The partnership with Smart Growth America and the State Highway Administration will help implement infrastructure improvements and create a safer US 1 corridor
ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball announced this week that the County’s Office of Transportation and Department of Public Works have partnered with Smart Growth America (SGA) and the Maryland Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) State Highway Administration (SHA) to implement an innovative “quick-build” demonstration project on US 1 in North Laurel to improve roadway safety.
“Enhancing safety and multimodal transportation options throughout Howard County, and especially along our US 1 Corridor, is one of our highest transportation priorities for our community,” said Ball. “Through this exciting partnership with SGA and SHA, we are taking the necessary steps to implement innovative practices and changes that make our roadways safer for all who work, live and travel along it. This builds on our recognition from Smart Growth America as having the best Complete Streets policy in the nation, reflecting our commitment to safer and more accessible streets for all.”
Made possible through SGA’s Complete Streets Leadership Academies program, Howard County is one of three locations in the Maryland cohort selected to implement a quick-build demonstration project. The innovative project will pilot and test new ideas and street designs along US 1 southbound from just north of Davis Avenue to North Laurel Road, better supporting walking, biking, and other multimodal road users. The project will repurpose and transform the outer travel lane into a protected area for cyclists and pedestrians. Currently no such facilities exist along this stretch of US 1 for vulnerable road users to safely traverse the roadway.
MDOT SHA will be responsible for constructing and implementing this quick-build project on US 1. Construction is expected to be completed in mid-August 2024, and this demonstration project will be in place for approximately three months. Throughout the project duration, variable message boards will be posted along the US 1 corridor to alert motorists of the work, and updates will be posted on the Office of Transportation’s social media pages (Facebook and X) and the project website, where the public will be able to provide feedback on the project. Additionally, the County will be conducting targeted outreach to local area businesses both before and after the work to gather input. Upon completion, evaluation of and data collected from the demonstration project will help inform other safety improvements throughout the county.
“We are proud to be working with Smart Growth America, along with the Department of Public Works and the State Highway Administration to advance the Complete Streets Leadership Academies demonstration project in North Laurel,” said stated Clarence Dickerson, Administrator, Office of Transportation. “This partnership is a demonstration of our joint commitment to meeting our Complete Streets goal of creating a safe, comprehensive, integrated and connected transportation system where people of all backgrounds can live and travel freely, safely and comfortably.”
“We are excited to partner with Smart Growth America, the Office of Transportation and the State Highway Administration,” said Yosef Kebede, Director, Department of Public Works. “This collaboration represents a significant step forward in our commitment to innovatively create sustainable, livable communities. This project will also address one of the most dangerous stretches of road in Howard County, ensuring safe travel for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.”
The US 1 Corridor is one of the most dangerous sections of roadway in Howard County and part of the county’s “High Injury Network,” comprised of stretches of roadways where the highest concentrations of injury or fatal crashes occur. Since 2018, more than 22 fatalities have occurred and more than 900 injuries have resulted from motor vehicle accidents along Howard County’s US 1 Corridor. During this same time period, this section of roadway made up nearly 20 percent of all fatal crashes throughout the county.
For more information about the US 1 Corridor or project, visit the Office of Transportation’s “Transportation on the US 1 Corridor” website or its “Complete Streets Leadership Academies – US 1 Quick-Build Demonstration Project” website.
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