This evening, the Baltimore City Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Toole Design Group will present new plans for physical improvements along Guilford Avenue between University Parkway and Mt. Royal Avenue to manage traffic speeds, increase greenery, and improve conditions for bicyclists. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Sherwood Room in Levering Hall on the Johns Hopkins University campus.

Among the improvements slated for Guilford Avenue is the City’s first bike boulevard. Also known as neighborhood greenways, bike boulevards are low-traffic neighborhood streets that are optimized for bicycling by providing direct and attractive routes for bikes and making the streets quieter, prettier, and healthier (compared to busy, car-filled streets). While they provide a wide variety of benefits to pedestrians and residents, bike boulevards also offer a more convenient and comfortable route to both novice and seasoned cyclists.

According to Patrick McMahon, Transportation Chair of the Greater Baltimore Sierra Club and member of the Baltimore City Sustainability Commission, Baltimore’s gridded street system is ideal for bike boulevards and Guilford Avenue is a great place to start. He says, “Guilford is already heavily used by bicyclists for commuting, getting to the four elementary schools located just off Guilford, and just riding around town and the signage and engineering improvements planned will make it more attractive for bicycle riders, pedestrians, and neighborhood residents.”

In a recent blog post, Bike Baltimore notes that “Improvements to Guilford will include striping the parking lanes and centerline, way finding signs, and speed cushions. Select stop signs will be turned, giving bikes on Guilford priority.”

If you’d like to attend tonight’s meeting, RSVP here.