Regional Boards > Mid-Atlantic
Baltimore City streets and arterial highways
roadman65:
--- Quote from: BrianP on September 06, 2018, 04:29:42 PM ---While I agree that the state has been going toward mast arm signals, there are still plenty of wire hung signals outside of Baltimore.
Although I can think of one relatively new signal installation that is a wire hung signal. MD 355 at Old Baltimore Road. That seems to be a temporary installation.
There is construction happening near there. But that seems to be to improve the intersection with Brink Road just south of there.
Otherwise I believe new traffic signal installations use mast arms. And some existing wire hung signals have been converted to mast arm.
--- End quote ---
Yes, you are correct. Many wire hung installations still do exist outside of Baltimore, however most are being phased out.
Also, with big cities many tend to have their own different from outside the city. New York, Chicago, New Orleans, and even Omaha both have different signals compared to the rest of the states they reside in.
Yes, but considering that other features of Baltimore was mentioned I would add to that as they are still not rushing or moving to replace the old wire hung signals that used to be the norm from PA all the way to Florida and MD was definitely one of them for sure.
cpzilliacus:
Baltimore Sun op-ed: Stop caving in to Baltimore's bike lobby
--- Quote ---The bicycle lobby seems to have taken over Baltimore. This tiny group claims on its web page to — in essence — control our city government. “We elected a new mayor and a majority new city council,” it proclaims. Given the obstacles they have had the city lay in our streets, their boast seems true.
--- End quote ---
--- Quote ---Bike lanes have created problems for motorists trying to park on Roland Avenue. On Maryland Avenue, the city has eliminated one traffic lane to create a bicycle lane, making it exceedingly difficult to go to the Inner Harbor. Many motorists now avoid that route by using St. Paul Street, which now is often clogged as well.
--- End quote ---
--- Quote ---The city has been engaged in a mammoth project on West Mt. Royal Avenue installing a lane wide enough to accommodate two-way bike traffic. In the process, the city has eliminated all parking in the westbound lanes. Disabled people now have no easy access to the offices and businesses along the street. The mail carrier is blocked because the city has taken away his parking space. It is nearly impossible to deliver supplies to offices or provide maintenance services. Apparently to make room for all this the city also took out a row of trees along the median strip, which surely was not an environmentally friendly act.
--- End quote ---
mrsman:
New designs planned for Druid Park Lake Drive (DPLD)
I do read articles in GreaterGreaterWashington and they mentioned plans for the city to narrow the roadway and possibly install bike lanes along this stretch. DPLD is actually a very short stretch of street, but in terms of the project, this actually encompasses several streets that make up the park's southern and western boundaries (including Aurchelontory and Reisterstown).
https://ggwash.org/view/83598/baltimore-looks-to-right-size-druid-park-lake-drive
I'm a little miffed that ggwash posted their story after the comment period ended. :angry:
Here are more links.
https://transportation.baltimorecity.gov/dpldcsdesigneffort
This next link was a very clunky virtual meeting page. I wished that this was all in one pdf instead of needing to click all over the place. That was a waste of time, even though the information was interesting.
https://dpld.meetsyou.online/#/introduction
My thoughts and ideas (not what is proposed by the city):
Druid Park Dr on the north side could be shrunk to one traffic lane in each direction without adversely affecting traffic. Any extra space can be used for a 2-way bike lane alongside the park, which seems to be what many of the street activists like to see. It's OK here.
The Reisterstown/Park Heights/Druid Park intersection has always been messy. It used to be a traffic circle many years ago. One idea I had was for R and PH to be one-way couplet between here and Cold Spring, with each roadway narrowed to two driving lanes (excess space for parking, and room on PH for bike lanes as well). Another idea takes the same concept, but at a more minimal scale. PH will still be two-directional, but R will be one-way southbound between Hilldale and PH (limited to two traffic lanes). In this way, the number of movements at the big intersection will be somewhat limitied to three main directions:
DP, PH NB&SB, PH NB & R SB
Traffic from the big intersection heading to northbound R, should just take PH north and make a left on Hilldale and continue onto R. Doing this will remove one conflicting movement from the big intersection and make traffic better. It will also allow for some narrowing of streets.
[The idea is inspired by Sunset/Santa Monica junction in Los Angeles. Santa Monica ends at Sunset, so EB Santa Monica defaults onto Sunset at the intersection with Sanborn. To get to westbound Santa Monica, you need to go on Sunset WB for one more block to Manzanita, and then make a left and then a right to continue onto Santa Monica.
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0924051,-118.2803559,3a,75y,317.92h,84.07t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sS-lxjX1-L8Cge8kCCNUN0w!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DS-lxjX1-L8Cge8kCCNUN0w%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D129.81564%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192
]
Regardless, the more recent improvements to R/PH/Druid Park are better than what existed previously. Even though, I think that my idea would make it more feasible to narrow R to two lanes in each direction south of R/PH/DP.
South of the big intersection, Reisterstown should be narrowed to two driving lanes in each direction. The section of Auchentoroly between R and Liberty Heights should be closed. To accommodate the movement, a double left between R and Liberty Heights should be designed.
For the next section of road alongside the park, Auchentoroly alongside the residences should become a one lane quiet service road. The thru traffic, that emanates from Liberty Heights (and partially from Greenspring) should be accommodated with two traffic lanes in each direction. To keep things simple, the main roadway south of Libery Heights should be renamed to DPLD, but the service road can still be called Auchentoroly.
McCulloh and Druid Hill need to be maintained as a one-way couplet. The parkside road should default onto those streets with a forced left turn necessary to reach DPLD or North Fulton. I would also downgrade the "sweep: along this stretch of DPLD to make sure that the road is built as three separate signalized intersections: Fulton/DPLD, Druid Hill/DPLD, and McCulloh/DPLD. These three intersections should allow all possible turning movements (not just those that are permitted today). Of course, DH is one way southbound, McC is one way northbound. DPLD, east of Madison, can be shrunk to one lane in each direction.
All in all, a quite interesting project that I will try to keep tabs on.
The Ghostbuster:
This might be the wrong thread for this, but is the city of Baltimore finally planning to tear down the former Interstate 170 freeway stub in the near future?
74/171FAN:
--- Quote from: The Ghostbuster on January 27, 2022, 04:22:57 PM ---This might be the wrong thread for this, but is the city of Baltimore finally planning to tear down the former Interstate 170 freeway stub in the near future?
--- End quote ---
I think it is fine. I have found I-170 references in multiple threads.
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