Southern Maryland Active Recreation and Transport Alliance
SMARTA is a new alliance to support people-powered, climate friendly outdoor recreation and transportation in Southern MD
SMARTA is a new alliance to support people-powered, climate friendly outdoor recreation and transportation in Southern MD
ACLT and SMARTA are teaming up to host a bike ride on the new Oriole Trail on Saturday, June 1st!
Bikers will meet at 9 AM at ACLT’s South Side Trailhead.
Bikers are invited to ride at their own pace. $5 donation is required to cover the cost of snacks, drinks, and admin fees. clara@acltweb.org
Introduction to Stroads
The league of American Bicyclists https://learn.bikeleague.org/
Walk America - https://americawalks.org/resources/benefits-of-walkability/
The League of American Bicyclists - https://bikeleague.org/
Smart Growth America National Complete Streets Coalition -
https://smartgrowthamerica.org/what-are-complete-streets/
Strong Towns, Core Campaign - Safe and Productive Streets:
Sports & Recreation: Cycling: Clubs - https://somd.com/sports/cycling/clubs/
As transportation agencies work to elevate the needs of people who walk, bike, take transit, or move without a car, there are many institutional obstacles and challenges that may stand in the way. An internal assessment of DOT practices can help safety and mobility, but what does that look like? This webinar will feature presentations from two States that worked to identify and change challenging policies, procedures and guidelines. You can do it too! Following their presentations, panelists will participate in a discussion with attendees and respond to questions.
Date & Time Dec 18, 2023 02:00 PM
Eastern Time
For green tourism to take off in Southern Maryland, we will need to re-make our main river crossings, including bike/walk access on the bridge decks, and also for paddle launch access below. In particular, the Thomas Johnson Bridge (Route 4 in Solomons, MD) and the Route 231 Bridge, which connects Prince Frederick in Calvert County with Hughsville in Charles County, need to become scenic tourist-friendly routes for bike riders and hikers. Solar ferries connecting key points on either side of the river should also be considered!
1. Sidewalks maintenance responsibility: Sidewalks alongside state highways in Southern MD are in poor repair. The State Highway Administration (SHA) requires sidewalk repairs to be the responsibility of the local jurisdiction or county. We understand that projects have been canceled because counties refuse to assume future cost liability of maintaining new sidewalks. This responsibility needs to shift to SHA since these sidewalks are all on State property.
2. E-bike use on shared use trails: For the safety of other trail users, e-bikes that do not require pedaling should not be permitted on any dedicated bicycle/pedestrian facility such as a protected bike lane, side trail or other multi-use trail.
3. Demonstration/rapid prototype projects: Establishing dedicated facilities for walking and bicycling is a lengthy and costly process. We recommend that Maryland encourage rapid prototyping of bicycle and walking facilities such as protected bike lanes and trails. These can be developed rapidly and at low cost, yet can readily be removed if they prove to not perform as intended. If they do work, the labor and expense of making the changes permanent can come later.
4. Share the road: Any road segment requiring a "share the road" sign is unsafe for bicycling (and likely getting little bicyclist use), and should be a priority for upgrade.
Southern Maryland is full of great places to ride, and we're working to build more! For Example, see the list below of ride routes used by Solomons Island Cycling:
· Educate local and state officials on the needs of alternative transportation users (hikers, bikers, and paddlers) and the benefits of green tourism.
· Unite a community of hikers, bikers, and paddlers – both experienced and new – that is passionate about making people-powered recreation and transportation safe and accessible in Southern Maryland.
1. Sidewalks maintenance responsibility: Sidewalks alongside state highways in Southern MD are in poor repair. The State Highway Administration (SHA) requires sidewalk repairs to be the responsibility of the local jurisdiction or county. We understand that projects have been canceled because counties refuse to assume future cost liability of maintaining new sidewalks. This responsibility needs to shift to SHA since these sidewalks are all on State property.
Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust, Leonardtown MD
American Chestnut Land Trust, Prince Frederick MD
Patuxent Adventure Center, Solomons and Leonardtown MD
Solomons Island Cycling, Solomons MD
Cycling Without Age, St. Mary's County MD (FB Link)
David M. Jenkins, Charles County, Chair of Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland's Bicycle Pedestrian Infrastructure Advisory Committee
SMMB has a regular schedule of rides in Southern MD, often at St. Mary's Lake. There are also great trails in Southern Prince George's County at Rosaryville SP, Cosca Regional Park, and Patuxent River Park, and in Charles Co. at Cedarville State Forest. SMART is interested in working for more localized mountain bike access points, particularly under our power line rights of way.
MORE Maryland Trails Guide
Mountain Bike Project Southern MD
The American Chestnut Land Trust maintains 22 miles of free hiking trails that are open year-round from dawn to dusk every day
Many of Southern Maryland's roads, particularly in St. Mary's County, have wide shoulders, originally to help preserve access for horse-drawn buggies. However, in some places this extra shoulder space has been converted to right-hand turn lanes and acceleration/deceleration lanes for subdivisions, or pushed aside to make room for left-turn pockets. This loss of shoulder space reduces safe access for bike riders, hikers, and buggies alike. We should instead preserve and expand our unique "Amish" shoulders on Southern Maryland roads.
Plans should be accelerated to extend the Three Notch Trail westward to Charles County and further southward into the more populated areas of St. Mary's. We also need to design and build a spur to Leonardtown. In the longer run, the CSX rail line from Bowie to Upper Marlboro and extending into Charles County is now rarely used, since our power plants no longer use coal. We propose to convert the Prince George's County sector into a rail trail, and the Charles County sector into a combination rail trail and light rail commuter line toward Washington DC.
The Greenbelt East Trail would be a first for Prince George's County: a fully protected, on-road two-way shared use trail, which would connect the WB&A trail system toward Anne Arundel County and Baltimore with the Anacostia River Trail System toward DC and Northern Virginia. It would also provide a safe bike/walk rout
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