But continuing support is necessary to make it really happen.
From Jack Guarneri, President of Bicycling Advocates of Howard County:
On December 17, we had over 60 supporters of cycling show up at County Executive Kittleman's initial budget hearing for Fiscal Year 2019. Although there were other large groups from Howard Community College, Howard County General Hospital, and the HC Library (asking for much more County funding) they were made up primarily of employees. Our Bikeway attendees were a largely volunteer group made up of diverse representatives of cycling clubs, transportation, community groups, schools and many individual cyclists who were there solely to create improved bicycling accessibility and safety in Howard County.
Our goal was to demonstrate that there was wide-based, dedicated support for bicycle facility upgrades in the County and for the Horizon Foundation/Bike HoCo Bikeway proposal. We did that! Our speakers, Chris Tsien, VP of Bike HoCo, Alex Obriecht, owner of Race Pace Bicycles, Bill Harrison of Lee and Associates Commercial Realtors, and two very enthusiastic students from Howard High School (who biked to the hearing just like they bike to school and part-time jobs) made the case for more significant County funding for the Bikeway/Bike Howard -- and additional support was provided through testimony from the Savage Community Association, Wilde Lake Village Board, and Inner Arbor Trust, who, although testifying for other issues, indicated the need for bicycle and pedestrian improvements in their areas.
I want to thank all who attended the hearing and to those of you that submitted Bikeway support cards (or online at: https://hcbikeway.org/take-action/) or e-mailed your support to the County Executive directly at: akittleman@howardcountymd.
If you haven't submitted a Bikeway support form or e-mailed the County Executive on your support for better funding for bicycle facilities please consider doing so now. We only have a couple of months before the budget is solidified.
Note: HC spends about $2 per citizen annually for bicycle projects while Anne Arundel and Montgomery are spending approximately $20-25. We can and should do better.
