Bike trails in SM

[michie]

One thing sad to see in southern Maryland is lack of bike trails - I mean actual PAVED bike trails off the roads. Riding my bike on these roads around here anymore is taking my life in my hands with the way a lot of these people drive. Traffic increases year by year and presents even more danger to riding. I don't know how all these mexicans I see riding around Waldorf manage to survive. Once over the Wilson Bridge, there are paved bike routes in every direction, making commuting back and forth to work possible. With these gas prices as high as they are, I am certainly looking for an alternative means of transportation now and then. Commuting back and forth to D.C. via bicycle is just impossible with 2 basic routes to D.C. being 210 and Rt 5/301, which are crazy with traffic morning and evening, making biking a scary prospect. Go to Montgomery county and you have C&O, Rock Creek and a few other paved bike routes that take you into D.C.
It would be nice if we had something around here. Everytime I go over to VA, people take full advantage of the paved trails for running, biking, roller-blading, walking. It makes for a healthier, happier community. Down here, however, where do we go? Life-threatening roadways, developments and private property every couple of yards; that's what we have.

[vraiblonde]

I completely agree and think that would be a terrific thing for the Commissioners to spend ya'lls tax bucks on. I grew up in a college town and you could ride your bike to and from anywhere in the city without your tires once touching a street. Plus St. Mary's doesn't have the best public transportation in the US, so this would be a boon for our wheel-less brethren.




Get some people on board and put together a petition, then present it at the next Commissioner's meeting.

[Triggerfish]

I'd also like to see more sidewalks. We live off Chancellor's Run and there are no sidewalks. Walmart and Kmart is within walking distance except there's a real danger of being run over.

[aps45819 (Premo)]

There are alternatives to driving a gas guzzeler to work.

[somddove]

Originally Posted by Triggerfish

I'd also like to see more sidewalks. We live off Chancellor's Run and there are no sidewalks. Walmart and Kmart is within walking distance except there's a real danger of being run over.

I agree. What about biking around Micheal's?

[tlatchaw]

Does that mean that the bicylists would ride on their own trails rather than out on rte 765 and 2/4 in Calvert? I worry about the "races" that they seem to have every year.

It's almost like "hey let's all leave DC and go to SOMD to ride our bikes in the road! There's nobody down there!" Suddenly the traffic patterns in our neighborhoods are all bunged up because somebody in spandex couldn't ride in their own neighborhood.

I admit that this subject makes me sort of grumpy, but for goodness sake GET OUT OF THE ROAD! Or better yet, go ride around your own neighborhood. (That's what I do on my bike, that way I can get run over by my own neighbors) Somebody is going to get hurt.

Have you noticed that the shoulders on rte. 2/4 are marked as bike lanes in some areas? Like that's not a death wish.