The Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) convened the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Group (BPAG) on Wednesday, January 15th. The purpose of the meeting was to hold elections for the advisory group chair and vice chair positions and to discuss the BPAG’s 2020 goals for the Baltimore Region and upcoming tasks and studies to be included in the FY 2021 update of the Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP). BPAG members also heard presentations from representatives of the Maryland Department of Transportation.

A state level overview of the Complete Streets program helped kick-off BPAG’s work program for 2020. Complete Streets are designed and operated to enable safe use and to support mobility for all users: people of all ages, abilities and modes whether traveling as pedestrians, bicyclists, micro mobility users, public transportation riders or drivers. MDOT is currently working on a state level to develop a Complete Streets policy that will define the approach for effective implementation of enhanced network connectivity, safety and access.

Details from MDOT’s new guide, Context Driven: Access & Mobility for All Users was also shared during the meeting. This Guide is a planning and design resource that offers practitioners new techniques and solutions to achieve safety, accessibility, and mobility goals framed by the surrounding land-use. This new approach accounts for the unique characteristics of different areas in Maryland that ultimately affect roadway design and resulting safety. The guide is not prescriptive, however it encourages up-to-date tools based on current community feedback, proven solutions rooted in the surrounding context, and flexibility to encourage innovation and community-specific solutions.

Following the presentations, the BPAG members discussed exciting bicycle and pedestrian activities happening in their jurisdictions including: bicycle and pedestrian master plan updates in Anne Arundel and Harford Counties; construction of new segments of the Broadneck Peninsula Trail in Anne Arundel County; funding for design of two segments of the 35-mile loop trail in Baltimore City; development of new trail mapping in Carroll County; a new website developed by Maryland Department of Planning and MDOT where users can gather data on Transit Oriented Development; and new bicycle and pedestrian grant application cycles through several MDOT initiatives.

The Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) hosted the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Information Exchange Forum on Tuesday, December 4, 2018. This event was the culmination of 18 months of planning and generous donations from MSGIC and KCI Technologies.

Date And Time

Tuesday, December 4, 2018
9:30 AM – 4:30 PM EDT

Location

Wilde Lake Interfaith Center
10431 Twin Rivers Rd,
Columbia, MD 21044

Program and Links to Presentations

Introduction and Purpose of Forum

• Eileen Singleton, Principal Transportation Engineer, Baltimore Metropolitan Council

Welcome

• Michael Kelly, Executive Director, Baltimore Metropolitan Council

Getting Started and Regulatory Framework

• Unmanned and Unbound: The Future of Commercial UAS
  • Justin Towles, Founding Partner, Ascension Global
• Getting a UAS Pilots License:Why You Need It and What It Takes to Get It
  • Professor Scott Jeffrey, Center for Mapping and Analysis Program Director, Community College of Baltimore, Catonsville
  • Dr. Doug Williams, Aviation Technology Program Director, Community College of Baltimore, Catonsville

Federal, State, and Local UAS Overview

• Update from Federal Highway Administration
  • Connie Yew, Team Leader for Construction Management, Office of Infrastructure, Federal Highway Administration
• Overview of Maryland Association of Counties Activities to Support Local UAS Use (no slides)
  • Robin Eilenberg, Research Director, Maryland Association of Counties
• Summary of Maryland Department of Transportation UAS Activities
  • Laurie Goudy, IT Director, MDOT State Highway Administration
  • Ross Cutts, Engineering Geology Field Manager, MDOT State Highway Administration

Sponsor Lightning Round

• Maryland State GIS Committee (MSGIC)
• KCI Technologies, Inc.

Local and State Use Cases of UAS Part 1: Public Sector Perspective

• Queen Anne’s County Drone Program: A Local Government Approach to Drones
  • Sam Stanton, GIS Coordinator, Queen Anne’s County GIS
  • Tyler Pease, GIS Specialist II, Queen Anne’s County GIS
• Maryland Transportation Authority Crash Response and Reconstruction
  • Cpl. Mike Lamont, Commander – Collision Reconstruction, MDTA Police
• Procurement of UAS for Local Use
  • Kim Cluney, Program Manager, Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works
• UAS on the Leading Edge of Technology
  • Matt Scassero, Director, UAS Test Site

Local and State Use Cases of UAS Part 2: Private Sector Perspective

• Why UAS Will Help Your Organization
  • David Headrick, Project Manager, KCI Technologies, Inc.
  • Dustin Henry, Assistant Director, KCI Technologies, Inc.
• UAS Photogrammetry: Stormwater Management Existing Conditions Survey
  • Eric Cooper, Associate – Chief of Surveys, Wallace Montgomery & Associates
• Pushing Engineering & Construction Boundaries with UAS
  • Bryan Haynie, Vice President/Chief of Surveys, Century Engineering, Inc.

Panel Discussion: Key Points from the Day

• Facilitator: Ross Cutts, Engineering Geology Field Manager, MDOT SHA
• Procurement: Andrew Hime, Purchasing Agent, Anne Arundel County
• GIS: Patrick Callahan, GIS Manager, Office of Information Technology, Prince George’s County
• DPW /Transportation: Jeff Hobbs, Chief of Surveys, Howard County Department of Public Works
• Private sector: Al Wainger, Vice President, Michael Baker, Inc.

Closing Remarks

• Mara Kaminowitz, GIS Coordinator, Baltimore Metropolitan Council

BMC’s Bala Akundi, Principal Transportation Engineer and contributor to the LOOK ALIVE Pedestrian Safety Campaign, participated in a panel, alongside representatives from the Baltimore County Police Department, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration’s (MDOT MVA) Highway Safety Office at the Maryland Quality Initiative (MdQI) Conference on January 23, 2020.

The “Pedestrian Safety- Education and Enforcement Side” panel discussion focused on education and enforcement activities that are currently underway to help address highway safety challenges. In 2018, pedestrians accounted for 25% of the State’s highway deaths. Reducing pedestrian fatalities and serious injuries is a key emphasis area in Maryland’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan.

The MdQI Conference, which took place at the Baltimore Convention Center, drew hundreds of speakers, exhibitors and attendees to network and discuss the challenges and opportunities facing transportation professionals. MdQI aims to provide the Maryland transportation industry with a forum that supports improvements to ensure safe, efficient and environmentally sensitive and sustainable systems.

LOOK ALIVE, is a campaign in the greater Baltimore region to raise awareness and educate drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists on how to be safe on our roads. The campaign is a collaboration between BMC, the MDOT MVA Highway Safety Office and State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA), Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems and regional transportation and law enforcement officials from Baltimore City, and Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Howard, Harford, Carroll, and Queen Anne’s counties.