Podcasts about bikemore

In September, a new pilot program is set to help 50 Baltimore City residents, chosen by lottery, receive vouchers ranging from $750 to $2,000 to subsidize the cost of an electric bike. Nearly a quarter of Baltimore households do not have access to a car, but many people just don't feel safe riding bikes in a city that is way behind in its effort to create a network of bike lanes that are protected from vehicular traffic. Will the introduction of 50 new electric bikes begin to shift the paradigm for cyclists? Baltimore City Councilman Ryan Dorsey, who championed the pilot program with the city's transportation department, thinks it will. In a recent post on X, Dorsey said, “E Bikes are a game changer.” He continued, “I expect this pilot to be wildly successful, and hope it's just the beginning.” Councilman Dorsey was not available to join us this afternoon, but we have a panel who can offer great insight into this program and the overall transportation landscape. Jed Weeks is the Interim Director of Bikemore, a nonprofit advocacy organization on behalf of bike riders. Daniel Zawodny covers transportation for our news partner, the Baltimore Banner. Brian O'Malley is the President and CEO of the Central Maryland Transportation Alliance. In addition to the panel, Baltimore Bicycle Works worker-owner Bernardo Vigil spoke to WYPR's Sam Bermas-Dawes for this episode of Midday.Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Policy director Jed Weeks and development director Sonya Thomas from Bikemore talk about Bike to Work week (and month!) and discuss how the nonprofit is working to convince commuters to choose two wheels instead of four for their travel. Plus, how they advocate for transportation policy change. Then Bong Delrosario, director of transportation policy and programs for the Maryland Department of Disabilities talks about transportation challenges facing people with disabilities… and how the state is working to improve their experience. Links: Bikemore, BikeToWork, Transportation options for people with disabilitiesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liz Cornish joined South Baltimore Gateway Partnership in April of 2021 as the Enhanced Services Director where she currently manages a multi-million-dollar portfolio of community development projects in South Baltimore. Liz previously served as the Executive Director of Bikemore, Baltimore City's Livable Streets Advocacy organization. Under her leadership the organization achieved significant growth and secured major policy wins including the passage of the Complete Streets Ordinance which was recognized by Smart Growth America as a top complete streets initiative in 2018. During her tenure at Bikemore she was named a Baltimore Visionary by Baltimore Magazine, and a "True American Hero" for her work on complete streets by Streetsblog USA. In 2019, Bikemore was named Bike Advocacy Organization of the Year by the League of American Bicyclists. In 2020, she served on Mayor Brandon Scott's Transition Team as Co-Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure committee. She has previously held positions with Outward Bound, University of South Carolina, and the League of American Bicyclists. She currently serves on the board of the Central Maryland Transportation Alliance. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Adventure Education from Prescott College and a Master of Education in Recreation Administration from the University of Arkansas. Liz believes great parks, public spaces, and access to reliable transportation are essential for building healthy and equitable neighborhoods. She loves morning walks to neighborhood coffee shops with her dog Daisy, playing piano and ukulele, and spending time outside with neighbors. She grew up in Tulsa, OK and has called Baltimore home since 2015. intro Music: John Tyler produced: www.acutevisions.com www.nopixafterdark.com Sponsors of NoPixAfterDarkPodcast Zeke's Coffee www.zekescoffee.com Maggies Farm www.maggiesfarm.com FoundStudio Shop www.foundstudioshop.com United Way Central Maryland https://uwcm.org Charm Craft City Mafia www.charmcitycraftmafia.com Siena Leigh https://www.sienaleigh.com Open Works https://www.openworksbmore.org Snug Books Baltimore https://www.snugbooks.com Baltimore Fiscal https://www.baltimorefiscal.com    

The answer to “Who controls transportation funding in Maryland” reflects decades of decisions straining to keep up with a system in flux. Does the dollar disbursement need an overhaul?  If so, how? We ask Baltimore Metropolitan Council senior transportation planner Don Halligan and executive director Mike Kelly. They  give an overview of a new report that offers alternatives to the current distribution of power in making choices about transit funds and operations. Mike Kelly: “We're a unique system in that the mayor of Baltimore City and the county executives from the jurisdictions served by our core transit network don't have a seat at the table for any decision.”  Plus Morgan State University Prof. Celeste Chavis and Jed Weeks, Policy Director at Bikemore, talk about a new data collection program that will measure how people and vehicles use two busy street corridors in the city. Links: Bikemore, Baltimore Regional Transportation Board, Transit Governance and Funding Review. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Use of public transit is down in Baltimore during the Covid-19 lockdown, but not as much as in other cities. Many residents rely on public transit as their main method of getting around and many are essential workers. Brian O’Malley, president of the Central Maryland Transportation Alliance, talks about how reduced schedules and physical distancing are affecting riders and operators. And Liz Cornish, executive director of Bikemore, hopes this ‘citywide time out’ will provide valuable lessons for how streets will be designed in the future.

You can make the case that Baltimore won’t solve any of its challenges--crime, schools, jobs--unless it gets its public transportation system right. The nonprofit Bikemore has invited candidates for mayor to a transit-focused forum, and they plan to ask tough questions. We talk with Liz Cornish, Bikemore’s director and Taffy Gwitira, a dedicated public transportation advocate.

Even in winter, committed bicyclists can be found traversing Baltimore’s streets. How is the city making way for bikes, and improving safety for all?Liz Cornish, head of the advocacy group BikeMore, describes the city’s new Complete Streets ordinance, offers an update on the nearly finished Downtown Bike Network, and analyzes the success of dockless scooter and bicycle programs.Then, LaKeisha Henderson of Bike and Brunch Tours describes the historical treasures to be enjoyed while exploring Baltimore neighborhoods on two wheels.

Liz Cornish’s relationship to biking started out of convenience, but now it’s at the center of her work. Liz is the executive director of Bikemore, an advocacy organization that works to improve bicycle infrastructure, policies and awareness in Baltimore. Before coming to Baltimore, Liz was somewhat of a professional adventurer and most recently, the first Women Bike Manager at the League of American Bicyclists. Liz talked about what that means, as well as the ways biking has informed her feminism. Liz touched on her somewhat unexpected path to bike advocacy, and how her upbringing informed her current work around neighborhoods. She also discussed addressing Baltimore’s disparities in access to biking, why biking is so polarizing and learning to take up space.

In this hour, Wes turns a critical eye toward public transit. He speaks with transportation expert and Harvard Business School Professor, Rosabeth Kanter. He then talks with Alex Fischer of the Columbus Partnership about how the private sector can be vital to developing Smart transit systems. Turning back to to Baltimore, he speaks with Jimmy Rouse of the Baltimore Transit Campaign and with Samuel Jordan of the Baltimore Transit Equity Coalition. Finally, he'll talk with Liz Cornish of Bikemore about how biking connects diverse communities. Baltimore has notoriously poor public transit - what does the future of transportation look like for our city? Guests on this program include: