OT: Bicycle racks do double duty along Frederick Road



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The 16 metal sculptures in the form of musical notes that debuted
recently along Catonsville's main street serve a dual purpose.

In red, blue, green, black and yellow, they add a touch of color to
Frederick Road's streetscape between the Beltway and the Catonsville
Library.

But the sculptures also function as bicycle racks and thus promote
two-wheel transportation, according to local resident Michele Mazzocco.

Pedalers can lock their bikes parallel or perpendicular to each stand.

"We envisioned them being parallel with the notes," Mazzocco said.

An avid cyclist, she spearheaded the bike-racks-as-art project after a
2005 trip to Pittsburgh.

Inspired by the "three rivers" version she saw there, which reflect
Pittsburgh's location on the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio rivers,
Mazzocco decided Catonsville also should support cyclists and outdoor
art displays.

"I really hope it is just the beginning of having public art contribute
to our main street," she said.

She added that local schools, for example, would be a suitable location
for more racks.

Painted in the schools' team colors, the racks would encourage students
and teachers to commute via bicycle, she suggested.

"They certainly go along with the Music City, Maryland theme," said Jim
Lister, executive director of the Greater Catonsville Chamber of Commerce.

"Hopefully, they will increase the bike traffic downtown, considering
the (motor vehicle) parking problem," Lister said.

"That would be a very good thing."

A Catonsville resident since 1993 and a longtime biking enthusiast,
Mazzocco took the lead in getting the racks funded through Baltimore
County's Community Conservation Action Grant program.

She submitted the application through the Greater Catonsville Chamber of
Commerce and obtained a $7,500 grant last year.

She belongs to the chamber as a representative for member Rails to
Trails, Lister said.

The project is not connected with Rails to Trails, according to Mazzocco.

Lister noted that Mazzocco initiated the project with his predecessor,
Bruce VanDervort, in 2006.

VanDervort recommended a musical theme to complement Catonsville's
reputation as Music City, Maryland.

Hampstead artist David Sleightholm, a former Catonsville resident who
specializes in metal works, won the bid to design and build the racks.

Although his charges for design and labor amounted to $10,000, he
charged only $7,500 and made an in-kind donation of $2,500 to complete
the project.

Installed over a few days beginning Nov. 1, the racks can be found
outside two of the many Catonsville businesses that account for the
Music City theme: the Appalachian Bluegrass Shoppe in the 600 block of
Frederick Road and Jim's Guitars in the 700 block.

The other sites on Frederick Road that host the racks are the Perfect
Touch Hair Salon in the 400 block, the Indian Delight restaurant in the
600 block, the chamber's Santa House in the 700 block, Craig Witzke's
Strawberry Fields complex in the 800 block and the Catonsville Library
at 1100 Frederick Road.