A very big THANK YOU to all the members of the MD bike community who turned out to our 2024 Bike HoCo Symposium. It was a great event that highlights the importance of community voices and your involvement in the process of improving our bike infrastructure.
For those not able to attend, below are the individual presentations and available audio transcript .
Join us for a fantastic day of fun at the Wilde Lake Fall Festival! Celebrate the season with the community on Sunday, October 20, 2024, from 12:00 PM-4:00 PM at Wilde Lake Park.
There’s something for everyone: live music, local vendors, delicous food, trick-or-treating, and more!
Kids will love the moonbounces, scarecrow spoon craft, and exciting games! It’s the perfect way to kick off the fall season. Don’t miss out—be part of the #VibrantWildeLake fun!
Vendor Information is being announced on our Facebook Event Page, https://www.facebook.com/share/TpmZ92wEaxDtAdVB/
Bike to the Wilde Lake Fall Festival!
In partnership with Bike HoCo - Bicycling Advocates of Howard County, we’re making it easier for you to bike to the festival with free bicycle corrals (secure bike parking).
Why drive when you can ride? Help reduce traffic, enjoy the fresh air, and celebrate the season sustainably with us.
Bring your family, bring your friends, and don't forget your bikes! Learn more at wildelake.org & bikehoco.org.
Let's make this a healthy, fun, and eco-friendly celebration!
The following is an update from the Department of Public Works of road repaving projects that are underway or will soon be started in Howard County. The two dangers to cyclists are the road preparation which involves grooving the road which results in a rough surface and debris on the road and shoulder due to the grinding/grooving process. In addition, expect slow downs and single lanes when work is in progress.
Roads being repaved:
GATEWICK RD
WOODWICK CT
PINEWICK RD
EBBWOOD DR
FAWNWOOD DR
GINGERWOOD DR
HICKORYMEDE DR
HICKORYMEDE CT
MINTER LN
ROWLEY RD
SANNER RD
MEADOW WOOD WAY
TALL PINE WAY
JOHNS HOPKINS RD
In addition, MARRIOTTSVILLE ROAD is finally reopened in the vicinity of the Chapelgate development and Resort Road. Only 1 lane is open in each direction and repaving/road repair and reconfiguration is still in progress.
DPW/Highways is planning on a contractor performing complete chip and seal maintenance on the following roads in August and September. This process will put significant loose gravel on roads and shoulder areas until completion/sweeping.
Windsor Forest Road (in progress)
Shaffers Mill Road (in progress)
Shaffersville Road (in progress)
Mullinix Mill Road (in progress)
Bushy Park Road (From Route 144 to Daisy Road)
Cemetery Road
River Road (Sykesville Area)
Broadwater Lane
Daniels Road
If you see work being done on any other roads that may pose a hazard to cyclists email president @bikehoco.org
Beat the traffic and ride a bike to the Columbia Fireworks. Bike HoCo offers free, supervised bike parking—no lock is required!
On the 4th of July, about 40,000 people will squeeze into the Columbia Lakefront to ooh and aah at the fireworks. Most will bring their car on busy roads, struggling to find the closest parking spot. After the fireworks, a stadium’s worth of people will rush from their blankets to their cars and inch their way home.
Bike HoCo, a 501(c)3 non-profit, offers a better solution: free bike parking known as a bike corral. It is located across from the GrillMarx Steakhouse at Little Patuxent Parkway and Wincopin Circle.
The bike corral will be open from 1:00 p.m. until after the fireworks. Because of the huge crowds, it is best to come early. After 6 p.m., the crowds will make walking and biking slow going. Avoid taking your bike to the lakefront after 6 p.m., but rather walk your bike on the sidewalk along the Little Patuxent Parkway to the bike corral.
From Warren Wortman, chair of the Bike Corrals:
Wow, what a great day! The Bike HoCo 4th of July Corral was a big success. We corraled 52 bikes without incident. Our new weather-proof, paperless tags were very successful, and the check-out system went smoothly. Hats off to all of you!
This could not have happened without all our wonderful volunteers! Thank you for all your service. Volunteers put up signs the night before, set up the corral at 9 AM, and stayed until well past 10 PM.
Thank you for providing a safe place to park bikes, resulting in less traffic, more efficient parking (no automobile parking spaces were used), less pollution, and, most importantly, giving our bike corral users an opportunity to experience the joy of bicycling.
For those wanting more volunteer opportunities, please visit our corral website and click on Volunteer. We still need volunteers for the EC Music Fest on August 19th from noon until 8:00 pm.
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At a June 30 press conference, the County Executive and Director of Recreation and Parks announced the 4th of July celebration at the Columbia Lakefront and Bike HoCo’s bike corral:
ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, along with the Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks, Columbia Association, and other community organizations, announced the County’s annual Fireworks Display at the Lakefront in Downtown Columbia, beginning at 9:20 p.m. on Tuesday, July 4th. The free event will also include food trucks beginning at 5:00 p.m. and live musical performances hosted by the Columbia Festival of the Arts beginning at 6:00 p.m. Pictures from the announcement can be found here.
…
Howard County Police Department will be closing both directions of Little Patuxent Parkway between Symphony Woods Rd. and Governor Warfield Parkway beginning at 6:30 p.m. on July 4th. The road will reopen at approximately 11:00 p.m. Eastbound Little Patuxent Parkway between Broken Land Parkway and Symphony Woods Rd. will be closed from about 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Traffic delays can be expected.
“July 4th is a perfect time to “park once” and enjoy all that Downtown Columbia has to offer and to experience just how close and connected our neighborhoods and amenities are,” said Phillip Dodge, Executive Director of Downtown Columbia Partnership. “Just like we suggest on concert nights, you should arrive early, park in our garages, and then enjoy the restaurants and other attractions nearby.”
Free bicycle parking will be available for those who choose to travel to Downtown by bicycle. “Beat the traffic this 4th of July- ride your bicycle from all over Columbia to the Bike HoCo bike corral at the lakefront. Join us for free, protected bike parking at Wincopin Circle & Little Patuxent Parkway from 3 - 10 pm,” said Rebecca Bryant of Bike HoCo. [emphasis added]
Easton, MD - June 18
A team — (L-R) Steve Ferraro, Maria Ferraro, Rich Madonna, and Howard Feldmesser — carrying the name and logo of Bike HoCo, raised over $9000 and rode over 280 miles. The sign in the photo represents last year’s results but Team Bike HoCo ranks number 11 for this year.
Bike HoCo in collaboration with the Downtown Columbia Partnership is excited to announce a new Trip Rewards Program. With your minimum $20 donation to Bike HoCo, not only will you make advocacy for safe cycling possible, help fund needed rest stops and maintenance stations for bikers, as well as increase accessibility to cycling for those that to start, you will also become one of our Trip Rewards members!
Bike HoCo Trip Reward members receive discounts from local merchants throughout Columbia. Trip Reward members receive a vinyl sticker to attach to their bike helmet. When you ride your bike to a participating business, simply show your helmet with an attached sticker at checkout to qualify for your reward.
Visit the Trip Rewards page to donate and see a list of participating merchants
If you haven’t ridden or seen Oakland Mills Road recently, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. See the video:
