Wednesday Morning Commute - Dominate City Streets

Good morning

• More biking is part of Mayor Gray's Sustainable DC Plan. "Although cars would still dominate city streets, it would cost more to park them and they would be expected to share the road with a streetcar system and tens of thousands of bicyclists.  By 2032, according to the plan, a quarter of all commuter trips would be by bike or foot and half would be by public transportation... Other “medium term” goals include having ... an additional 200 Capital Bikeshare stations, twice as many bike lanes..."
• WABA supports the Bicycle Safety Omnibus Bill. 
• Attend the Bike Maryland Symposium next week. 
• Support Capital Bikeshare at Arlington Cemetery Metro on the southern sidewalk of Memorial Drive. NPS has another location in mind, one that is harder to see, harder to access and harder to service. 
• Virginia texting bill passes Senate awaits Governor's signature. "Currently, texting is a secondary offense — drivers can be cited only while stopped for something else. Fines are only $20 for a first offense, $50 for subsequent offenses. The new law would raise fines to $250 and $500 respectively. Additionally, drivers convicted of reckless driving would face a $500 fine if they were texting at the time of the offense."
• "Traffic fatalities rose 5 percent last year, according to an analysis of preliminary state data, reversing a seven-year decline in which the number of annual traffic deaths reached their lowest level in more than six decades." While more driving is part of the reason, the rate of deaths also went up. Faster driving, driving on rural roads, more freight traffic and distracted driving are possible reasons. "Increases in pedestrian and bicyclist deaths — a reflection of more people walking and biking in urban areas — may also be a factor, said Barbara Harsha, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association, which represents state highway safety offices."

Comments

[T]

He doesn't have to wait until 2032, all he has to do is pull a London and implement congestion taxing. It will not be popular, but our bike trails we be packed within a week or two.

[Michael H.]

200 more CaBi stations would be nice. We need more of them near Farragut Square, West End, Upper Northwest, and many other areas. To steal another site's tagline, CaBi is great, but it could be greater.