April 2020 – The Bath Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee

Several members of the Bath Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee are Community Spokes with the Bicycle Coalition of Maine (BCM). BCM hosts Community Spokes meetings to keep communities in touch with the latest information and to support statewide bicycle and pedestrian advocacy campaigns.

This post provides a few highlights from the April 14th Community Spokes session hosted on Zoom.

Community Projects

Demonstration Bike Rack, Bath, Maine

This demonstration was done in Bath by their Bike/ped Committee, using materials that BCM loaned them to make bike parking in a parking spot on Front Street in downtown Bath.

Traffic Calming Demonstration Projects, Yarmouth, Maine

Traffic calming is one of the most requested measures that communities are looking for, wanting to slow down speeding traffic. This project in North Yarmouth was called “Kite in Sight” – done by the Living Well Committee. This was a type of gateway treatment where eye-catching signage, or art, in this case, is placed on every road that enters the center of town. The slogan was: “Kite in Sight Please Slow Down.”

That campaign in North Yarmouth was followed up with traffic calming demonstration projects – setting up crosswalks, using planters to narrow the travel lanes, and enhance crosswalk visibility.

Traffic Calming in North Yarmouth Maine

The data collected before the demonstrations were in place showed that only 33% of the drivers obeyed the speed limit. After the demonstrations were set up, 80% of drivers adhered to the speed limit. This shows how simple traffic calming measures can make a big difference in how fast people drive.

Biking Distance Recommendations

One guideline that continues to evolve during this pandemic is related to the distance we should keep when we are around others – varying from 6’ to 25’. The distance recommendations for when we are exercising outdoors has increased considerably. This illustration shows just how much of a footprint we leave in the air every time we expel air from our lungs through our nose and mouth. This image shows the cloud of droplets from exhaling during exercise which varies depending on the intensity of a person’s workout.

For the Latest COVID-19 Biking Safety Information please visit the Bicycle Coalition of Maine’s Website.

Additional Information

Download Slides from April 14, 2020, BCM Community Spokes Meeting [PDF]

If you’ve had a chance to be outside over the past few weeks, you will have noticed a significant increase in the number Bath citizens out and about walking and biking. One of the outcomes of people staying safe at home is that they are discovering the possibility of getting exercise and just enjoying the outdoors right where they live. One of the benefits of living in Bath, Maine, is that we can do this simply by walking out our front door, and enjoying miles of roads, sidewalks and as well as access to trails in local preserves.

While it may be the case that vehicle traffic is reduced during this time, with an increase in walkers and bikers it’s important, now more than ever, that everyone involved be aware of some basic safety guidelines for biking and walking.

The following resources provided by the Bicycle Coalition of Maine only take a few minutes to review. Please share with your family and friends.