CSLA Complete Streets Leadership Academy

The Maryland’s Department of Transportation (MDOT) is launching a Complete Streets Leadership Academy (CSLA) to address known dangers on state-owned roads as part of its Pedestrian Safety Action Plan. Supported by Smart Growth America, the CSLA model combines a series of virtual sessions and in-person workshops to develop and deploy community-led quick build projects on state-owned roads. Three communities in Maryland will partner with MDOT and the State Highway Administration (SHA) to design, implement, and measure the effectiveness of quick-build projects to identify long-term changes to improve transportation safety across the state, including the Town of Bel Air.

Objectives

  • Design, implement, and measure the effectiveness of a quick-build demonstration in three communities across Maryland
  • Build state and local capacity on topics related to Complete Streets, pedestrian safety, and quick-build demonstrations
  • Foster collaboration and improve communication between Maryland’s Department of Transportation and local jurisdictions
  • Develop recommendations to support quick-build demonstrations being more broadly used across the state

Expectations

  • Contribute to the design and scope of the quick-build demonstration
  • Provide support for community outreach and engagement
  • Evaluation and analysis of the quick-build demonstration
  • Coordinate with Maryland’s Department of Transportation

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Sep 05

Temporary safety improvements installed at Bel Air's 'flatiron' intersection

Posted on September 5, 2024 at 4:41 PM by David Anderson

Temporary safety measures, including speed reduction devices and the closure of a left-turn lane, are in place at the intersection of Main, Bond and Gordon Street in the north end of Bel Air as of Thursday, September 5. They will be in place through early November as the Town of Bel Air works with the Maryland Department of Transportation and Smart Growth America's Complete Streets Leadership Academy program to collect data and determine ways to make the intersection -- known as "the flatiron" -- safer for pedestrians. Similar "quick-build" projects are happening in Howard County and the City of Hagerstown.

Photo of Complete Streets safety improvements at Bel Air's flatiron intersectionSigns have been placed in the Main Street crosswalks leading to and from the triangular intersection, warning drivers to yield to pedestrians, plus small black speed humps have been installed in the northbound and southbound directions on Main Street, again leading to and from the intersection with Gordon Street. One set is for southbound traffic, placed across from the ShopRite supermarket just before Main hits Gordon and splits off into Bond Street. The other set for northbound traffic has been placed near the Historical Society of Harford County headquarters on Main, just south of Gordon Street.

The left-turn lane, which drivers heading south on Main could previously use to turn onto East Gordon Street has been closed. Motorists going north on Main can still make a left turn at the flatiron onto West Gordon, or they can make a U-turn onto Bond Street.

This project is largely the result of feedback we received from Town residents earlier this year when we, along with MDOT representatives and a consultant, hosted an open house as part of the Safe Streets and Roads for All project, an ongoing initiative of Bel Air, as well as its sister municipalities of Aberdeen and Havre de Grace, to make our communities safer for pedestrians, cyclists, mass transit riders and people with disabilities. A number of concerns were raised during the February open house about pedestrian safety at the flatiron intersection.

Public feedback also is crucial for the Complete Streets project. Feel free to leave your comments with this blog post!

Comments

Ed D
September 6, 2024 at 9:58 PM
Speed bumps are one of the worst quality of life downgrades known to man. I would sooner shoulder a tax increase to pay the salary of a full time officer to sit there all day shooting radar than have to endure the scourge of another speed bump in the town. If the Board of Commissioners cares about the quality of life of the townspeople they will do anything other than add more speed bumps in the town
Kathleen Maistros
November 4, 2024 at 9:32 AM
Thank you for your efforts to slow traffic at the crosswalk. We cross the street here at least two times a day. I would estimate that about 50% of the cars have slowed down and stopped for us because of the speedbumps. So, I think this experiment was successful, but it could be improved of course. Here’s my observations/suggestions: (1) The signage in the middle of the northbound crosswalk lasted about 2-3 days. It looked like someone ran over it, and then it was quickly removed. (2) The temporary white polls that were intended to stop traffic from making a left onto Gordon from the southbound lane were also run over quickly. I don’t see a benefit for preventing this because very few people cross at that intersection; they cross at the actual crosswalk. (3) To increase visibility southbound cars could we cut the tall grass on the island? (4) If it is decided to use speedbumps, make them go all the way to the curbs so all cars slow down rather than swerve around them, get annoyed, and speed up (rather than slow down). (5) Create a bump out in the sidewalk/curve just before the crosswalk on the northbound lanes to take it from two lanes to one (possibly even decreasing it to one lane before the Historical Society). While crossing at this section pedestrians currently have to wait for two lanes of traffic to stop – this is extremely concerning for our kids because they may trust that when they see a car in one lane stop, a car in the next lane may not see them. This worked well when it was done on the southbound lanes a few years ago; cars seem to be more aware of pedestrians because of this. (6) Install a light at both the southbound and northbound lanes for pedestrians just like the one for the Ma & Pa crossing at the brewery.

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