Greg Cantori wants to get into the Colombian import business and bring his product to the streets of Baltimore.
No, Cantori isn't a character on The Wire. Nor is he risking a federal drug rap. He's president of One Less Car - a group that advocates for better infrastructure for bicyclists and pedestrians.
What he'd like to import is a concept called ciclovia - a weekly festival on the streets of Bogota. He and his colleagues have been meeting with city officials, urging them to bring the idea to Baltimore under the Americanized name "Sunday Streets." Cantori told the Maryland Bicycle Symposium meeting in Annapolis last week that the initial response has been encouraging.
It seems that in Bogota, the city opens up about 70 miles of city streets to foot and bike traffic each Sunday - encouraging people to stroll, pedal, set up food or retail stalls and to generally enjoy themselves on the city streets. Cantori would like to see Baltimore adopt the idea on a scaled-down basis, maybe six months out of the year.
"Imagine Artscape every Sunday, spread out over 20 miles," Cantori said. "It becomes an extension of the park system."
Unlike a typical Baltimore parade, he explained, intersections of crossing streets are not closed down. Local vehicle traffic and parking are permitted, but the cars must operate with flashers on and at speeds of 5 to 10 mph. People have priority.
The ciclovia - Spanish for "bike path" - has been a civic institution in Bogota, a city of 7 million, for more than 30 years. Between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. each Sunday, the city closes all but one lane of traffic on many broad boulevards so people can walk, run, bike, skateboard, in-line skate or dance in the streets. Judging by video of the event, it seems to be especially popular with children.
Cantori said the advocate behind his advocacy is his daughter, Andrea, 14, whom he and his wife adopted in Colombia two years ago. One of her first questions upon coming here, he said, was when they could go to Baltimore's ciclovia. So instead of simply explaining why there wasn't one, he began to persuade city leaders that it could be done here.
He seems to have done a good job. Bill Gilmore, executive director of the city's Office of Promotion & the Arts, said officials are taking the idea seriously.
"On many levels it's a really terrific event," he said. "It brings people together. It's good for your health. It's good for the environment. There's just a lot of residual positive impact."
Gilmore said Cantori and city officials are scheduled to make a presentation to Mayor Sheila Dixon on the proposed Sunday Streets program next month.
Let's hope the mayor is in a receptive mood. This city could stand to slow down and have a little fun on Sundays.
If Baltimore acts quickly , it could become the first major U.S. city to make a ciclovia a regular event. It would be a welcome change to become known for a Colombian import that didn't contribute to the body count.
Where are markers?
Sandra W. McLeskey, professor and assistant dean at the University of Maryland School of Nursing, wrote in with all the directness you would expect from an R.N. with a Ph.D.:
I am writing to complain about the lack of reflective lane markers on [Interstate] 95 in Baltimore County and Baltimore City. When you approach Baltimore from the south, in Howard County, there are reflective lane markers that help immensely on a day ... when it is pouring rain and trucks are throwing up clouds of spray. In those conditions, painted lane markers disappear into the mist.
However, as you get into Baltimore Co., the reflective markers become sparser and they are essentially absent in Baltimore City. Ironically, as you enter these areas, there is more congested traffic, more spray, and more difficulty in discerning the painted lane markers. So the areas that really need these markers the most don't have them.
Could you inquire of the state agency that maintains I-95 why the lane markers are not present on these stretches of I-95?
There are two state agencies that maintain different stretches of I-95. So we asked both of them.
First up is Lindsay Reilly, spokeswoman for the Maryland Transportation Authority, which maintains the stretch of I-95 north of Caton Avenue:
Raised pavement markings are not generally replaced or repaired during the winter months as they can be damaged by plows and cannot be installed in the cold weather.
We expect to repair the markings ... on I-95 in Baltimore City when the weather warms. Work is planned for the 2008 construction season. Also, our operations team plans to refresh the line striping on our roadways after winter.
Next comes word from the State Highway Administration, which runs I-95 south of the city. Spokesman Dave Buck writes:
SHA last year completed a resurfacing project along I-95 between [Route] 32 and [Route] 100, which included new reflective pavement markings (RPM's). This is the area where the letter writer seems to be pleased.
Interstate 95 between MD 100 in Howard County and I-695 in Baltimore County was last resurfaced in 2001. In the interim, each year our traffic engineers identify areas where RPM's may need to be replaced or repaired. I have asked our ... traffic engineers to add this area along I-95 to be included this spring for RPM repair and/or replacement.
gettingthere@baltsun.com