Bike fatality Frederick

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Raymond Lopiccolo

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Jun 1, 2024, 6:58:57 PMJun 1
to Pedalers
We saw a news report up here today that there was some sort of vehicle/bike crash on Catoctin Furnace Road, with bikes maybe trying to cross Rte 15. The report was somewhat unclear... seems like there was one fatality but perhaps several others down and injured… but not sure about that part. It might just have been other bikes laid down to render aid. I immediately checked the PPTC calendar and it doesn’t look like Knock, knock, knockin’ was on the agenda for today so, whew! If anyone gets more info please post it.

Raymond Lopiccolo

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Jun 1, 2024, 7:16:23 PMJun 1
to Mariette Vanderzon, Pedalers
That’s a better report than I had seen.  Thanks.  Crossing Rte 15 is always Russian Roulette, especially on group rides.
On Sat, Jun 1, 2024 at 6:58 PM Raymond Lopiccolo <ra...@comcast.net> wrote:
We saw a news report up here today that there was some sort of vehicle/bike crash on Catoctin Furnace Road, with bikes maybe trying to cross Rte 15.  The report was somewhat unclear... seems like there was one fatality but perhaps several others down and injured… but not sure about that part.  It might just have been other bikes laid down to render aid.  I immediately checked the PPTC calendar and it doesn’t look like Knock, knock, knockin’ was on the agenda for today so, whew!  If anyone gets more info please post it.

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Jake J

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Jun 2, 2024, 4:55:19 PMJun 2
to Pedalers
It was Scott Binde of Alexandria. RIP

Bruce A. Johnson

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Jun 2, 2024, 5:34:21 PMJun 2
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Poor fellow. I didn't turn up much about him on Google other than a zoning request for a residence that was approved and that he was a guiding member of a Lutheran outreach organization. In other words, he was an upstanding, decent fellow like the rest of us.

I hope the state will consider putting in a traffic signal there. There are lots of at-grade crossings like that, and they may have been fine 30-40 years ago, but there is a lot more traffic on Rte. 15, and people drive so fast. I'm one of the minority driving the posted limit, and I'm often passed like I'm sitting still.

Bruce A. Johnson
Herndon, Virginia

Doug Scott

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Jun 2, 2024, 5:51:56 PMJun 2
to Bruce A. Johnson, Pedalers pedalers@googlegroups_com
We had a funny experience a few weeks ago crossing just South of that area.  We had been waiting quite sometime and traffic seemed unending.  Then to the North we saw a blue semi flashing its lights eventually stopping right in front of us.  Before I could finish thinking well that’s great what about the other lane a White semi stopped.  I felt like a rat scampering of to the median.

It would help to take the off the speeds on 15.  The lines of sight are just too short for 75mph.

Jake J

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Jun 2, 2024, 6:12:40 PMJun 2
to Pedalers
I'd known him for years. We had ridden together and done some advocacy work.

US-15 is nuts up in that direction. People are driving way too fast for road conditions with the grade crossings and everything else.

Jake

Glen Worrell

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Jun 2, 2024, 8:41:07 PMJun 2
to Jake J, Pedalers
RIP Scott. 

There is a pedestrian bridge there. With some work and signage it might become a bike bridge too. Hello Frederick Bike Club advocates? 


One actually passes under it between the 15 crossing and Catoctin Hollow. It probably has steps and dirt trail connectors so… there would be work. Maybe more pedestrian/bike bridges too?

The closest traffic light on 15 is probably in Pennsylvania, so that’s a pipe dream. 

Glen

Mo Syed

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Jun 2, 2024, 9:08:33 PMJun 2
to Glen Worrell, Jake J, Pedalers
this is so sad. please stay safe all.  mo



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rzei...@gmail.com

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Jun 3, 2024, 12:57:05 PMJun 3
to Pedalers
The club used to regularly host rides out of Frederick that required at least two dangerous road-running Rt. 15 crossings. Those rides usually started at the high school on Oppossumtown Pike -- although anyone riding with the club in the early 80s and earlier might recall starting rides -- including the long-defunct Frederick Fall Foliage Frolic -- on the south side of Frederick.  It used to be a good place to start a ride (and I met my husband on one of those rides.) But those crossings were always scary and I think a lot of people have abandoned that as a ride start location. Fortunately, Walkersville High and Utica Park offer a good alternative launching place for classic routes like Three Covered Bridges and Knock, Knock. There's also a very helpful underground tunnel passing under Rt. 15 at Mt. St. Mary's College.

Glen Worrell

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Jun 3, 2024, 5:21:30 PMJun 3
to Jake J, Pedalers
Oops. Aerial view of foot bridge. 
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.5842085,-77.4350282,18z/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en 

If you go to street view you can see it from below.
Thanks Steve for privately informing me I goofed. Hope I got it right this time.  
Glen

Bruce Johnson

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Jun 5, 2024, 9:48:15 AMJun 5
to Jim Quinn, Potomac Pedalers Discussion List
The thing is that bridges or tunnels for cyclists and pedestrians benefit only those people -- a small percentage of the traffic at the intersections crossing 15. A stoplight or a bridge for cars benefits motorists trying to cross 15 or make a left turn from a side road, and it also benefits cyclists and pedestrians if the State Highway Administration does the job correctly. It would be interesting to know how many crashes involving only motor vehicles occur at these same intersections. 

I know that the planners need to take cost-effectiveness into account, but it always seems like a shame that people have to suffer severe injury or die before traffic signals are installed. This problem is not unique to Maryland; the intersection in front of my late grandmother's senior living building in Fairfax was the same way.

Bruce A. Johnson
Herndon, Virginia

On Sun, Jun 2, 2024, 17:58 Jim Quinn <quin...@zoho.com> wrote:
I should have added that a bike path between Monocacy Blvd bridge & Biggs Ford road would also be nice.
 
From: Jim Quinn
Sent: Sunday, June 2, 2024 5:53 PM
Subject: Re: [pedalers] Bike fatality Frederick
 
A traffic light on US 15 is not the answer.  It would be very disruptive to traffic.
 
A better solution is one or more bike & pedestrian crossovers or tunnels between Monocacy Blvd & the 3 crossover roads in Thurmont. 
 
North of Thurmont is the tunnel at Mt St Mary and the overpass in Emmetsburg and others in the Gettysburg area.
 
Many of us have eliminated rides that cross 15 north of Frederick.

Mariette Vanderzon

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Jun 5, 2024, 4:17:42 PMJun 5
to Bruce Johnson, Jim Quinn, Potomac Pedalers Discussion List
Are you saying they (and we) can cross over the foot bridge? 

On Jun 5, 2024, at 9:48 AM, Bruce Johnson <waterfo...@gmail.com> wrote:



Steve Palincsar

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Jun 5, 2024, 6:34:54 PMJun 5
to peda...@googlegroups.com

I'm with Jim Quinn.  My Thurmont-area routes cross Rt 15 now at the pedestrian tunnel at Mt St Marys -- which is heavily used by students, because the athletic facilities are on one side of Rt 15 and the academic ones are on the other side -- and on the overpass at Sabilasville Rd.   Traffic speed and density have increased on Rt 15 over the years, and it's just too difficult making at-grade crossings on foot now.  Yes that means there are some lovely roads we used to enjoy that are no longer accessible, and that's a shame -- but what happened last weekend is an even bigger one.

-- 
Steve Palincsar
Alexandria, Virginia 
USA

Mariette Vanderzon

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Jun 6, 2024, 2:54:55 PMJun 6
to Steve Palincsar, peda...@googlegroups.com
We agree!   Yay ;-))   

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