A recent article in The Diamondback commended the rise of mixed-use development on our university’s main street, as it should. After years of housing shortages and blight, College Park is finally being rejuvenated. But in current discussions of College Park’s redevelopment, there is a huge elephant in the room: Route 1 itself.

Dangerous and traffic-clogged, our principal road hardly functions as a hub of campus life. A typical main street is lined with independent businesses for meeting friends, street furniture for sitting and chatting and wide sidewalks for leisurely strolls. Route 1, however, is a different story. As evidenced by the constant rotation of restaurants in Terrapin Station, this street has managed to extinguish business in our downtown corridor. Lacking infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, this unsafe road seems set on exterminating our human population, as well.

Two major factors contribute to an establishment’s success. The first is population density, a store’s customer base. The second is foot traffic, the stream of pedestrians from which stores can fish out these customers. Clearly, College Park has the population density to support a bevy of businesses, yet we are lacking the foot traffic. Why? Because traversing Route 1 on foot is a death-defying feat. Anyone who has tried to cross Route 1 at Hartwick Road knows I’m not being hyperbolic.

Sadly, the ills of Route 1 are not unique to College Park. In Hyattsville, where Route 1 also serves as the default main street, the city has been trying to bring life back to a strip that was, until recently, dominated by vacant lots and used car dealerships. While the development project is anchored by a Busboys and Poets and features intriguing locally owned businesses, the speed and noise of Route 1′s traffic prevents Arts District Hyattsville from becoming a comfortable environment for spending an afternoon.

Particularly telling is a bench located outside of Busboys. Instead of facing outward toward the expansive view of the surrounding neighborhoods, as benches typically do, it faces inward toward an unsightly brick wall. Hyattsville’s developers are trying to build public space that fosters a thriving community and economy, yet these four lanes of traffic make that impossible to do.

Route 1 is in desperate need of traffic taming — steps that would retain the street’s automobile capacity, yet make the road more comfortable for pedestrians. By narrowing lanes of traffic as currently planned, we could finally widen sidewalks, install bike lanes/cycle tracks and add street furniture and greenery. These measures would attract College Park residents from their homes to the street, helping to repopulate our downtown corridor and ensure the success of our new businesses.

Roads are the building blocks of our communities, and it is simply impossible to build community around six lanes of traffic. We cannot continue to herald new businesses when they come to town, yet neglect to create an environment where they can thrive. The establishments in the new mixed-use high rises require a Route 1 that accommodates both cars and people.

There is nothing “new” about Route 1. It remains a main street by default, not by definition.

At the October 4th City Council worksession (video above), councilmembers, city planning staff, and R & J Company, LLC were at loggerheads over the developer’s proposed 6-story building on the site of the Maryland Book Exchange downtown. Lying just below the surface are community concerns over the fact that the mid-rise building would contain 830 undergraduate beds and approximately 170 beds marketed to graduate students and young professionals across the 341 units. The City’s agenda tonight incudes a motion recommending that the County Planning Board reject the detailed site plan for the project.

Keep in mind that the city (both council and staff) fill an advisory role. The County Planning Board and Council have the final say. Eric Olson on the County Council could definitely delay the project, but ultimately this does not come down to a popular vote no matter how much elected officials at both the city and county level would like it to. The developer is mostly within the intent and bounds of the zoning for the property and could seek relief in the court system. Their hard line approach seems to indicate and intent to do just that. As usual, the press coverage and political pronouncements overlook the legal and regulatory framework underlying the development review process.

The Prince George’s County Planning Board will  hear the case on Thursday, November 3rd in Upper Marlboro. It will be very interesting to watch how the Book Exchange project progresses through the process seeing as this is the first project to be proposed since the adoption of the updated Route 1 Sector Plan in summer 2010. Some of the disagreement stems out of the lack of precedent for these new regulations.

There is definitely a gap between what the Sector Plan says and what the City’s staff wants it to say. Most (but not all) of the items listed in the city’s staff report are of questionable relevance. The developer’s argument that the building doesn’t need to be “stepped-back” from the Old Town neighborhood is pretty specious.

Last night, I crossed Route 1 at Hartwick Road. Once again, I risked my life just to cross a street.

We all know that Route 1 is an unpleasant experience for drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians. But the line between unpleasant and unacceptable is crossed at this intersection. The intersection lies along College Park’s main retail corridor and is within a quarter mile of UMD’s campus, an area where there is obviously a high level of pedestrian activity.

However, the State Highway Administration and elected officials have continued to disregard pedestrian safety to focus on autocentric policies and projects. What will it take for the city and state to wake up and realize this is a death trap? Do we have to wait until a resident or student is critically injured or killed?

A lack of lighting, no pedestrian signals, no pedestrian islands, and speeding traffic combine to make this intersection extremely unsafe.

The Hartwick Road/Route 1 intersection lies within a stone’s throw of College Park’s main office complex, a CVS, a strip of shops and restaurants, a bank, and a hotel. It provides one of the most direct links between the Metro Station, the aforementioned amenities, and the university. In theory, this intersection should be the epicenter of pedestrian street life in our college town.

Unfortunately, the current design of this intersection completely disregards pedestrian safety in favor of allowing cars to plow through the middle of town at at least 40 miles per hour. There are no traffic islands to allow pedestrians to cross half way at a time and no signals or flashing lights to indicate to motorists that a pedestrian is attempting to cross this street. At night, the intersection is exceptionally dark and a steady flow of left-turning vehicles prohibit drivers from making eye contact with pedestrians.

When will this insanity end!?

A recent email exchange with city engineer, Steve Halpern, led me to believe that it will be later, rather than sooner. In his response, he stated that the State Highway Administration is in the design phase for the “construction of pedestrian ramps and the reconstruction of existing crosswalks.” While this is a start, it hardly scratches the surface in addressing the urgent and dire need to create a safe environment for pedestrians and bicyclists along Route 1. Unfortunately, Mr. Halpern’s email also stated that “pedestrian signal improvements will not be a part of this contract.” This means we are unlikely to see any type of traffic light at Hartwick Road any time soon. I fail to understand how this is not a priority.

While we wait for the long-anticipated pedestrian-safety improvements to Route 1, I continue to wonder what it will take for our local and state officials to wake up, recognize one of the greatest threats to our safety in College Park, and take action before it’s too late.

All of us RTCP readers and contributors want to see College Park’s business environment to thrive and support a variety of unique local restaurants and retail spaces.

For those interested in supporting the idea of shopping locally, the website www.shopcollegepark.org is a great resource. A Facebook and Twitter version of Shop College Park launched that will be updeated frequently with the latest deals and events taking place at College Park establishments.  Sign up to “like” Shop College Park on Facebook and “follow” Shop College Park on Twitter at stay informed!

• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shop-College-Park/107355772670437
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/ShopCollegePark

Few people will deny that Route 1 is well overdue for major improvements. Motorists are fed up with traffic, bicyclists despise its lack of bike lanes and high speed traffic, and pedestrians loath the poor condition of sidewalks. Traffic speeds, up to seven travel lanes (none safe for bicyclists), and long light cycles make this road equally as miserable to cross. Most everyone will also agree that vast stretches of Route 1 are not aesthetically pleasing and that restaurant and retail options are lacking. The Route 1 Sector Plan was established to address many of these issues, but it appears funding will continue to be a major hurdle to implementing that plan.

This is the first installment of what I hope to be a series on analyzing specific intersections along the Route 1 corridor. This series will focus on bicycle and pedestrian safety, and to a lesser degree, aesthetics and economic development. The goal is to analyze current conditions and facilitate conversation on ways to improve each intersection. It is my hope that increased public conversation on this topic will highlight the necessity for long overdue improvements and make Route 1 a funding priority.

The intersection at Route 1 and College Avenue is one of the most critical in College Park and deserves immediate attention. It links the southeast entrance to the University, the city’s retail corridor, and the Old Town neighborhood. Because of this, one could assume it handles the highest level of pedestrian crossings of any in College Park.

This intersection has obvious flaws that render it unsafe for bicyclists and pedestrians. Extremely long light cycles allow auto traffic to travel unabated at high speeds and encourage pedestrians and bicyclists crossing Route 1 to take dangerous risks. Pedestrians are forced to wait up to two minutes for a walk signal that gives people a mere 5 seconds to cross the street! In my experience, pressing the button to activate the pedestrian signal has no effect on decreasing the amount of time I have to wait before receiving the walk signal.

Crosswalks and stop lines, especially those parallel to Route 1, are badly faded. This leads vehicles to ignore them and pull into crosswalks, thus forcing pedestrians to maneuver around them. Narrow pedestrian islands in the middle of the road offer inadequate safety for pedestrians crossing halfway. Additionally, the island on the north side of the intersection offers no curb cuts, making crossings for the visually impaired or those in wheelchairs extremely hazardous.

For bicyclists who ride in the street on College Avenue, there are no arrows to give an indication of which lane is meant to proceed straight across Route 1. This leads to confusion and unanticipated movements by both bicyclists and motorists. Riding along Route 1 is an extremely risky endeavor leading most riders to blaze a path along the sidewalk, creating additional hazards for all.

What needs to be done?

Reduce the speed of traffic. The retail corridor will greatly benefit from slower speeds that provide safer and more enjoyable conditions for pedestrians and bicyclists. How can this be accomplished? First, a strictly enforced speed limit of 25 MPH should be instituted. A vehicle traveling at 40 MPH has an 85% chance of killing a pedestrian; at 30 MPH the probability drops to 45%; at 20 MPH, it drops to just 5%. However, a speed limit will not serve to slow traffic on its own. Specific engineering solutions and design features must be used to slow traffic. To start, shorten the green-light cycle for cars traveling along Route 1. Shorter, more frequent light cycles will prevent long periods of Route 1 traffic from flowing unabated for long periods of time, decreasing speeds, and discouraging pedestrians from crossing against the light.

Make improvements to better accommodate pedestrians. First, a wider, tree-lined median (with handicap accommodation) of at least six feet and narrowed traffic lanes will serve to naturally slow traffic. Meanwhile, it will provide a larger, safer respite that will allow pedestrians to cross the street in two separate movements and focus on one flow of traffic at a time. Second, countdown pedestrian signals would allow pedestrians to know exactly how long they have to wait to cross the street. Third, buttons at all four corners that work to lessen the time one must wait for the pedestrian signal will encourage pedestrians to cross in a safe manner. Finally, a tighter curb radii associated with curb extensions (bump-outs) will prevent right-turning vehicles from impeding into crosswalks and shorten the crossing distance for pedestrians.

Remove the parking lot in front of Bagel Place and build a public plaza. The parking lot in front of Bagel Place leads to awkward traffic flow and broken pathways for pedestrians. With the new underutilized parking garage just one block away on Knox Road, this is a perfect opportunity to reallocate this space for pedestrians and create an attractive plaza and gathering place for students, permanent residents, and visitors.

All images courtesy of Mark Noll.