Maryland

[cl94]

Speaking of Camp David, GSV has imagery of one of their cars being pulled over near the gate. Scroll down to see the car turn into a parking lot.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

[TheOneKEA]

There are decade-old plans posted on the SHA Projects portal that show all six interchanges on MD 32 between MD 108 and I-70 (inclusive), as well as the new access roads that will be built to close the driveways.

What I wonder about is, how would a full interchange with I-70 in West Friendship be built?  Since no movements justify a flyover AFAIK (although there were some rather long backups to make a left turn to the I-70 WB on-ramp before the traffic signal was installed), I would think a full cloverleaf would be the way to go.  But then the NB diamond on-ramp to MD-32 from MD-144 would be too close to the new I-70 EB on-ramp, or else the EB->NB loop ramp would be too tight.  Same with the corresponding SB situation. Would CD-lanes, or even a zipper lane with a slip-ramp, be a little overkill for that location?

The interchange at I-70 and Md. 32, like the rest of them from Ijamsville to Marriottsville, date from the mid-1970's, when U.S. 40 was "upgraded in place" from a four lane arterial to the six lane freeway there today.

It clearly needs upgrading to eliminate the at-grade movements across the opposite direction of traffic.

The plans posted to the SHA projects portal (which aren't posted there right now) indicated that the existing interchange would be upgraded into a six-ramp parclo with loop ramps in the NE and SW quadrants.

I never understood why MD 97 between MD 26 and the old MD 540 in Westminster wasn't fully upgraded into a Super-2, nor why MD 32 between I-70 and MD 851 wasn't similarly upgraded. I'm guessing that the SRC/SHA never studied those roads with the expectation that they would become the transport corridors that they are today.

I really hope that the Triadelphia Road bridge can be replaced quickly. It's so deficient that it's almost scary to use.

The reason MD 97 stopped being improved was because Eisenhower left office.  MD 97 was improved because it was a backup route for Eisenhower to get to his farm in Gettysburg [Primary route was US-240 (now I-270) to US-15]  It was being improved is sections with the sections from Westminster to 26 and some minor improvements in Montgomery and Howard County and nortwest of Westminster to Emmitsburg.  Remember before the 'big route number swap' in the (I believe) late 70s when MD(ex US)-140 north of Westminster to Littlestown became MD-97 and MD-97 from Westminster to Emmitsburg became MD-140.

That Eisenhower angle is interesting and makes plenty of sense. 

The routing of former U.S. 140 (north to Gettysburg) is something I remember well, as well as the swap with Md. 97. 

When Eisenhower left office the improvement program ended abruptly. 

Also makes sense that the work stopped after Ike left office, though improvements to Md. 97 and former U.S. 140 would still have been useful as a backup route to get presidents (and their guests) to Camp David, though these days the road route via I-270 is a backup to transport by Marine One.

MD-97 near the Carroll /Howard County line (where it crossed the B&O (CSX) tracks was still dirt up til Hurricane Agnes came through in 1972 and ripped that entire valley up.  As part of the 'repair the road was finally strightened and paved up the hill on the Carroll  County side and improved and paved on the Howard County side.  much later the complete overpass/underpass interchange at MD-26.  Before that when going south you looped under MD-26 went up the ramp onto 26 went west maybe a few hundred yards then turned left back onto MD-97.

I read someplace that CSX had considered an abandonment of most or all of the B&O's Old Mainline between Relay in Baltimore County and Frederick, after the damage inflicted by the floodwaters of Agnes, but decided that it was worthwhile to make repairs over several years (supposedly there were no railroad signals for quite some time along the line).

I remember riding that way once or twice when it was still dirt/gravel (it was before I was licensed).  Even now, the alignment and grades are not very good.

I have also read in various places that the B&O planned to abandon the Old Main Line after Agnes and that the state intended to turn it into a rail trail.

Fixing the segment of MD 97 that crosses the South Branch and the Old Main Line at the county lines will be difficult, as the presence of a large closed landfill on the Carroll County side restricts alignment options to the west. That segment needs fixing though; that part of MD 97 is a secret commuter route that allows people to bypass the congestion of MD 32 and reach Carroll County more easily.

[cpzilliacus]

I have also read in various places that the B&O planned to abandon the Old Main Line after Agnes and that the state intended to turn it into a rail trail.

Glad they did not - even though it has limits, it serves as a useful bypass of the CSX Metropolitan and Capital Subdivisions for freight trains from points west headed to Baltimore and provides a degree of network redundancy for CSX and its customers.  I have seen CSX trains using the Old Mainline carrying heavy equipment and new cars in auto racks on several occasions (though the new cars could also be headed to the large intermodal terminal in Jessup, though it is a challenge to get a train from the junction (at Relay) with the OML and the Capital Sub to "turn" from eastbound OML to go south on the Capital).

Fixing the segment of MD 97 that crosses the South Branch and the Old Main Line at the county lines will be difficult, as the presence of a large closed landfill on the Carroll County side restricts alignment options to the west. That segment needs fixing though; that part of MD 97 is a secret commuter route that allows people to bypass the congestion of MD 32 and reach Carroll County more easily.

Agreed.  Everyone is fortunate that the Old Main Line is only one track, which effectively limits the amount of railroad traffic there.  Still, I wonder how many crashes between railroad traffic and highway traffic have happened there over the years, as it is at the bottom of a fairly steep grade on both sides.  I find it revealing that both of the steel posts on which the railroad crossing signals (no gates) are mounted are protected by guardrails (see GSV here).

Regarding the secret commuter route, yes, there are a lot of people that have leapfrogged the high home prices and restrictive land use controls of Howard and Montgomery Counties and moved to Carroll County for the single-family detached home that they cannot afford further south.

[TheOneKEA]

I have also read in various places that the B&O planned to abandon the Old Main Line after Agnes and that the state intended to turn it into a rail trail.

Glad they did not - even though it has limits, it serves as a useful bypass of the CSX Metropolitan and Capital Subdivisions for freight trains from points west headed to Baltimore and provides a degree of network redundancy for CSX and its customers.  I have seen CSX trains using the Old Mainline carrying heavy equipment and new cars in auto racks on several occasions (though the new cars could also be headed to the large intermodal terminal in Jessup, though it is a challenge to get a train from the junction (at Relay) with the OML and the Capital Sub to "turn" from eastbound OML to go south on the Capital).

I agree completely. Had the OML been abandoned in this fashion, I suspect that rail service by CSX in central Maryland would be very poor today. I am surprised that the OML isn't more heavily used than it already is, and I wonder if there will be any efforts to restore it to double track and eliminate some of the grade crossings.

Fixing the segment of MD 97 that crosses the South Branch and the Old Main Line at the county lines will be difficult, as the presence of a large closed landfill on the Carroll County side restricts alignment options to the west. That segment needs fixing though; that part of MD 97 is a secret commuter route that allows people to bypass the congestion of MD 32 and reach Carroll County more easily.

Agreed.  Everyone is fortunate that the Old Main Line is only one track, which effectively limits the amount of railroad traffic there.  Still, I wonder how many crashes between railroad traffic and highway traffic have happened there over the years, as it is at the bottom of a fairly steep grade on both sides.  I find it revealing that both of the steel posts on which the railroad crossing signals (no gates) are mounted are protected by guardrails (see GSV here).

Regarding the secret commuter route, yes, there are a lot of people that have leapfrogged the high home prices and restrictive land use controls of Howard and Montgomery Counties and moved to Carroll County for the single-family detached home that they cannot afford further south.

Indeed, and a lot of people live there to avoid the overcrowding and to have better access to rural amenities, including the Patapsco River. The segment at the MD 97 crossing is very scenic and bridging it will require a lengthy bridge built in the style of the MD 200 bridges to minimize impact.

[bsmart]

I remember riding that way once or twice when it was still dirt/gravel (it was before I was licensed).  Even now, the alignment and grades are not very good.

If you think they are not good now you would have hated what they were before especially on the Carroll County side!  Narrow twisty and steep.  Also from heavy breaking on the dirt/gravel it was very much a washboard.  That was the only thing that probably kept the number of accidents down, you couldn't go fast enough to get in real trouble.

[cpzilliacus]

Indeed, and a lot of people live there to avoid the overcrowding and to have better access to rural amenities, including the Patapsco River. The segment at the MD 97 crossing is very scenic and bridging it will require a lengthy bridge built in the style of the MD 200 bridges to minimize impact.

This is a living reason why the Smart Growth doctrine that more than a few Maryland elected officials have long promoted does not work in the long run - there is nothing to stop leapfrog development, either to counties like Carroll where there is a lot of hostility to such policies, or to a nearby state, such as Pennsylvania or West Virginia, where there is little in the way of Smart Growth.

[cpzilliacus]

Washington Post: Md. lawmaker wants to lower penalty for late toll payments

A Maryland lawmaker thinks the state is sticking motorists with too stiff a penalty for failing to pay toll bills before the 30-day deadline.

Maryland Del. Alfred C. Carr Jr. (D-Montgomery) introduced a bill in the General Assembly this week that would lower the late penalty from $50 per violation to $25. Carr said he's heard from numerous constituents upset that they got stuck with the late fee because the initial bill got buried in their stack of mail or it was sent to the wrong address.

The Maryland Transportation Authority mails toll bills as part of its "video tolling,"  which the state implemented at all of its eight toll facilities in 2011. If a vehicle passes through a toll booth without the driver paying cash or having an E-ZPass transponder, a camera photographs the vehicle and license plate, and the authority mails a bill to the vehicle's registered owner.

Vehicle owners also might receive a "notice of toll due"  if they didn't have enough money in their E-ZPass account, the credit card on file had expired or the E-ZPass transponder wasn't mounted properly, according to the authority's website.

Kelly Melhem, a spokeswoman for the Maryland Transportation Authority, said people have 30 days to pay the toll notice before the $50 penalty kicks in.

[cpzilliacus]

Baltimore Sun: Baltimore considers replacing Hanover Street Bridge

Baltimore's spending panel approved a $1 million, four-year contract with a consultant to study whether the city should repair or replace the aging Hanover Street Bridge in South Baltimore.

Using a federal grant, the city plans to hire AECOM Technical Services Inc. to study the bridge, which is nearly 100 years old and a main route to get to the Port of Baltimore. Residents frequently complain that the bridge is riddled with potholes.

The study will "create a plan to identify feasible methods of rehabilitating or replacing the Hanover Street Bridge," according to the agenda for the Board of Estimates, which voted to approve the deal Wednesday.

[cpzilliacus]

The study will "create a plan to identify feasible methods of rehabilitating or replacing the Hanover Street Bridge," according to the agenda for the Board of Estimates, which voted to approve the deal Wednesday.

This is an attractive bridge, and it would (IMO) be a mistake to replace it, but a great idea to rehabilitate it, probably including a full deck replacement.

[Henry]

The study will "create a plan to identify feasible methods of rehabilitating or replacing the Hanover Street Bridge," according to the agenda for the Board of Estimates, which voted to approve the deal Wednesday.

This is an attractive bridge, and it would (IMO) be a mistake to replace it, but a great idea to rehabilitate it, probably including a full deck replacement.

Why this isn't on the historic places register is beyond me. New York's Brooklyn Bridge is over 130 years old, and it's still well-maintained.

[Rothman]

The study will "create a plan to identify feasible methods of rehabilitating or replacing the Hanover Street Bridge," according to the agenda for the Board of Estimates, which voted to approve the deal Wednesday.

This is an attractive bridge, and it would (IMO) be a mistake to replace it, but a great idea to rehabilitate it, probably including a full deck replacement.

Why this isn't on the historic places register is beyond me. New York's Brooklyn Bridge is over 130 years old, and it's still well-maintained.

Heh.  NYSDOT and NYCDOT throw millions at the Brooklyn Bridge quite often to keep it "well-maintained" within the restrictions of its landmark status.  I've heard a lot of grumbling about it, actually.  There are those that feel that the landmark status keeps more cost-effective solutions from being implemented, but I'm fuzzy on the particulars of what they're ideas actually are.

[ARMOURERERIC]

Why will it take 4 years to get results?

[mattpedersen]

Why will it take 4 years to get results?

I commented on the same thing on Facebook. This should take no more than a year I would think.

[cpzilliacus]

Heh.  NYSDOT and NYCDOT throw millions at the Brooklyn Bridge quite often to keep it "well-maintained" within the restrictions of its landmark status.  I've heard a lot of grumbling about it, actually.  There are those that feel that the landmark status keeps more cost-effective solutions from being implemented, but I'm fuzzy on the particulars of what they're ideas actually are.

IMO, the Brooklyn Bridge, along with the other "free" bridges over the East River, ought to be tolled, and maintenance responsibility should be with (or at least funded by) the New York MTA.

[cl94]

Heh.  NYSDOT and NYCDOT throw millions at the Brooklyn Bridge quite often to keep it "well-maintained" within the restrictions of its landmark status.  I've heard a lot of grumbling about it, actually.  There are those that feel that the landmark status keeps more cost-effective solutions from being implemented, but I'm fuzzy on the particulars of what they're ideas actually are.

IMO, the Brooklyn Bridge, along with the other "free" bridges over the East River, ought to be tolled, and maintenance responsibility should be with (or at least funded by) the New York MTA.

That will never happen with the current situation in Albany. Most city officials and residents want it (money, encourage transit use), but it has to be approved by the state and it will be DOA in Albany, mainly because of the GOP leadership. The majority of people in the City who don't want it live in eastern Queens.

[Alps]

Why will it take 4 years to get results?

Because that's what the agency is willing to pay and consultants aren't going to talk them into less.

[cpzilliacus]

Why will it take 4 years to get results?

Because that's what the agency is willing to pay and consultants aren't going to talk them into less.

That is almost certainly correct.  Baltimore City is nearly always strapped for cash.

The amount of work that the consultant has to do is probably significant (according to the story below, it will cost the city about $700,000, with federal money paying for the rest of it), and I suspect strongly that the city has to spread it out over several budget years to pay for all of it  (though $700,000 does not seem like that much).

A story on the WBAL-TV (Channel 11) site from last year is here.

Relevant quotes:

The National Bridge Registry considers the bridge functionally obsolete and rates its condition as fair. The surface is plagued by potholes that, even when they're filled, give motorists a bone-jarring experience.

"I know every time I go over the bridge, it messes up my tires, and I actually had to get a new car because of the bridge," said Regina Caine, a commuter.

The city spends $500,000 to $600,000 a year on maintenance for the bridge. City officials estimate it could cost as much as $150 million to replace it.

Scott Weaver, the chief of bridge engineering in Baltimore City, said the city won't make the decision to repair or replace the bridge alone. It will hire a consultant to conduct a study, and that will take time and cost $1.8 million.

"We want to do the best we can with the money we have. When you talk about the cost of replacing these bridges, it's not Monopoly money. This is real money," Weaver said.

The federal government will help with the cost. In September, federal officials declared Baltimore eligible for a $1.1 million grant to help pay for the study. The city will chip in another $700,000. Yet the 11 News I-Team discovered nearly a year later, the study hasn't even begun.

The target date to begin the study is next spring. It will look at a 1.4-mile corridor of Hanover Street, including the bridge, and it will also assess development, transportation, education and recreation opportunities in that area.

[Rothman]

Heh.  NYSDOT and NYCDOT throw millions at the Brooklyn Bridge quite often to keep it "well-maintained" within the restrictions of its landmark status.  I've heard a lot of grumbling about it, actually.  There are those that feel that the landmark status keeps more cost-effective solutions from being implemented, but I'm fuzzy on the particulars of what they're ideas actually are.

IMO, the Brooklyn Bridge, along with the other "free" bridges over the East River, ought to be tolled, and maintenance responsibility should be with (or at least funded by) the New York MTA.

That will never happen with the current situation in Albany. Most city officials and residents want it (money, encourage transit use), but it has to be approved by the state and it will be DOA in Albany, mainly because of the GOP leadership. The majority of people in the City who don't want it live in eastern Queens.

I really wonder if there really is a lot of public support to toll the East River Bridges.  I'd prefer to see an actual poll or survey results on the matter.

[cpzilliacus]

I really wonder if there really is a lot of public support to toll the East River Bridges.  I'd prefer to see an actual poll or survey results on the matter.

I doubt it.  Most people do not want to pay for something out of pocket that is currently "free."

[cl94]

I really wonder if there really is a lot of public support to toll the East River Bridges.  I'd prefer to see an actual poll or survey results on the matter.

I doubt it.  Most people do not want to pay for something out of pocket that is currently "free."

Support is growing. A poll last spring showed it a little worse than 50-50. The plan then was to lower tolls on the expressway bridges simultaneously so it would be cheaper to enter Staten Island and cross the 3 Bronx-Queens bridges.

[The Ghostbuster]

Could we return to Maryland please? Comments to potentially toll non-tolled New York City Bridges should be in the New York thread of the Northeast Section of the forum, or in Fictional Highways.

[TheOneKEA]

Carroll County is improving the MD 97-MD 32 intersection southeast of Westminster. According to the report, the primary improvement will be a modern signal array and left turn lanes for both directions of MD 32 onto MD 97.

http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/news/local/ph-cc-32-97-intersection-20150818-story.html

[kj3400]

On the topic of the Hanover Street Bridge, I ride across that bridge every day and the issue is the potholes but one can't exactly repave a bridge, because that bridge could use a new bed of concrete. I do hope that it can be renovated, it's such a nice bridge and the only one in the city I can think of with reversible lanes.

[cpzilliacus]

On the topic of the Hanover Street Bridge, I ride across that bridge every day and the issue is the potholes but one can't exactly repave a bridge, because that bridge could use a new bed of concrete. I do hope that it can be renovated, it's such a nice bridge and the only one in the city I can think of with reversible lanes.

If it were my call - do a complete deck replacement, with a total closure of the bridge.

To ease some of the traffic impact on areas south of the bridge like Brooklyn and Brooklyn Park, add movements that were never built at the I-895 Exit 7 (Md. 2 Potee Street or Patapsco Avenue) or at Shell Road to allow northbound traffic to exit and traffic to enter southbound (use ramp tolls, E-ZPass only, to avoid angering the bondholders). Also add ramps from I-895 southbound to Md. 295 northbound, and from Md. 295 southbound to I-895 northbound.

[cpzilliacus]

Washington Post: Md. Democrats announce transportation agenda

The leaders of Maryland's state legislature on Tuesday announced a transportation agenda designed to make suburban jobs more accessible to urban workers who don't own cars and to shed light on future funding decisions for road projects.

The legislative package, which House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller (D-Calvert) unveiled at a news conference, would also require the state to move forward with replacing an aging and frequently congested bridge crossing the Potomac River and create a citizen-oversight board for the Maryland Transit Administration.

One of the proposals, sponsored by Del. Cory V. McCray (D-Baltimore), would expand state tax credits for employers who offer commuter benefits to their workers, doubling the subsidy from $50 a month to $100 a month while reducing carpool eligibility from eight riders to six riders.