Winter Cycling Tips from the commuters in Fairbanks, Alaska

Winter Cycling Tips from the commuters in Fairbanks, Alaska
http://www.fairbankscycleclub.org/Winter/

With snow piled high from the blizzard last weekend, it is important to remember that visibility is terrible right now. Assume motorists cannot see you. And keep in mind that ice often lurks under slush.

On the up side, winter is a great time to bike. A good pair of gloves and a facemask keeps your extremities warm and you don't have to worry about sweating.  Morning frost often thaws by the afternoon and you get an especially fresh ride. When you get inside you can curl up with the cat or a hot coca and feel really great.

I have commuted in lots of different weather. From a personal side, I usually walked across intersections unless I could clearly see the pavement. I have seen more than one biker slide across an intersection with their bike still between their legs but laid completely down.

Recently I read about stubbed tires. I actually hadn't heard of them but  here is a link: http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp
And another one about making them yourself: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?369227-Studded-Tires-Make-your-own-in-7-easy-steps

These are both from the Fairbanks site by the way: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?369227-Studded-Tires-Make-your-own-in-7-easy-steps

Oh! One last thing, in the winter, it is especially important to wear a properly fitting helmet. I know that it isn't against the law to go without but be smart and be safe.

New drain grates to be installed to replace old "bike killers"

These new grates will replace the old ones along Presidential drive by UMUC. These reduce the chance of a "diversion" crash where bikers topple over due to immobilization of the wheel. This new pattern has holes small enough for even a street bike to ride over while still allowed proper water flow.

Here are photos of the ones slated to be replaced.

Be sure to thank Facilities Management webmaster@fm.umd.edu

TIP for a Multi-Mode Road( #1) - Open Car Doors with your Right hand

One of the dangers for a multi-mode road is something called "dooring". There is a 4 foot or so door zone of danger where a cyclist can collide with parked car when the door suddenly opens. Alternatively you may be forced to swerve into traffic or you may fall into traffic trying to avoid the door.

Image source: http://reference.findtarget.com/search/Door%20zone/

Driver Tip: When parked on the street, always open your door with your right hand. This reminds you to look back before you open the door.

Bike Tip: Bike 5 feet away from parked cars, keep an eye out for occupied cars and slow down.

Together we can make our bike commute safer.

High School Bike Bus from Keri Caffrey on Vimeo.

This is one way to make our bike commute safer. This is a video of a "bike bus". These are high schoolers in Orlando. They have a scheduled time that the "bus" goes by every day and people hop on at their stop.

Local data on why cycling is safer.

The Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety Problem

In 2007, 4,654 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in the United States — a decrease of 13 percent from the 5,321 pedestrians killed in 1997. 70,000 pedestrians were injured.

Nationally, pedestrians account for 11% of motor vehicle deaths, with urban areas having higher fatality rates than rural areas. 698 bicyclists were also were also killed in 2007, accounting for an additional 2 percent of all traffic fatalities.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that a pedestrian is killed in a traffic crash almost every two hours and injured in a traffic crash every 8 minutes on our nation’s roadways.

Pedestrian fatality and injury rates in the greater Washington, DC region are typical for a major urbanized area, but still high in proportion to the number of pedestrian trips. Approximately 2700 pedestrians and bicyclists are injured every year in the Washington region, and eighty-nine are killed. Pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities accounted for23% of the total traffic fatalities in the District of Columbia, suburban Maryland and northern Virginia from 2004-2008.

Overall traffic fatality and injury rates have decreased in recent years in the Washington region, but pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities have remained high.

For the whole post go to the source website: http://www.mwcog.org/streetsmart/

What do you think of Sharrows?

This blogger has some interesting comments.

http://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2009/09/share-road-marking-signage-improvements.html

Sharrow bicycle lane marking on Kansas Ave. NW at Blair Road (northeast corner)
Originally uploaded by rllayman

I think that within closed communities, like UMD, sharrows signal a commitment to bicycle traffic. We already have low speed limits many casual cyclists can keep up with traffic on declines. We have a great bike shop for even major repairs. But with the gridlock at class change it seems like every needs a little bit more guidance about how to safely move around campus...cars, bikes, pedestrians, everyone. Sharing the road is a start.

Major Bike Rack Clean-up at Graduate Hills and Graduate Gardens

Now graduate students have more room to park their bikes. Collaborations on improving bike conditions on campus lead to a major clean-up of the racks. Police say that there were bikes from 20 years ago on the racks. Now entire racks are free of bikes! These two housing complexes are ideal locations from which to bike onto campus and many students enjoy the flexibility of not having to wait for a bus, especially on nice days. Unfortunately the racks were so full that it was a real deterrent.Word is that the bikes have been donated to the Engaged University Cycle Recycle program http://www.engagedu.umd.edu/programs

615 New Bike Registrations

University of Maryland has 615 new bike registrations this year! This is a 220% increase over last year! Hopefully this means that there are more people looking to ditch their cars on campus. I keep a bike in my office and people keep looking at me like I am crazy but maybe one of them will try it soon. I get too and from meetings a lot faster than by car. Especially since parking is at such a premium.

615 new registrations blows my conservative goal out of the water. I want to encourage people to keep registering. These numbers will help us to make credible requests for new racks and other services that help bikers.

I am going to put out a new survey. The question is, would you join a Bicycle Commuter Club? What I mean is would you like an area with showers and maybe some coffee to be put in near the bike shop?

Shortcut to campus from University Park…no Route 1 at all!

Special thanks to a UMD commuter. I have info on a backwoods shortcut to UMD for bikers and walkers.

The path starts on Calverton Drive which is off of Wells parkway and ends in the church parking lot by the business school. Enjoy!

Keep sending in the tips! Let's make commuting without a car safe and easy!

Clean Air Commute to Campus

Bicycling in to class or work makes for a Clear Air Commute. LA has a good flyer on the practice: http://www.coalitionforcleanair.org/documents/CCACleanAirCommute090720_000.pdf
It would be nice if we had fantastic bike lines all the way in down route 1. That would make coming into campus so much easier for so many people. We recently met with Delegate Jolene Ivey from the 47th district about imporving bicycling conditions. Hopefully we will be able to make some changes in the coming year!

Biking in the rain part II

Slow down! - your breaking distance is going to multiply. Keep a safe distance and slow down!
Skip puddles! - you never know what is at the bottom of a puddle. It is collecting water for a reason. It might be harmless or it might be glass or a pothole. Avoid them!

Shine! - in the rain, more than ever, you need to shine. Use your lights, wear your reflective gear and be extra-visible.

The big clear umbrella will help. But slap some cool reflective stickers on it like this Glow Kitty. Lots of options are out there, Google reflective bike stickers and make a statement!

Biking in the Rain part I

I have been there, I have done that! Biking in the rain, or snow for that matter, isn't as bad as it seems. One must have accessory is the clear umbrella. Totes has one available at Target right now. It's cheap too! Roll up your cuffs and you will stay dry the whole trip. Try it! You'll see. www.target.com search for Totes Elements Clear Bubble Umbrella

Discussion about biking infrastructure in Prince Georges County

On Wednesday, October 14th, Del. Jolene Ivey (District 47) will be at the University of Maryland to discuss biking infrastructure in Prince George's County, as well as her proposed changes to the Rt. 1 Master Plan to make biking safer and easier. We will also be talking about options (and the feasibility) of setting up a county-wide bike sharing program, starting with College Park.

The meeting will be held in the SGA office, which is located in the Student Involvement Suite at the Stamp Student Union

Back Street Route to University Park

(Road – few busy streets) East on Campus Drive

Right on Regents Drive at M traffic circle,

Left on Armory Drive, connect to Rossborough Lane

Cross US Route 1 / Baltimore Avenue, continue on Rossborough Lane (east)

Right on Rhode Island Avenue / College Park Trolley Trail (south),

Right on Amherst Road, [climb hill]

Cross US Route 1 / Baltimore Avenue, bear left onto Md 500 / Queens Chapel Road in University Park

Commuting from University Park

University Park is a popular housing location for UMD faculty and staff. Many of those staff members commute onto campus by bicycle. The transition from UP, up route 1 and into campus offers some distinct challenges. Is there anyone with tips for a safe commute or suggestions to offer for advocacy projects to make this connection easier?

Sidewalk Cycling; More Risk than it is Worth

It isn't unusual to see people cycling on the sidewalk in College Park. And most drivers think they prefer them there but cycling on the sidewalk is more dangerous than most people believe. Sidewalks are designed for pedestrians that travel at extremely slow speeds. As a result it is extremely dangerous for cyclists who often travel between 8 and 20 miles per hour. You may not have time to maneuver around the pedestrian that pops into a blind spot.

Accidents with motor vehicles increase on the sidewalk as well. Moreover, not all crossing areas have ramps, causing cyclists to make extreme changes in speed and dawdle in the roadway. Furthermore, the speed with which cyclists switch from sidewalks to crosswalks without stopping for the stop sign is an accident waiting to happen as drivers aren't given enough time to react. Even more dangerous is the biker's tendency to ride against traffic. On a sidewalk, this can be deadly. A motorist waiting at a stop sign to make a right turn looks to her left for traffic. When there is none, she will proceed to turn right—directly into the path of a wrong-way bicyclist approaching from the right. Bicycling against traffic increases accident risk by 360%. Bicycling on the sidewalk increases accident risk by 180%, and bicycling the wrong way on the sidewalk increases accident risk by 430% (Wachtel and Lewiston 1994). Between one quarter and one third of all bicycle-car crashes occur when the cyclist is riding against traffic (Hunter et al. 1996; Plotkin and Kormornick 1984).

In an area, like campus, with few interior roads the debate about the proper place of bicycles is yet to be decided. One thing that is certain is that students continue to bike on the sidewalks. With that in mind I recommend that riders keep the following rules and tips in mind.

• It's illegal - The law in Maryland requires bicycles to follow the same rules of the road as other motor vehicles.
  
• It's dangerous – Riding on the sidewalk gives you a false sense of security. Hitting pedestrians, getting clipped by cars coming out of driveways and having to duck low hanging branches are just some of the risks that can lead to injury. And more accidents occur from bicycles entering the roadway from sidewalks than from those already in the roadway.
  

I do realize that there are areas, like McKeldin Mall, that don't offer easy access by the roadways and that some roads, like those in front of Stamp are very difficult to navigate. I am not encouraging you to break the law or put yourself in danger, but if you do decide to ride on the sidewalk here are a few ways to avoid injury to yourself and others.

GO SLOW – For all the reasons listed above, riding faster than you can jog creates problems for vehicles and pedestrians. The sidewalks are designed for people going slow speeds, many walkers won't know to look for you and have no conventions for which way to dodge if you ring a bell or call out your presence. Riding slow is the best way to preserve maneuverability.

YIELD TO PEDESTRIANS– Again, sidewalks are for pedestrians. They are not looking out for you. You must look out for them. Some may be brand new to campus and some may have limited mobility. Be polite.

CHECK DRIVEWAYS – Again, cars aren't looking for fast moving vehicles on sidewalks. They pull all the way to the street before they look both ways. This is a prime time for a collision and you would be at fault.

CROSS AT CROSSWALKS – Drivers aren't looking out for bikes coming out of driveways unexpectedly because they have the right of way, even with other cars. They also aren't looking for bikes popping across the street after traveling against traffic on the sidewalk. Cross at sidewalks and come to a complete stop to look both ways before you cross. Again, you do not have pedestrian right of way as long as you are astride your bike.

WALK YOUR BIKE – If you just can't make yourself ride in the street, consider walking your bike at congested times like class changes. When there is heavy pedestrian traffic the best thing to do is become one of them and walk your bike.

BE VISIBLE AND AUDIBLE – If you have the occasion to right at dusk or after dark, use a light to make sure you are visible. Consider getting extra reflective gear like ankle bands, hats and backpacks with reflective tape. Use a bell.

The key to riding safely in the street is predictability.

Many people fear riding in the street because they fear being hit from behind. This is why so many people ride against traffic. However, the majority of bike and car accidents that occur are the result of cyclists either not following the rules of the road or failing to be predictable. Imagine if cars had no brake lights or turn signals. Luckily there is a system of signals available to cyclists to help communicate with the cars around them.

 

 

 

 

When cyclists use these signals it greatly reduces the number of accidents that occur at intersections, one of the highest risk areas. On our campus, the roundabouts create traffic patterns that many cyclists are unfamiliar with. When cycling through a roundabout follow these simple guidelines:

1. Ride counter-clockwise
   
2. Don't cut across the center of the circle or go against the flow of traffic
   
3. When passing someone in the circle, pass on the left
   

 

 

 

 

How dangerous is it really?

Much of the fear of riding in the street is evolved from urban myths. Certainly you are more like to suffer a serious injury from colliding with a car if you are on a bike versus in a car but bicycle accidents tend to occur at much slower speeds and cyclists have greater mobility to avoid an accident. In particular, the speed limit all across campus is just 20 miles per hour. So the risk of serious injury is pretty low if you stay alert and make your movements predictable. Even off campus the risk of death in a bicycle crash is comparable to the risk in an SUV or a Van.

Odds of Death vs. Injury in Crashes by Vehicle
Vehicle	Deaths	Injuries	Odds
Bus	17	17,000	1 in 1000
Car, Station Wagon	21,969	2,378,000	1 in 108
Pickup, SUV, Van	10,224	768,000	1 in 75
Bicycle	813	58,000	1 in 71
Large Truck	717	31,000	1 in 43
Motorcycle, Motorbike	2,106	54,000	1 in 26
On Foot	5,307	77,000	1 in 15
Data From NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts 1997

Similar studies indicate that you are at much greater risk of getting hit by a car when you are walking than when you are cycling. Per mile traveled, according to Pucher and Dijkstra, more than three times as many pedestrians die from auto collisions as do cyclists.

 

The health and environment benefits of biking outweigh the injury risks.

As an alternative to driving, biking offers many personal and social benefits. The low-impact, moderate exercise that most people experience when riding a bike 5 to 15 miles an hour improves overall fitness and lowers stress levels. The following table shows the benefits in terms of gas saved, CO2 saved and calories burned from one roundtrip commute a day for a month. Furthermore, the more cyclists that are present, the more automobile drivers know to look out for them which in turn increases safety on the roads.

Sources

Hunter, William W., Jane C. Stutts, Wayne E. Pein, and Chante L. Cox. 1996. Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Types of the Early 1990s. U.S. Department of Transportation. FHWA-RD-95-163.

Plotkin, Wendy and Anthony Komornick, Jr. 1984. Bicycle-Motor Vehicle Accidents in the Boston Metropolitan Region. A Study of Reported Accidents Occurring within Route 128 in 1979 and 1980. Boston, MA: Metropolitan Area Planning Council.

Wachtel, Alan, and Diana Lewiston. 1994. Risk Factors for Bicycle-Motor Vehicle Collisions at Intersections. ITE Journal. September. pp. 30-35.

Schimek, Paul, 1999. The Dilemmas of Bicycle Planning.

Pucher, John and Lewis Dijikstra, 2003. Promoting Safe Walking and Cycling to

Improve Public Health: Lessons from The Netherlands and Germany. American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 93, No. 9, Sept.

How do you commute to or around campus?

I live in Silver Spring and I am looking for the best ways to commute to and around campus on my bike. Any ideas?

Make UMD a great place to bike!

Welcome to the bikeUMD blog. This is a space for anyone who is interested in seeing more bikers on the University of Maryland, College Park campus. We need to work together to make this a great place to bike!