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Baltimore County (Map, News) - Baltimore County Del. Jon Cardin, probably more than any other Maryland elected official, has hands-on knowledge of the hurdles bicycle commuters face.
Cardin rode a bike daily from Mount Washington to downtown Baltimore as a University of Maryland law student. Today, he still rides regularly from his Timonium home to his law office in Baltimore. He’s even ridden from Timonium to the state capitol.
“I’ve timed it,” Cardin said. “Just under two hours.”
Friday at the Miller Senate Office Building in Annapolis, Cardin embraced the 10th Annual Maryland Bicycle and Pedestrian Symposium, sponsored by One Less Car, a statewide pro-pedaling, pro-walking advocacy organization. Each year, One Less Car brings together commuter and recreational cycling, walking and hiking groups, plus environmental, smart-growth and alternative transportation activists for a day of exchange and lobbying with various Maryland department officials, state delegate and senators.
Organizations such as the Baltimore Bicycling Club, the Ellicott City-based Mid-Maryland Triathlon Club, the Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club, as well as daily commuters like Greg Cantori from Pasadena in Anne Arundel County and Stephen Franzoni of Joppatowne in Harford County shared experiences, hopes and plans for more bike-friendly roads.
“The biggest thing is it is a chance for us [the bicycling and pedestrian advocates] to get together and network and see what everyone is doing and come up with new ideas,” said Bill Kelly, 67. He lives in Howard County now, but is from College Park and is chairman of the College Park Area Bicycle Coalition.
Cardin, chairman of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Caucus, said he is working on two bills designed to promote bicycling safety.
The first bill would require automobile drivers to yield to a bicyclist in a bike lane, and would permit drivers to only pass a cyclist if it can be done without endangering the cyclist. The second bill would increase the fines and length of license suspensions of drivers who fail to yield to cyclists and thereby cause bodily harm or death in a crash.
The symposium, the advocacy work, the legislation and the additional bike lanes are “about changing the consciousness of the American driver,” Cardin said. He presented One Less Car’s friendly legislator of the year award to Baltimore Del. Maggie McIntosh, chair of the House Environmental Matters Committee.
“All these people can share the road,” Cardin said.
