Maryland

[cpzilliacus]

Baltimore Sun: Driver injured when collision sends car into bay - Accident on Bay Bridge closes eastbound lanes

Damn!

The driver was not seriously injured and  has been released from the hospital.  It happened just a short distance out from the Western Shore side on the two-lane eastbound span, and the fall to the surface of the water was not very far. 

WTOP Radio: Police ID survivor of Bay Bridge crash

Baltimore Sun:  Police identify driver whose car fell from Bay Bridge - Woman escaped and swam to nearby rocks, was released Saturday from Shock Trauma

[cpzilliacus]

[H/T Maryland Freeways]

The injuries from this appear worse than the one from the other night. 

WBAL-TV: Man seriously injured in head-on collision on Chesapeake Bay Bridge - Crash shuts down westbound span

[cpzilliacus]

Washington Post: For some, a drive across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge is a harrowing experience

There's no way of knowing whether Friday's crash made more people fearful of the bridge crossing, but there is no shortage of people in the area who tremble as they approach.

"I have a linebacker, used to play for the Maryland Terps,"  said Mathews, the shuttle service driver. "He's got a Cotton Bowl ring. And he said his heart used to race so bad going across the bridge. He said, "˜By the time I got off, it took me an hour to get myself calmed down.' "

Men and women are equally represented among those who pay to be driven across the bridge, she said. They come in all ages.

The biggest recent panic attack came Saturday afternoon, when a woman headed east froze and refused to go any farther just after she drove onto the bridge. Police arrived to block the lane, Mathews was summoned to collect the woman and her vehicle was towed.

[cpzilliacus]

TOLLROADSnews: Maryland's Chesapeake Bay Bridge has two spectacular crashes

It is a thoroughly obsolete substandard design for a major highway - one 2-lane bridge and one 3-lane bridge.

Neither has any shoulder space on the deck so whenever there is maintenance work or an incident and one bridge gets closed, the other has to run two-way traffic.

Two and three lanes are dropped to one.

Ten and 20 mile backups can occur. Plus there can be waits at the old-fashioned cash toll plaza.

You might think they'd be well advanced in plans for a new modern span.

You'd be wrong. No plans.

Not even an acknowledgment by MdTA that something needs to be done.

[elsmere241]

There's not nearly enough of it along I-95 between Emporia, Virginia and Wilmington, Delaware, and the (lack of) truck parking is even worse between Carmel Church/Ruther Glen, Va. and Perryville, Md.

My brother-in-law is a trucker.  When he stops to see us (in Elsmere, DE), he parks at the Flying J off Exit 2C in New Jersey.

[cpzilliacus]

There's not nearly enough of it along I-95 between Emporia, Virginia and Wilmington, Delaware, and the (lack of) truck parking is even worse between Carmel Church/Ruther Glen, Va. and Perryville, Md.

My brother-in-law is a trucker.  When he stops to see us (in Elsmere, DE), he parks at the Flying J off Exit 2C in New Jersey.

That is a very popular destination for trucks coming north on I-95 through the Baltimore and  Washington areas, as well as eastbound I-70 and I-66, which then head north on 95 and 295.

[cpzilliacus]

Baltimore Sun: Federal safety experts inspect vehicles involved in Bay Bridge crash - State officials vow to heed recommendations to make span safer

Crash experts from the National Transportation Safety Board were at a Glen Burnie salvage yard Thursday morning to look at the three vehicles involved in the Bay Bridge accident that catapulted a young woman and her car into the water.

At the same time, state officials – including Gov. Martin O'Malley – went on the offensive to reassure the public that the 61-year-old bridge is safe and that they would implement any recommendations made by the NTSB.

The federal inspectors spent more than two hours in the fenced-in lot at North County Towing and Recovery, looking at wreckage from the crash. They were joined by accident reconstruction officers from the Maryland Transportation Authority, operator of the bridge, and the Maryland State Police. They also drove across the bridge and inspected the crash scene.

[cpzilliacus]

Washington Post: Ethics complaint questions Vallario's dual roles as legislator and lawyer

Kenniss Henry told the lawmaker all the horrible details about her daughter's death: How Natasha Pettigrew headed out before sunrise on a fall morning for a bike ride, part of her triathlon training. How the SUV driver who hit her told police she kept on going because she thought she had hit a deer.

How at the hospital that day in September 2010 her daughter's eyes were "stitched and stapled."  That the 30-year-old law student's teeth were broken, her ribs shattered, her lung collapsed. That one of her hands was literally "a bag of bones."  And that surgeons were preparing to drill into her skull to see if they could detect any brain activity.

After her daughter died, prosecutors told Henry that they would try to build a criminal case against the driver, but because of Maryland's lax vehicular manslaughter laws, the charges would probably not be severe.

That's why Henry was in Annapolis, telling her story to Del. Joseph F. Vallario Jr., the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

Vallario (D-Prince George's), who is also a criminal defense attorney, had for years stood in the way of bills aimed at making it easier for prosecutors to get jail time for negligent drivers, arguing they criminalized what were often accidents. At a time "of unspeakable grief,"  Henry was trying to change his mind – not for her daughter's case, but for those like it in the future.

Weeks later, Henry almost fainted, she said, when prosecutors told her who was representing the driver who killed her daughter: Vallario's son, who operates out of his father's law office in Suitland.

The episode is now the subject of an ethics complaint, with Henry arguing that Vallario – whose roles as both legislator and defense lawyer have long drawn scrutiny in Annapolis – had an egregious conflict of interest.

[cpzilliacus]

The episode is now the subject of an ethics complaint, with Henry arguing that Vallario – whose roles as both legislator and defense lawyer have long drawn scrutiny in Annapolis – had an egregious conflict of interest.

The Maryland media should have been paying attention to Joe Vallario's representation of drunk and reckless drivers in Annapolis a long time ago.  I have no problem with him representing them in court (he's a criminal defense lawyer, after all), but I have a major problem with his activities in the General Assembly.

[BrianP]

State earmarks $1 billion in transportation money for Montgomery
http://www.gazette.net/article/20130805/NEWS/130809712/1124/state-earmarks-1-billion-in-transportation-money-for-montgomery&template=gazette

– $400 million for construction of the Purple Line, which comes on top of $280 million announced previously to buy land and finish the project's design

– $125 million to construct a new interchange along I-270 at Watkins Mill Road

– $100 million to buy land and design the Corridor Cities Transitway

– $85 million for Montgomery's Ride On Bus system

– $25 million to build relocate a section of Md. 97 (Georgia Avenue) to bypass the Town of Brookeville

– $7 million to build interchanges at U.S. 29 and Musgrove Road and at U.S. 29 and Fairland Road

– $3 million to design the widening of Md. 124 (Woodfield Road) from Midcounty Highway to south of Airpark Road

– $3 million for planning to evaluate possible improvements in the Md. 28/Md. 198 corridor between Md. 97 and I-95.

[cpzilliacus]

State earmarks $1 billion in transportation money for Montgomery
http://www.gazette.net/article/20130805/NEWS/130809712/1124/state-earmarks-1-billion-in-transportation-money-for-montgomery&template=gazette

– $400 million for construction of the Purple Line, which comes on top of $280 million announced previously to buy land and finish the project's design

Not enthused about the Purple Line - I think BRT could do the job for much lower cost.

– $125 million to construct a new interchange along I-270 at Watkins Mill Road

Good project.

– $100 million to buy land and design the Corridor Cities Transitway

A lot of money  for a very questionable project.

– $85 million for Montgomery's Ride On Bus system

I like Ride-On.

– $25 million to build relocate a section of Md. 97 (Georgia Avenue) to bypass the Town of Brookeville

This should have been done a long time ago.  Removes a lot of traffic from the historic part of Brookeville that does not want or need to be there.

– $7 million to build interchanges at U.S. 29 and Musgrove Road and at U.S. 29 and Fairland Road

These are important with the ICC now being there.  They have also been in the Master Plan since 1997.   The at-grade intersection at Fairland Road has been very crash-prone over the years.

– $3 million to design the widening of Md. 124 (Woodfield Road) from Midcounty Highway to south of Airpark Road

Also a good and overdue project.  Wish there was funding to extend Midcounty Highway to tie-in to Md. 200.   

– $3 million for planning to evaluate possible improvements in the Md. 28/Md. 198 corridor between Md. 97 and I-95.

Waste of money.  No need for these with Md. 200 now being there.

[BrianP]

Here's a statewide list of initial projects to be funded by the Transportation Infrastructure Investment Act of 2013:
http://www.governor.maryland.gov/documents/transportationfactsheet.pdf

Baltimore City

Advance the Red Line towards construction
Make travel throughout the state easier by adding weekend service on the MARC Penn Line, expanding service on the Camden line and replacing old and unreliable locomotives throughout entire MARC system.

Baltimore County

Reconstruct the I-695 Leeds Avenue Interchange providing a direct connection from the I-695 Inner Loop to US 1and Leeds Ave. Project will also replace and widen structurally deficient bridges improving safety.

Frederick County

Build an interchange at US 15/Monocacy Boulevard in Frederick, including a 427-space park-and-ride lot and bicycle and pedestrian improvements.

Harford County

Improve several intersections along key access routes to Aberdeen Proving Ground to accommodate the increase of employment as a result of BRAC.

Howard County

Widen 2.8 miles of northbound US 29 in Columbia from 2 lanes to 3, including constructing noise walls.

Montgomery County

Construct a new interchange just north of the existing I-270/MD124 interchange to support economic development and relieve congestion along MD 355, MD 124, and I-270.
Advance the Corridor Cities Transitway towards construction.

Prince George's County

Advance the Purple Line towards construction
Reconstruct the existing MD 210 intersection at Kerby Hill Rd/Livingston Rd to an interchange

Queen Anne's County

Replace the existing US 301/MD 304 intersection in Centerville with an interchange,

Southern Maryland:

Calvert, St. Mary's and Charles Counties

Complete engineering for a new four-lane bridge parallel to, and south of, the existing Thomas Johnson Bridge to increase the capacity of MD 4 over the Patuxent River.

I would hope to see extending the MD 32 freeway to I-70 to be on that list at some time.

[cpzilliacus]

Here's a statewide list of initial projects to be funded by the Transportation Infrastructure Investment Act of 2013:
http://www.governor.maryland.gov/documents/transportationfactsheet.pdf

[snipped]

Complete engineering for a new four-lane bridge parallel to, and south of, the existing Thomas Johnson Bridge to increase the capacity of MD 4 over the Patuxent River.

This, IMO, should be a toll-financed project. 

I would hope to see extending the MD 32 freeway to I-70 to be on that list at some time.

I strongly agree.  I believe 32 between Md. 108 and I-70 is the busiest two-lane highway in the state. 

There have been more than a few wrecks on that part of 32 as well.

[BrianP]

GREAT NEWS FOR MOTORISTS ALONG US 40 OVER THE PATAPSCO RIVER AT THE BALTIMORE/HOWARD COUNTY LINE
http://www.marylandroads.com/pages/release.aspx?newsId=1598

The Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) has completed the nearly three year renovation of the historic US 40 (Baltimore National Pike) Bridge over the Patapsco River between Baltimore and Howard counties.

There are some good photos of the work here:
http://apps.roads.maryland.gov/WebProjectLifeCycle/ProjectPhotos.aspx?projectno=BA467513
They replaced the super structure and rehabilitated the substructure of the bridge.

There is another arch bridge like that one on US 40 west of Hagerstown over the Conococheague Creek.  But that one is only two lanes wide.

Speaking of Conococheague Creek they are widening the I-70 bridges over Conococheague Creek.  There are photos of that here:
http://apps.roads.maryland.gov/WebProjectLifeCycle/ProjectPhotos.aspx?projectno=WA3255121#

As part of the project, crews will replace the structural steel and the deck (driving surface) of the bridge, and will widen the piers that support it. When complete, each side of the bridge will be 51 feet wide, up from the original 30 feet, four inches. The highway will continue to have two lanes in each direction, but wide inner shoulders will allow room for the potential future addition of a third lane.

[BrianP]

GOVERNOR O'MALLEY ANNOUNCES NEARLY $160 MILLION IN TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENTS FOR THE EASTERN SHORE
http://www.marylandroads.com/pages/release.aspx?newsId=1604

Today's announcement provides nearly $160 million in key projects for the Eastern Shore, including:

- $52 million to construct a new interchange at US 301/ MD 304;

- $50 million to build a MD 331 Dover Bridge replacement;

- $42 million in construction funds to widen and dualize MD 404 from west of MD 309 to Cemetery Road (Phase 1B);

- $11 million for right-of-way acquisition funds to widen and dualize US 113 from Massey Branch to Five Mile Branch Road (Phase 3) No Construction funding available; and

- $3.7 million to start construction of a new roundabout at MD 822 (University of Maryland Eastern Shore Boulevard) and MD 675 (Somerset Avenue) near the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne.

[cpzilliacus]

WTOP Radio: NTSB: Bay Bridge driver was on 1st US trip alone

A preliminary federal report on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge crash that sent a car into the water says the driver of a tractor-trailer involved was on his first solo trip in the U.S.

On Monday, the National Transportation Safety Board released the report on the July 19 accident near Annapolis. The crash sent a car driven by 22-year-old Morgan Lake over the railing and into the water 27 feet below. Lake was able to get out of the car and was rescued.

[froggie]

- The Dover Bridge replacement is seriously needed.  Glad to see it funded.

- While a US 301/MD 304 interchange may be needed, I'd think there'd be higher priority locations they could build an interchange first....namely US 50/MD 213 or (even moreso) US 50/MD 404.

- The MD 404 widening is needed.  The US 113 widening, while useful, isn't quite as needed.

[BrianP]

- While a US 301/MD 304 interchange may be needed, I'd think there'd be higher priority locations they could build an interchange first....namely US 50/MD 213 or (even moreso) US 50/MD 404.

The former is a single project.  The latter are parts of a larger project to widen and make limited access US 50 between US 301 and MD 404.

[froggie]

The former is a single project.  The latter are parts of a larger project to widen and make limited access US 50 between US 301 and MD 404.

There's absolutely no reason why SHA couldn't split up the US 50 interchanges into separate projects, built to accommodate the future widening.

Getting some improvements sooner would be a lot better than waiting forever for the whole enchilada...

[BrianP]

NEW LED TRAFFIC SIGNALS SAVE ENERGY
http://www.marylandroads.com/pages/release.aspx?newsId=1613

I remember they had the LED trials years ago.  But had not heard anything since then about LED signals.  I didn't know they were using LED signals since the type they are using don't look like the LED signals that I've seen in other states.

I have noticed they have been doing a lot of signal replacements in my area in the past few weeks.  Pretty much all of the old signals with the all yellow housing are gone. 

[cpzilliacus]

The former is a single project.  The latter are parts of a larger project to widen and make limited access US 50 between US 301 and MD 404.

There's absolutely no reason why SHA couldn't split up the US 50 interchanges into separate projects, built to accommodate the future widening.

Getting some improvements sooner would be a lot better than waiting forever for the whole enchilada...

But SHA has been doing an incremental approach with  regards to improving Md. 404 itself. 

As for U.S. 50 between Queenstown and Md. 404, I agree with doing all of that in one bigger project, especially  if the  plan is to eliminate the at-grade intersections at Md. 18, Md. 456, Md. 213 and Md. 404.  I really dislike having one "isolated" at-grade signalized intersection in a high-speed corridor.

[BrianP]

- The Dover Bridge replacement is seriously needed.  Glad to see it funded.

Tell me about it.
http://www.marylandroads.com/pages/release.aspx?newsId=1615
http://www.marylandroads.com/pages/release.aspx?newsId=1567

[cpzilliacus]

Washington  Post: Growing number of Maryland municipalities using speed cameras

The first year the two speed cameras went up on Annapolis Road in Landover Hills, they produced $1.3 million in fines and enough cash for the town to buy a vehicle to enforce the speed limit.

That may not seem like much in a region that routinely collects millions of dollars in traffic-enforcement fines, but the money made a difference for the northern Prince George's County town of fewer than 2,000 people.

Landover Hills is one of a growing number of Maryland jurisdictions that use automated cameras to catch speeders. For some, the programs have added a valuable source of revenue, but often accompanied by legal challenges and a public perception that the cameras are being used as moneymakers rather than to improve safety.

[DeaconG]

Washington  Post: Growing number of Maryland municipalities using speed cameras

The first year the two speed cameras went up on Annapolis Road in Landover Hills, they produced $1.3 million in fines and enough cash for the town to buy a vehicle to enforce the speed limit.

That may not seem like much in a region that routinely collects millions of dollars in traffic-enforcement fines, but the money made a difference for the northern Prince George's County town of fewer than 2,000 people.

Landover Hills is one of a growing number of Maryland jurisdictions that use automated cameras to catch speeders. For some, the programs have added a valuable source of revenue, but often accompanied by legal challenges and a public perception that the cameras are being used as moneymakers rather than to improve safety.

I used to live in Landover Hills when I worked at GSFC in the 80s.  I'm not surprised.

[cpzilliacus]

I used to live in Landover Hills when I worked at GSFC in the 80s.  I'm not surprised.

I worked at GSFC in the 1970's for CSC. Building 23 in image processing - Landsat, HCMM and Nimbus 7.

The stuff that we processed the spacecraft location and attitude and similar data was mostly junk - Xerox Data Systems Sigma and Modcomp IV computers. 

The equipment that did the actual image processing was state-of-the-art from IBM.