Roads and Traffic
Everyone who lives on the Mayo Peninsula has to drive on Central Avenue (Rt. 214) in order to get on and off the peninsula. State and county studies have repeatedly confirmed that Central Avenue gets a failing grade and has some especially troublesome intersections.
Many areas of Central Avenue lack shoulders for pedestrian or bicycle safety and accidents often stop all traffic on the peninsula for hours. Average emergency response times are below the nationally recommended average, even without having to navigate through peak traffic congestion. Changes at Mayo Parks are driving up traffic too.
Problems with Central Avenue are tricky because it is a state-owned road, although the county can help influence the projects that may or may not take place.
Many areas of Central Avenue lack shoulders for pedestrian or bicycle safety and accidents often stop all traffic on the peninsula for hours. Average emergency response times are below the nationally recommended average, even without having to navigate through peak traffic congestion. Changes at Mayo Parks are driving up traffic too.
Problems with Central Avenue are tricky because it is a state-owned road, although the county can help influence the projects that may or may not take place.
Update:
(26 November 2023) In case you had any doubts about whether your voice matters, AACo is providing more than $2M in county funding now to jump start the improvements to Rt 214 from Muddy Creek to Camp Letts Road.
Here is a news story about it from Sunday’s Capital Gazette. Our project is #8 of the many dozens of state roads projects. The Route 2 (Arnold) and Route 3 corridors are also state priorities.
SHA is holding a public hearing on the 30% design of the 214 project on Monday, December 18th, 6:00-7:30p at South River High School. See the plans, speak up, and continue to make sure your voice is heard. Be sure to be loud and clear about the need to bury the utility lines when the work is done; right now, it is an “option” in the plan, but needs more funding which can happen if we are united and speak up.
The project would add a lane, likely outbound, from Loch Haven to where the road expands to three lanes, improve stormwater and drainage, add a bike/ped path on the northside of the road, and a roundabout at the Loch Haven intersection. Construction could begin in 2025-2026.
Later phases would extend to the end of the peninsula.
Here is a news story about it from Sunday’s Capital Gazette. Our project is #8 of the many dozens of state roads projects. The Route 2 (Arnold) and Route 3 corridors are also state priorities.
SHA is holding a public hearing on the 30% design of the 214 project on Monday, December 18th, 6:00-7:30p at South River High School. See the plans, speak up, and continue to make sure your voice is heard. Be sure to be loud and clear about the need to bury the utility lines when the work is done; right now, it is an “option” in the plan, but needs more funding which can happen if we are united and speak up.
The project would add a lane, likely outbound, from Loch Haven to where the road expands to three lanes, improve stormwater and drainage, add a bike/ped path on the northside of the road, and a roundabout at the Loch Haven intersection. Construction could begin in 2025-2026.
Later phases would extend to the end of the peninsula.
Plans to improve the safety and capacity of Rt. 214 -- The MD State Highway Administration held a public meeting on October 20th, 2022 to seek input and ideas in response to their emerging plan to improve the safety and capacity of Rt 214. There were about 115 people there. There was strong support for adding shoulders, bike/pedestrian lanes on one side, one or two lanes from MD 468 to Camp Letts, and for burying the utility lines in the course of the project, although there was some concern about the incremental costs of that, and some opposition to making any changes for fear of inviting more development.
The presenters stressed that their plans are very tentative, that there will be another year of design and public input involved, and explained that there are three phases to this project:
The tentative plan for Phase 1 -- 468 to Camp Letts Road -- Likely to include one or two additional travel lanes from 468 to Camp Letts Road, including a left turn lane for Summit School, a traffic control device (stop light or roundabout) at Loch Haven, shoulders, improved stormwater runoff, and possibly buried utility lines. As for timing, the early survey work is done, the early design work is underway, they will consult with the community again when the plan is 60% done in 2023, rights of way acquisition estimated in 2023-2024, utility relocation estimated 2024-2025, and constructionwould likely occur 2025-2026
The District Engineer for SHA has requested, but can’tguarantee, the state to install a left turn arrow from westbound 214 onto southbound 468, and while we were speaking, she sketched out a shorter left turn lane there in order to have a longer second through lane on westbound 214.
Phase 2 – Camp Letts Drive to Ponder Cove, still planned but pending funding, likely after 2026, would add shoulders and a bike/pedestrian path, improve drainage, realign some sight lines at difficult intersections, possibly include a left turn lane, and hopefully bury the utility lines.
Phase 3 -- Ponder Cove to Beverly, still planned but pending funding, likely after 2028, would add shoulders and a bike/pedestrian path, improve drainage, realign some sight lines at difficult intersections especially at Mayo Elementary, and hopefully bury the utility lines.
This is a concept map of the whole project. Here are theresults of the study of the whole 214 corridor, from Muddy Creek to Beverly, including alarmingly high traffic projections through 2040. This is the Planning and Design document that commissioned the work. There are many more documents and presentations on the county's website.
Look for the 60% design meeting in 2023. We will continue to keep you posted.
The presenters stressed that their plans are very tentative, that there will be another year of design and public input involved, and explained that there are three phases to this project:
The tentative plan for Phase 1 -- 468 to Camp Letts Road -- Likely to include one or two additional travel lanes from 468 to Camp Letts Road, including a left turn lane for Summit School, a traffic control device (stop light or roundabout) at Loch Haven, shoulders, improved stormwater runoff, and possibly buried utility lines. As for timing, the early survey work is done, the early design work is underway, they will consult with the community again when the plan is 60% done in 2023, rights of way acquisition estimated in 2023-2024, utility relocation estimated 2024-2025, and constructionwould likely occur 2025-2026
The District Engineer for SHA has requested, but can’tguarantee, the state to install a left turn arrow from westbound 214 onto southbound 468, and while we were speaking, she sketched out a shorter left turn lane there in order to have a longer second through lane on westbound 214.
Phase 2 – Camp Letts Drive to Ponder Cove, still planned but pending funding, likely after 2026, would add shoulders and a bike/pedestrian path, improve drainage, realign some sight lines at difficult intersections, possibly include a left turn lane, and hopefully bury the utility lines.
Phase 3 -- Ponder Cove to Beverly, still planned but pending funding, likely after 2028, would add shoulders and a bike/pedestrian path, improve drainage, realign some sight lines at difficult intersections especially at Mayo Elementary, and hopefully bury the utility lines.
This is a concept map of the whole project. Here are theresults of the study of the whole 214 corridor, from Muddy Creek to Beverly, including alarmingly high traffic projections through 2040. This is the Planning and Design document that commissioned the work. There are many more documents and presentations on the county's website.
Look for the 60% design meeting in 2023. We will continue to keep you posted.
What to do:
- Watch for development projects that impact traffic and speak up.
- Ask the county to fix its APFOs. APFOs are "adequate public facility ordinances". They are supposed to set thresholds that protect communities from development that deteriorates road safety and school quality. We believe our current APFOs are seriously flawed and especially do not make sense for a peninsula with one road in/one road out. We are working to change this - with better standards for traffic impacts that would slow or stop development in places where the roads are being overwhelmed.
- Track the county's response to state recommendations for Central Avenue and voice your opinions to county staff and officials.
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