Operation Orange Cone Blog

Belair Road Corridor Study

The Belair Road Corridor Study is an assessment of the major transportation issues of a 4 mile stretch of Belair Road, a major gateway street in northeast Baltimore. The data and recommendations presented in the plan will help determine future infrastructure investments. Our goal is to make Belair Road a safer, more accessible and economically vibrant place for northeast Baltimore communities.

We are still accepting community input on the plan. Please send questions and comments to Mark R. Brown  (mark.brown@baltimorecity.gov).

West Baltimore Pedestrian/Bicycle Loop Concept Update

The West Baltimore Pedestrian/Bicycle Loop Project is a proposed .75 mile walking and biking trail in the heart of West Baltimore.  Based on the public comments we’ve received, here are the latest concepts for the project. Some additions the community requested include:

• Outdoor exercise equipment similiar to Lake Montebello
• A small community garden which could later be expanded if demand warrants
• A more gently curved path on Franklin Ave. to maintain the viewshed towards downtown
• Short flowering trees and wayfinding/public art near the entrance to the pedestrian bridge
• Interpretive history of US 40 and its impact on West Baltimore

Federal funding for construction will be requested in 2012. Stay tuned for more updates as this project moves forward. Please click to enlarge images.

New Rideshare Video Blog Updates

The CityCommute Rideshare Program has recently revamped its website and has launched a video blog to talk about commuter transportation here in Baltimore. Today I launched the second episode of my bi-weekly series, live from DOT Planning Division’s offices. I’ll be talking about living near your work – why it’s important, and why it may be a solution to some of our commuting challenges. Head over to my new blog and check it out.

Also, check out this useful tool called Walk Score, which scores your neighborhood for walkability. Pretty useful if you want to live near your work.

Baltimore Truck Study Public Meetings

Keeping commercial vehicles on their designated routes is a major challenge throughout Baltimore City due to the changing economic and neighborhood conditions within the city. While truck traffic is necessary to maintain commercial and industrial activity, it is possible to reduce its impact on communities.

Many truck routes have not been examined for their appropriateness and practicality in several decades. The Baltimore City Department of Transportation has conducted an audit of existing truck routes to analyze and ultimately re-route truck traffic to balance both economic viability and community livability.

A series of public meetings were held in 2010 to present proposed truck routes for each quadrant of the city. Four February 2011 meetings have been scheduled to give residents an opportunity to view the citywide map in its entirety. The same presentation will be given during each of the four February meetings.

Please RSVP to one of the following dates on Facebook. Click-through for details about location.
Tuesday, February 15, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Wednesday, February 16, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Tuesday, February 22, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Thursday. February 24, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Southeast Complete Streets Plan Workshop #2

Thanks to everyone who attended our second Southeast Complete Streets workgroup session on January 10th. As this meeting was dedicated to parking issues, angle parking conversions, the Residential Parking Permit program, and Zipcar were discussed in detail. In summary:

• Zipcar is looking to expand east into Fells Point and beyond. Contact Tiffany James (tiffany.james@baltimorecity.gov) for more information. Studies show each shared vehicle can take 15+ cars off the street. This means a reduction in parking demand and less time spent looking for spaces.
• Residential Parking Permit applications and information can be found here.
• We are selecting candidate streets for angle parking conversions which:
  ~Are already one way
  ~Not on a truck route
  ~Not on an MTA bus route
  ~Wide enough to accomodate angle parking (min 38′)

Based on the comments we’ve received so far, BCDOT be identifying and narrowing down a selection of existing one-way streets for angle parking conversion within the next week. A map of our candidate streets will then be made available to the public for discussion and review by communities throughout southeast Baltimore.

Here are the base maps distributed during the workshop. If you have additional questions about the SE Complete Streets Plan contact Mark R. Brown (mark.brown@baltimorecity.gov) or Tia Waddy (tia.waddy@baltimorecity.gov).