sold

Mark

Here is an article that contains more information:

https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2021/04/ … re-county/

As far as I can tell from various pictures I have seen ( https://www.wbaltv.com/article/bicyclis … h/36278366 ) and the story, the cyclist was not "riding on Paper Mill Road" as some people said but was in the cross walk connecting two segments of the North Central Trail.

This article quotes another cyclist:

*****

“It’s a tragedy. Shouldn’t have happened,” cyclist John Vaughan said.

Vaughan said he usually avoids riding near Paper Mill Road because the road is busy and there is limited shoulder space.

“Very dangerous to ride your bike along that road I would never do it,” he said.

*****

Crossing Paper Mill Road in a cross walk connecting two parts of the North Central trail is NOT riding on Paper Mill Road.

I am not that familiar with the North Central Trail but I thought that there were stop signs for the cyclists on the trail at every intersection.

Did this poor, very unlucky, cyclist just roll through a stop sign on the trail at the wrong time?  Distracted cycling? Bad visibility down Paper Mill Road? Car going way too fast?

We all make mistakes cycling and sometimes we make them at the wrong time....

ed

Phil

The issue is what we have to do as citizens who are part of the community to slow or stop the spread of COVID-19.  I see all of your arguments about the risk to an individual rider as beside the point.

We have a pandemic going on. As a community we have to keep as much social distance as we can to slow its spread.

Any kind of group activity increases the chance of community spread. 

That's it.

ed

Hi Jeffrey

The Governor has given the political units within Maryland the RIGHT to open up to Stage 2.  Maryland is NOT open to stage 2--though some counties may decide to do so.

Note my comments on the current status of Baltimore in my reply to Phil. Baltimore is only just now open--in a tentative way--to Phase 1.

It is OK NOW to go on as long a bike ride as you want and as many as you want. I have been riding as much as ever--just not with groups. There was never any effort to curtail bike riding, just to curtail group activities where the virus could spread.  Get out there and ride all you want.

I don't know if you and I read the same media but what I see everywhere out there are experts having serious misgivings about the states opening up too soon. And...there is much evidence that the states that have opened up too soon are bringing to have increases in their number of COVID-19 cases.

ed

Phil

I understand your frustration with the current situation. I don't like the restrictions we are forced to live with because of the pandemic either.

But...we have to live with them for now. I urge you to read or re-read Ed Cahill's explanation of the board's position on cancelling group rides:


https://baltobikeclub.org/index.php/for … sume#p8538


The key part of Ed Cahill's post is:

"Restarting rides and events will be difficult. Members need to recognize some basic facts. We are a social club. We are not an essential business. Nobody's livelihood is threatened by us not reactivating normal activities. Whatever risks we are willing to accept as individuals, the club has to adhere to a much stricter risk-benefit ratio. The club cannot put members and people members will come in contact with at undue risk to their health of even life. While restarting club rides may seem essential to our own mental and physical health, in the scheme of things, we are pretty low down on the list. That means the club has to make the risks of restarting quite low also.

As of now, the Baltimore/Washington area is considered one of the "hot spots" in the country for Covid 19 infections and deaths. Despite some the earliest and strictest restrictions in the country, our state infection rate is only "flattening". Nobody, but nobody really knows how severe or where the Covid 19 resurgence will be as we go into minimal relaxation of the Stay at Home restrictions. We won't really have any idea for at least another four weeks. I am not sure that even by June 11, the date of the next Board meeting, we will have enough information to make a good decision.The balkanization of the relaxation in Maryland and PA makes planning even more difficult. "


How do things stand in Baltimore at this point in time? Baltimore has very tentatively moved to Phase 1 reopening. They are well aware that they might have to go back to a full stay-at-home policy. See the presentation of their policy on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/MIMABaltimore/

and...Baltimore city yesterday suspended all recycling collections for three weeks following a COVID-19 outbreak at Bowleys Lane Sanitation Yard. 

It is too soon!  We are not going to miss payments on our car (or bike) or our rent because we can't do group rides.

I think the BBCs board's position on the group ride issues commendable and I hope they continue to prioritize safety over fun.

ed

At the very bottom of the long descent down Dairy from Rayville Road, the bridge over Little Falls is being worked on. You cannot get over it.  Work will be finished in 6 weeks, they say. 

We took the Torey Brown trail--which is right there at the bridge over the Little Falls--north a bit to Walker Road, then went east on Walker  a bit where we hit Stablers Church Road. We followed Stablers Church until we hit our planned route.

The ride on the trail was nice today: hard packed dirt. 

This will impact the PrettyboyDownDairy ride and probably others.

Them bridge is being worked on or replaced. I do not know how long it will be out.

Or go right to the Expo website:

http://stopswapandsave.com

Carol

I was able to open Jim's file using Microsoft Excel. Be sure to select "all files" when you open it so that MS Excel will see it.

ed

I agree with Gary.  And there is a law for Carroll county against letting your dog run outside your property.  The relevant portion is this:

A. The owner of a dog shall keep the dog under restraint or effective control at all times.
B. The owner of an animal shall prevent the animal, except a cat, from leaving the owner’s property
unattended or unrestrained.

The full code for animals can be  found here: 

https://hscarroll.org/wp-content/upload … aws_MD.pdf

I would call the Carroll County animal control people. Their number is in the above PDF.  but here it is also:

410-848-4810 OR 410-875-5379