Maryland

[cpzilliacus]

It feels like the southwest end of the beltway has been under construction for like 10 years. Between the approach to I-95, the Frederick Rd bridge, and Wilkens Av., I don't think there's been a period where that parts not had orange signs on some part of it.

That, and one big speed camera zone

The State Highway Administration work zone speed cameras are very well "advertised" in advance of the camera zones, almost as if SHA does not really want the revenue (and they don't - they want traffic to slow in work zones). 

Note that this comment does not apply to the speed camera programs run in certain municipalities (Baltimore City and Morningside come to mind).

[ixnay]

The State Highway Administration work zone speed cameras are very well "advertised" in advance of the camera zones, almost as if SHA does not really want the revenue (and they don't - they want traffic to slow in work zones). 

Note that this comment does not apply to the speed camera programs run in certain municipalities (Baltimore City and Morningside come to mind).

Chestertown (on MD 291 near Chestertown Christian Academy), Centreville (on Kidwell and Little Kidwell Avenues near Kennard Elementary School as well as on MD 304 by Queen Anne's Co. HS), and Snow Hill (on Business U.S. 113 near Snow Hill ES and MS) come to *my* mind.   IIRC such cams for municipalities can only be set up in school zones.

ixnay

[Mergingtraffic]

Anybody know anything ab the photo enforcement in work zones? I was on I-695 in a work zone and in was doing 56 mph in my 2014 honda. There were no cars within 3-4 car lengths and the radar gun/sipped sign said I was going 63. Wtf? Is the radar calibrated at a higher speed? Shall I expect a ticket by mail?

[1995hoo]

You're supposed to get a 12-mph cushion in those.

Just because your speedometer said you were going 56 doesn't necessarily mean your speedometer is accurate, though there's no guarantee the sign is accurate either.

[SteveG1988]

You're supposed to get a 12-mph cushion in those.

Just because your speedometer said you were going 56 doesn't necessarily mean your speedometer is accurate, though there's no guarantee the sign is accurate either.

I forgot where i heard this but i read somewhere that they put the out of calibration equipment in those, like it can interface with older radar guns.

[cpzilliacus]

Anybody know anything ab the photo enforcement in work zones? I was on I-695 in a work zone and in was doing 56 mph in my 2014 honda. There were no cars within 3-4 car lengths and the radar gun/sipped sign said I was going 63. Wtf? Is the radar calibrated at a higher speed? Shall I expect a ticket by mail?

The signs ("YOUR SPEED") use a separate radar device from the ones used for automated enforcement, at least in Maryland on work zones on state-maintained roads, so I would not worry too much about it.

The automated enforcement equipment is always mounted on the front of a larger white SUV (they seem to prefer Jeeps for reasons not clear to me) with clear SHA markings on the sides. 

[cpzilliacus]

Chestertown (on MD 291 near Chestertown Christian Academy), Centreville (on Kidwell and Little Kidwell Avenues near Kennard Elementary School), and Snow Hill (on Business U.S. 113 near Snow Hill ES and MS) come to *my* mind.   IIRC such cams for municipalities can only be set up in school zones.

ixnay

The ones I have seen in Morningside (which has traditionally had a reputation for strict speed limit enforcement by its municipal cops) on Suitland Road do not appear to be near any public school.

[froggie]

The ones I have seen in Morningside (which has traditionally had a reputation for strict speed limit enforcement by its municipal cops) on Suitland Road do not appear to be near any public school.

If Morningside had a reputation for strict speed limit enforcement, then the reality was gone by 2008.  I only saw them occasionally when I was working in Suitland, and I was on Suitland Rd quite a bit as it was the direct route between Suitland and Andrews.

Morningside Elementary isn't directly on Suitland Rd...it's about 1/3 mile off the side, but when the county redid the road a few years ago, they included a pedestrian school crossing at the intersection in front of the Exxon.

[cpzilliacus]

The ones I have seen in Morningside (which has traditionally had a reputation for strict speed limit enforcement by its municipal cops) on Suitland Road do not appear to be near any public school.

If Morningside had a reputation for strict speed limit enforcement, then the reality was gone by 2008.  I only saw them occasionally when I was working in Suitland, and I was on Suitland Rd quite a bit as it was the direct route between Suitland and Andrews.

Saw what appears to be strict speed limit enforcement  by the Morningside cops there as recently as 2013, when I was working on a trip generation study at Joint Base Andrews and drove Suitland Road several times from the base to the Suitland Parkway, always at various times in the morning.

Morningside Elementary isn't directly on Suitland Rd...it's about 1/3 mile off the side, but when the county redid the road a few years ago, they included a pedestrian school crossing at the intersection in front of the Exxon.

In the many years of court-ordered school busing for purposes of desegregation in Prince George's County, most children were transported by bus (only), since they were frequently resident a considerable distance from the school.  That court order is no longer in effect, so presumably some students are now walking to schools.

[1995hoo]

Regardless of one's personal experience with enforcement, there have been a lot of stories in the news the past few years about Morningside running at least one speed camera in violation of the state law allowing automated enforcement. I believe the camera has been removed, and I never had the misfortune of having any reason to go see where it was.

[ixnay]

The ones I have seen in Morningside (which has traditionally had a reputation for strict speed limit enforcement by its municipal cops) on Suitland Road do not appear to be near any public school.

Morningside Elementary isn't directly on Suitland Rd...it's about 1/3 mile off the side, but when the county redid the road a few years ago, they included a pedestrian school crossing at the intersection in front of the Exxon.

Apparently the ES is close enough to generate enough school kid pedestrian traffic across Suitland Rd. to warrant strict speed enforcement. (https://www.google.com/maps/search/skyline+elementary++Morningside,+MD/@38.8279008,-76.8964092,17z)
And apparently enough school kid pedestrian traffic exists on Kidwell Ave. in Centreville to warrant photo enforcement there although *Little* Kidwell is the street that passes Kennard ES. (https://www.google.com/maps/place/Kennard+School/@39.0391519,-76.0660914,17z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x89b8733f9cbf74c9:0x1efa96564e47b90d)

ixnay

[cpzilliacus]

Thanks to the magic of Google:

WTOP Radio (24Nov2013): Drivers' videos show Morningside speed-camera problems

WJLA TV (7) (28May2014): Morningside speed cameras removed from Suitland Road

MORNINGSIDE, Md. (WJLA) - A Prince George's County town has removed a set of controversial speed cameras along a stretch of Suitland Road.

Officials from the the town of Morningside, Md., told WTOP that the cameras were removed last week, marking the end of the town's contract with speed camera vendor Brekford.

The cameras had drawn criticism for multiple reasons. Maryland law requires speed cameras to be placed only in county-designated school zones, but Prince George's County had not designated the stretch of Suitland Road as such. In response to questions from ABC 7 about the lack of a school zone designation for the area with the cameras, town officials said that the county's notice to remove the cameras didn't arrive until the statute of limitations had already passed.

[jeffandnicole]

town officials said that the county's notice to remove the cameras didn't arrive until the statute of limitations had already passed.

Huh?  How does the limitation of something that's not legal in the first place expire?

[cpzilliacus]

town officials said that the county's notice to remove the cameras didn't arrive until the statute of limitations had already passed.

Huh?  How does the limitation of something that's not legal in the first place expire?

I do not know. 

It is not clear what the county had to do with this either, since speed cameras are regulated by state law in Maryland, and if a motorist wants to challenge a ticket issued by one, it is done in the District Court of Maryland (a state court, as we do not have county or municipal courts).

[cpzilliacus]

Baltimore Sun: With more snow on the way, costs pile up

With a snowstorm in the forecast that could be the biggest in March in two decades, local governments are breaking their winter weather response budgets, and some are running low on salt.

A cold front is expected to move in overnight Wednesday, bringing more frigid temperatures and several inches of snow. Depending on how quickly cold air rushes in and how intensely precipitation develops, the region could see a dusting to more than 6 inches of snow.

"It does look like we're going to need the snow shovels on Thursday," said Tom Kines, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather.com. "It's a matter of if it's 3 inches or 10 inches. I think that's the question mark."

With the particularly harsh winter, a number of localities in the Baltimore region have spent more than they planned on plowing snow and salting icy roads, and are dipping into other funds.

[J Route Z]

Baltimore Sun: With more snow on the way, costs pile up

With a snowstorm in the forecast that could be the biggest in March in two decades, local governments are breaking their winter weather response budgets, and some are running low on salt.

A cold front is expected to move in overnight Wednesday, bringing more frigid temperatures and several inches of snow. Depending on how quickly cold air rushes in and how intensely precipitation develops, the region could see a dusting to more than 6 inches of snow.

"It does look like we're going to need the snow shovels on Thursday," said Tom Kines, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather.com. "It's a matter of if it's 3 inches or 10 inches. I think that's the question mark."

With the particularly harsh winter, a number of localities in the Baltimore region have spent more than they planned on plowing snow and salting icy roads, and are dipping into other funds.

Good luck getting out of your houses tomorrow!

[MASTERNC]

Well, 70 MPH got one step closer than it did last year (it just passed both legislative bodies) and is a signature away from being allowed.

MD Speed Limits Could Reach 70 MPH

[cpzilliacus]

Washington Post: Maryland Senate confirms Pete Rahn as transportation secretary

[TheOneKEA]

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2015/03/10/overturned-tanker-shuts-down-1-95-s/

The tractor-trailer flipped over on the southbound carriage way of I-95 between the on-ramp from MD 198 west to I-95 south and the Konterra Drive overpass. I didn't see any sign of traffic diversions via the C-D lanes in the scenes shown on TV.

[cpzilliacus]

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2015/03/10/overturned-tanker-shuts-down-1-95-s/

The tractor-trailer flipped over on the southbound carriage way of I-95 between the on-ramp from MD 198 west to I-95 south and the Konterra Drive overpass. I didn't see any sign of traffic diversions via the C-D lanes in the scenes shown on TV.

There were, once Prince George's County Fire and Rescue and SHA determined that there was no hazard to passing drivers.

[Henry]

Well, 70 MPH got one step closer than it did last year (it just passed both legislative bodies) and is a signature away from being allowed.

MD Speed Limits Could Reach 70 MPH

I'm suspecting that I-68 and I-70 in the far western reaches of the state will be the first sections to be signed with the new speed limit, and I-95 north to Wilmington is also another possibility.

[Mergingtraffic]

Does anybody know why this BGS is blank?  Looks like it would say "I-83 NORTH" with an arrow or something. 

Blank BGS with button copy trim. Anybody know why it's blank? Looking down on it from I-83/Jones Falls Expressway. Baltimore, MD. by mergingtraffic, on Flickr

[froggie]

Would help to know which street it's on...

[Mergingtraffic]

Would help to know which street it's on...

Here it is:
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.292796,-76.608633,3a,75y,287.65h,87.35t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sr6if_OXpijynKVAFgnO77A!2e0

[1995hoo]

I note US-40 is a short distance north of there. Was what eventually became I-170 ever supposed to meet I-83? If so, it would have been in that area, so maybe the sign in question is left over from back then? There are some extremely old signs in various places around Baltimore.


Edited to add: Never mind, I just looked at Scott Kozel's site and he says I-170 was never planned to meet I-83. Makes sense due to some historic structures in that area. So the sign must have been for something else.