Hatem Bridge to open to cyclists, closing gap in East Coast Greenway

This is good news

Like all Maryland toll facilities, the Thomas J. Hatem Memorial Bridge between Perryville and Havre de Grace has long prohibited cyclists. State officials said they were responding to bicyclists’ complaints that their lack of access to the Hatem Bridge, in particular, interfered with using Maryland’s section of the East Coast Greenway and the September 11th National Memorial Trail that connects memorial sites at the Pentagon and in New York City. The bridge now has signs telling bicyclists to call a taxi if they want to cross.

Because the bridge has no shoulders, cyclists will have to share the right travel lanes with vehicles. State officials said they are still working out details about tolling rates, safety signage, and any restrictions.

I hope they do keep a token toll for cyclist (a nickle or something) just as a counterpoint to the "cyclists don't pay anything" argument. Of course an even better development would involve a bike/ped crossing built as part of the replacement Amtrak bridge. Or maybe they could build a new facility on the old abutments next to the current railroad bridge.

Bay Bridge next?

Sparks said the authority isn’t considering allowing cyclists to use any other Maryland toll facilities because state law prohibits riding a bike on any road where the posted speed limit is above 50 mph. With a posted speed limit of 45 mph, Sparks said, the Hatem Bridge is the only toll facility with a speed limit below 50 mph.

Awww....No fair.

Comments

[twk]

This is great news. This does help fix the East Coast Greenway, which is great. But that is not the only crossing in MD that needs to be fixed. The ECG also broken at Governors Bridge crossing the Patuxent River. Completing the WB&A would help with that. Neither the bridge repair or WB&A crossing seem to have any estimated dates of completion.

The Hatem bridge might be the only toll facility with a speed limit below 50 mph, but not the only one meeting the stated criteria.

If the stated criteria for prohibition is a speed limit greater than 50 mph, then the tolled bay bridge meets test. Posted speed limit on the bay bridge is not above 50 mph. Not that I want to ride with traffic on the bay bridge. Although I would like to see a way for cyclists to cross safely.

[contrarian]

The Bay Bridge has a speed limit of 50. This is not "above" 50. So the automatic exclusion of cyclists doesn't apply.

When you don't want to do something you can always come up with a reason why it's a bad idea.

[robert skeen]

I've always wondered if someone with the knowledge could give an estimated cost of say, build a new facility on the old abutments, then maybe the cost could be crowd-funded or create someway for interested users to contribute.

[John Z Wetmore]

I would hope this is just an interim measure until a bike and ped path can be cantilevered off the side of the Hatem Bridge. Here is video of MDOT Secretary Pete Rahn announcing Hatem Bridge access at the Maryland Bicycle Symposium on February 10.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGV3KAcTJvA

[Purple Eagle]

I know there is/was a group (maybe Rail to Trails or the group formally behind the East Coast Greenway?) pressing officials to consider adding bike/ped access when they re-build the Amtrak bridge, which I think is supposed to happen relatively soon. Not sure about the status of that project.

[Richard Giordano]

With the Bike lane on the Hatem, how do they propose to get get rush hour traffic across the span? I am all for getting cyclists across the Susquahana, but not at the expense of motorists. There currently are two unused pier on either side of the Susquahana. One in Perryville and the other in HDG. Why not make them bike ferries, that would run every hour or so, during the seaso. The cost would be absorbed by the cost for the non use of State Troopers, who would manage the bridge crossing. It would not be year round and a published schedule would be posted on the Internet site. Certified volunteers would operate the ferries. PS This is not my idea.

[washcycle]

There is no bike lane - bikes will just be allowed to ride across in the existing right hand lanes.

So, the only difference in how rush hour traffic will go across the span is that it used to be that 100% of it drove across in one of the existing traffic lanes, and now it will mostly drive across, but some of it will bike.

A ferry that runs once an hour (and not all year long) would not serve transportational cyclists particularly well. And I doubt it could be operated by volunteers.