County residents are invited to participate in the Bel Air event by registering at www.Bike2WorkCentralMD.com, while those residents employed or having business at APG may register separately at www.B2W2014-apg.eventbrite.com. Citizens may participate in more than one event.
Rain or shine, the Bike to Work Day Rally at Aberdeen Proving Ground will be held Wednesday, May 14th from 7am to 9 am at APG North Recreation Center at Erie and Raritan Streets. The Bike to Work Day Rally at Bel Air will be held Friday, May 16th, 7am to 9am at the Harford County Government Administration Building located at 220 South Main Street.
The Rallies, hosted by Harford County Government and supported by the U.S. Army Garrison APG, promote riding a bicycle as a fun, viable, low-cost commuting option. This event is free, but registration is required. The Rally is sure to be exciting with special guests and dignitaries, local radio station WXCY 103.7 emceeing, possible televised coverage and interviews, bicycle tune-ups, and a Cyclist Parade route on APG and downtown Bel Air. An exhibition area featuring vendors and information is also available for attendees. Registrants to the Rallies will receive a free Bike to Work Day gift, refreshments, as well as a chance to win giveaways from our generous sponsors.
For those who wish to participate and cycle into the Rally, but do not wish to ride alone, there are bicycle convoys available with experienced cyclists leading the way.
For those cyclists looking to tap into their competitive side, the Cycle Smackdown is once again being held. This event is a friendly, yet spirited competition, between businesses and organizations whereby employees from various sized companies or organizations compete against each other to field the most number of registrants to bike to work. Last year’s recipients were Ecotone, Inc. for the small company category, Survice Engineering for the medium sized category, and Upper Chesapeake Health System for the large company category. Other participants were ARC – Northern Chesapeake Region and Chesapeake Testing. At Aberdeen Proving Ground the winning command was AMSAA.
Want to support BTWD? Many generous contributions from sponsors are being made. With the Coffee, Coffee of Festival at Bel Air, Bike Shop of Bel Air, Advanced Eye Care, Arena Club, Dunkin Donuts of Edgewood, Freedom Federal Credit Union, Looney’s North, MaGerks, Survice Engineering and WXCY 103.7 as current sponsors. For more information on becoming a sponsor, call 1-800-924-8646 or email Alan Doran at rideshare@harfordcountymd.gov.
Harford residents are urged to “Bike in Good Company” and register for Bike to Work Day 2014 at APG: www.B2W2014-apg.eventbrite.com or Bel Air: www.B2WCentralMD.com or by calling 1-800-924-8646. Harford Commuter Assistance Rideshare – Smart for Your Wallet, Smart for Your World.
I think I rather breathe my own farts than to attempt to ride a bicycle in the “hot hot” areas of this county.
How does that make any sense? It doesn’t.
Considering the amount of people who speed, drive wrecklessly, ignore traffic controlled intersections, refuse to accept common courtesy because “they are first” you would have be some sort of deranged individual to voluntarily ride a bicycle anywhere near the word “Bel Air”
Everyone likes their own flavor.
I road bike and mountain bike; and, there is nothing enjoyable about sharing the road. Improvements can be made. But for now, people driving vehicles are suddenly freaked that a bike is on the road. The bicycle speed going up hill is more comparable to a jogger than a car. Riders are wondering if they packed medical insurance cards for when they go splat. And the groups they are bicycling with ignore the rules of the road: cross at red lights when they deem it safe, peddle past stop signs, change lanes without hand signalling, engage in yelling matches, and partially take a lane just to intentionally slow traffic. All in all, nobody wakes up in the morning expecting to run over a bicyclist or to be run over. When the possibility of this danger presents itself … everyone gets tense and irritated (bicyclists and drivers). There is nothing fun about riding a road bike with cars and trucks and motorcycles. I like the exercise. But the best part of the trip is when I make it home safely.
The biggest issue is that current roads were not designed for bicycles or pedestrians. They were designed for cars, trucks and motorcycles (which pay for them with gas taxes and MVA fees) . Most back roads do not have shoulders and are double yellow lined. Even roads with shoulders (ex. Rt 22) have varying shoulder width due to the addition of turn lanes and many sections of the shoulder are deteriorated (they were not intended as driving surfaces).
In addition to the examples you mentioned, many times the packs of cyclists do not stay single file (as they should), yet will complain if the car seems to get close when they are the one that got closer to the car.
I always avoid Rt 22 in the afternoons on nice days, too many drivers slow down to gawk at the bicyclists. One hint of a ponytail or pink spandex and you’re stuck in a 30 car back-up.