Comments on: A Dance with Death: Pedestrian Safety on Route 1 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/404/ Helping imagine a great college town for a great university Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:30:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: David Daddio http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/404/comment-page-1/#comment-22306 David Daddio Wed, 30 May 2007 15:11:30 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/404/#comment-22306 These studies all merge into one and actually I believe someone from Nelso/Nygaard is going to be at the meeting tonight. It would be interesting to talk to Eric Olson about how these studies relate... Anyway last year's EPA Smart Growth study (http://www.epa.gov/livablecommunities/pdf/collegepark.pdf) suggested that the University Boulevard & Route 1 interchange turn into a diamond interchange with traffic lights. I think a lot of points Eric makes will come up tonight, just as some of them did at the meeting that concluded the EPA study. Unfortunately, that particular interchange was recently extensively landscaped and such dramatic investment doesn't seem to be actually in the works. Her is an excerpt (from the EPA study): "The intersections of US Route 1 at the Beltway and MD Route 193 are designed to accommodate vehicles only, with high-speed, free-right-turn lanes, highway-style design, and little or no accommodation for bicyclists or pedestrians. The Greenbelt Road and Paint Branch Road intersections provide for pedestrian crossings at most legs, but are still primarily oriented toward moving cars, with moderate-speed right turn lanes. Stakeholders expressed concern about safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, and the vision is for safe access to campus and corridor businesses by walking and bicycling. To help fulfill this goal, these intersections would need to be designed as urban intersections, with safe and comfortable accommodations for bicyclists and pedestrians. Redesigning the intersection of MD Route 193 offers great potential, since considerable developable area could be freed by converting the high-speed on- and off-ramps into a more urban diamond interchange. Allowing for a direct connection from northbound Route 1 to eastbound Route 193 would also provide development opportunities along 48th Avenue, and make for a smaller intersection at Greenbelt Road and US Route 1. While this intersection has high potential, it should only be a priority if redesign coincides with reconstruction for other reasons." These studies all merge into one and actually I believe someone from Nelso/Nygaard is going to be at the meeting tonight. It would be interesting to talk to Eric Olson about how these studies relate… Anyway last year’s EPA Smart Growth study (http://www.epa.gov/livablecommunities/pdf/collegepark.pdf)
suggested that the University Boulevard & Route 1 interchange turn into a diamond interchange with traffic lights. I think a lot of points Eric makes will come up tonight, just as some of them did at the meeting that concluded the EPA study.

Unfortunately, that particular interchange was recently extensively landscaped and such dramatic investment doesn’t seem to be actually in the works. Her is an excerpt (from the EPA study):

“The intersections of US Route 1 at the Beltway and MD Route 193 are designed to accommodate vehicles only, with high-speed, free-right-turn lanes, highway-style design, and little or no accommodation for bicyclists or pedestrians. The Greenbelt Road and Paint Branch Road intersections provide for pedestrian crossings at most legs, but are still primarily oriented toward moving cars, with moderate-speed right turn lanes. Stakeholders expressed concern about safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, and the vision is for safe access to campus and corridor businesses by walking and bicycling. To help fulfill this goal, these intersections would need to be designed as urban intersections, with safe and comfortable accommodations for bicyclists and pedestrians.
Redesigning the intersection of MD Route 193 offers great potential, since considerable developable area could be freed by converting the high-speed on- and off-ramps into a more urban diamond interchange. Allowing for a direct connection from northbound Route 1 to eastbound Route 193 would also provide development opportunities along 48th Avenue, and make for a smaller intersection at Greenbelt Road and US Route 1. While this intersection has high potential, it should only be a priority if redesign coincides with reconstruction for other reasons.”

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]]> By: PGCist http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/404/comment-page-1/#comment-22295 PGCist Wed, 30 May 2007 12:33:00 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/404/#comment-22295 I'm in 100% agreement w/ this. What are the alternatives? Tunnel? Bridge? I’m in 100% agreement w/ this. What are the alternatives? Tunnel? Bridge?

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