Residents Turn Out to Support Bike Plan

When cycling enthusiast Charlie Murphy of Catonsville leads novice groups on bike rides, they feel safer on Baltimore city roads than county ones. He hopes an ambitious proposal for a network of trails through southwest Baltimore County will change that.

“I take them there because it’s safer," said Murphy, who spoke Thursday at a public hearing for a comprehensive master plan for biking in western Baltimore County. "It’s safer than Baltimore County."

Baltimore City has an infrastructure of bike lanes and bike paths not found in the county, he said.

Advocates of cycling said the plan is the first step to rectify the inequalities and start adding more biking trails, walking paths and pedestrian-friendly improvements to county roads.

While many who spoke on Thursday at the hearing acknowledeged that the western pedestrian bicycle plan for Baltimore County was a little pie in the sky, it doesn't make it any less important.

“What we’re simply saying this is a vision for Baltimore County," said Councilman James Marks. "It’s a blueprint for where you can go."

The planning board held the hearing ahead of its vote, which has not been scheduled. After the planning board approves it, the Baltimore County Council will vote on for bicycle and pedestrian improvements for the western portion of Baltimore County.

The major improvements for southwest Baltimore County include:

• Creating a Patapsco River Path from the Baltimore city line through the edge of Southwest Baltimore County that could link UMBC to the city;
• Extending the Short Line trail into Baltimore City;
• Trails to connect UMBC with downtown Arbutus and Catonsville.

Catonsville Rails to Trails President Tom Aljuni said the plan will help the organization continue to advocate for biking and apply for grant funding to help construct new trails and pathways. So far this year, the group has applied for more than $300,000 in grants.

“The trails are an engine for economic development and success," he said. “This plan will really enable us to leverage forward on federal and state grant applications.”

No funding is tied to any of the projects at this point, and politicians acknowledged that many of the projects may take years to fund or rely heavily on grants.

Nevertheless, advocates believe that creating more bike- and pedestrian-friendly communities are a key part of the county's economic development.

Councilman Tom Quirk, who represents District 1 in the southwest portion of the county and has worked closely with biking advocates, said that this is something people in the community are asking for.

“They want livable sustainable communities," he said. "They want trails. They want to be able to walk. They want to be able to bike."