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Photo by Travis Pratt
Roger Rinker, education and advocacy coordinator for The Bicycle Escape of Frederick, locks up his bicycle Wednesday afternoon outside Winchester Hall before attending a public meeting on travel improvements for the Md. 355 and Md. 85 corridor south of Frederick, which may include bicycle paths. |
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James Johnson bikes through the Md. 355/Md. 85 corridor every day and he is not happy about the level of safety."It's a cluster of horribleness," he said Wednesday at Winchester Hall. About 30 people, including a handful of bicyclists and bike enthusiasts, turned out to discuss ideas for travel improvements around Md. 355/Md. 85. "Everybody goes there, but nobody lives there," said John Thomas, Frederick County transportation planner. "It's very difficult to get public input." The county has undertaken a study funded by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments' Transportation and Land Use Connections program. The study explores short-, mid- and long-term bicycle, pedestrian and transit improvements through the corridor. Johnson, manager of Frederick 's Bike Doctor, said he thinks a lot of people have to or want to ride through the area safely, but are afraid to. The traffic around Francis Scott Key Mall and the Monocacy MARC station concerns Ann Abeles, a member of Frederick Pedalers. "I find the traffic intimidating," she said. "I just don't ride in (that) direction because of traffic." Abeles said the area needs continuous sidewalks and separate bike lanes. During the county's public outreach effort, online and in-person surveys have garnered more than 250 responses, Thomas said. The Bicycle Escape's Roger Rinker said he has responded to the surveys, pushing for anything bicycle-related. "I would like people to be able to ride to any location in the city and feel safe," he said at the meeting. "We could really have a city that's an exciting place." Rinker said he thinks a pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly city can grow if people make it a priority. "There is a huge cycling community in Frederick ," he said, but they just aren't being catered to. Md. 355 is dangerous, and there is nowhere to ride a bike safely, Frederick resident Joe Whitehair said. "A lot of people like to ride to the (Monocacy) MARC station, but they are uncomfortable going down that stretch (of Md. 355) during rush hour," he said. The project is in the public outreach stage or, as Thomas said, "the creation of the toolbox." As the project moves forward, a draft plan will be prepared and presented to county officials for review. A final report is expected in early to mid-December. Thomas said the new year will bring a more detailed comprehensive plan, which will include the Md. 355/Md. 85 project.
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