* WARNING: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL, INTRODUCTORY COPY OF THE BILL.
THE OFFICIAL COPY CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE FIRST READER COPY.
INTRODUCTORY*
CITY OF BALTIMORE
COUNCIL BILL R
(Resolution)
Introduced by: Councilmember Holton
A RESOLUTION ENTITLED
A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
Title
In Celebration of Bike to Work Week - May 12-16, 2008
FOR the purpose of declaring May 12-16, 2008, Bike to Work Week in the City of Baltimore and showing support for the Baltimore Metropolitan Council sponsored Bike to Work Day 2008, which will be celebrated in the Baltimore region and across the nation on May 16, 2008.
Body
Recitals
Bike to Work Week is a national event in the United States and will be observed in the City of Baltimore from May 12-16, 2008, to promote bicycling as a healthy and economical form of transportation to the workplace, to demonstrate a non-polluting transportation option, and to celebrate those who bicycle commute throughout the year, most specifically those urban commuters who live in the City of Baltimore and commute to work in the city limits.
Bike to Work Day promotes a “clean commute” and kicks off Clean Commute Month in the Baltimore region. May is the beginning of the ground level ozone season, when we hear about Code Red and Orange Ozone Action Days. On those days, the air is dangerous to breathe – especially for the young and for the elderly. Single occupancy vehicles produce 20% of the dangerous ozone emission pollution in the Baltimore area. Bike commuting can improve the air we breathe.
Between 7:00 and 8:30 a.m. on May 16, bicycle commuters throughout the Baltimore region will converge on five locations:
* Anne Arundel Co/Annapolis City Dock, Annapolis
* Baltimore City War Memorial Plaza at City Hall (100 N. Holliday St.)
* Baltimore County Courthouse Square (400 Washington Ave, Towson)
* Harford County Government Center (220 S. Main St, Bel Air)
* Howard County The Mall in Columbia by Sears Service Center (10300 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia)
Although more than half of the U.S. population lives within five miles of their workplace,
lack of knowledge and incentive has deterred many from commuting by bike. Several
U.S. cities have been successful in increasing bicycle commuters by offering enticements on Bike-to-Work Day. Boulder, Colorado reported in 1996, that over 500 people tried biking to work for the first time during a city-sponsored event. A study published by the San Diego Association of Governments showed that one out of five people who participated in their Bike-to-Work Day promotion as first-time commuters became regular bike commuters.
With proper support and promotion, Baltimore could be the next city to take the opportunity to encourage employees and citizens to put their keys aside, leave their cars at home, grab their helmets, and hop on their bicycles. It is a great time to celebrate the freedom of getting around without a car, high-priced gasoline or parking hassles, while doing something positive for one’s health and the environment.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, That this Body declares May 12-16, 2008, Bike to Work Week in the City of Baltimore and shows support for the Baltimore Metropolitan Council sponsored Bike to Work Day 2008, which will be celebrated in the Baltimore region and across the nation on May 16, 2008.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be sent to Mayor, the Members of the Board of Directors of the Baltimore Metropolitan Council, and the Mayor’s Legislative Liaison to the Council.
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