(May 11, 2015) – Unless you tele-work or are close enough to walk to work, you probably do not enjoy your commute. There is an option that many do not consider – biking. As part of the National Bike to Work Day, the Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration (SHA) encourages commuters to bike to work on Friday, May 15. SHA is partnering with the Baltimore Metropolitan Council, the City of Baltimore and the Downtown Athletic Center to host a Bike to Work pit stop on Friday morning between 7 and 10 a.m. at the corner of Guilford and Monument streets.
“Biking to work is a healthy, environmentally friendly, alternate means of commuting,” said Deputy Administrator Douglas Simmons. “On Bike to Work Day, as well as throughout this spring and summer, we can expect more bicyclists on Maryland roadways. Safety is a two way street and we urge drivers and cyclists to share the road.”
On May 12th, SHA will launch the 2015 “We’re on this Road Together: Expect and Respect” education campaign. Through public events, grassroots outreach, mobile and electronic billboards, radio public service announcements as well as local grassroots outreach, SHA urges bicyclists and drivers to look out for each and follow the rules of the road.
On Bike to Work Day and every day, drivers should expect to encounter bicyclists in their travels.
Here are several important tips for drivers:
• Allow plenty of following distance
• Look for bicyclists before turning or opening car doors
• Slow down when approaching a cyclist
• Pass bicyclists carefully, giving at least three feet of space
• Do not honk your horn
Tips for cyclists on the road:
• Follow all the same laws and the automobile drivers
• Use hand signals to indicate turns
• Wear protective gear, especially a helmet
• Be visible with bright clothes and reflective material at night
• Avoid distraction such as listening to music
For more information on SHA’s Bike to Work Day and the multiple pit stops click on the following links:
The League of American Bicyclists began National Bike to Work Day in 1956. As an annual event held in May across the United States and Canada, National Bike to Work Day promotes the bicycle as an option for commuting to work. Leading up to Bike to Work Day, national, regional, and local bicycle advocacy groups encourage people to try bicycle commuting as a healthy and safe alternative to driving.
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