Emerging Bike Neighborhoods: Reservoir Hill

As the bike network spreads across the city, some communities are resisting new bike lanes while others are embracing them. Reservoir Hill is a neighborhood that not only embraces bike infrastructure improvements, but also looks to show other communities how biking can make urban communities healthier, safer, and more livable. 

Nestled between the JFX, North Avenue and Druid Lake, Reservoir Hill presented some “low hanging fruit” in implementing the Bicycle Master Plan.  With excess roadway width, Madison Ave and Eutaw Place presented an easy installation of bike lanes as part of a community request for traffic calming.  (South of North Ave, Madison presents a classic bike boulevard route down to State Center).  Park Avenue through Bolton Hill and Reservoir Hill is a popular route for cyclits due to low vehicular traffic volume.  DOT installed bike route signs to help guide other cyclists through the area between State Center and Druid Hill.

New bike racks at Whitelock Community Farm

The community responded to these changes by requesting bike racks at the German Park playground and Whitelock Community Farm.  Two bike oriented programs emerged from Reservoir Hill.  In 2010, the Reservoir Hill Improvement Council sponsored a bicycle workshop with Velocipede and the Baltimore Police Department.  This weekly workshop taught bike maintenance skills to teens throughout the summer.

Another program to spring up is the Charm City Garden Bike Tour.  Last year’s inaugural tour led participants of on a guided tour of community gardens.  This year, the tour returns with an emphasis on Westside community gardens.  Come out and join the ride this Saturday!

So take a spin through Reservoir Hill and check out all the cool things going on there. You can read more about Reservoir Hill’s bike and greening initiatives at rhicgreen.org, and visit reservoirhill.net to learn more about all of Reservoir Hill Improvement Council’s programs and updated blogs.

Special thanks on this post goes to Teddy Krolik for the pictures and details!

Summer bike workshop at John Eager Howard Recreation Center