The new process will take new factors into consideration when evaluating roads for traffic calming and speed reduction efforts
ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today released a new neighborhood traffic calming policy aimed at reducing speeding and promoting transportation safety on county roads. This new traffic calming policy was developed by Howard County’s Department of Public Works (DPW) and Office of Transportation, in cooperation with Howard County’s Police Department, Department of Fire and Rescue Services, and the Howard County Public School System. Under the updated policy, DPW will use various traffic calming measures to reduce the excessive vehicular speeds and improve safety and comfort for all roadway users. The updated traffic calming policy and traffic calming application can be found here.
“Neighborhood traffic calming is an important part of our efforts to ensure greater safety and accessibility on residential roadways across our community,” said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball. “Through this updated policy, Howard County is taking another major step forward to promote greater safety, slower speeds, and a truly multimodal vision in our neighborhoods. This builds upon our historic investments in Complete Streets infrastructure to make our streets accessible to all.”
Traffic calming measures can include speed humps, raised intersections, roundabouts, signing, rumble strips, roadway striping, and other tools designed to prevent speeding on county roads. Under the updated traffic calming policy, residents and neighborhood organizations may submit an application for an initial evaluation of traffic. Factors such as traffic volume, speed, crash history, street characteristics, and proximity to community destinations will be used to score a roadway’s eligibility for traffic calming.
“Howard County’s traffic calming policy is a product of continued engagement with the community and our commitment to roadway safety. Our subject matter experts will continue to listen to residents’ concerns and apply the policy to bring about the desired results,” said Yosef Kebede, Director, Howard County Department of Public Works.
Locations must meet a minimum score to qualify for traffic calming measures. Qualifying applications will be analyzed by DPW for different traffic calming solutions. During this process, DPW will engage with community members through public meetings to discuss proposals and garner community support for transportation improvements. Traffic calming applications will be prioritized based on their score and the availability of funding in the County’s Capital Budget.
“The county’s traffic calming policy underscores Howard County’s commitment to addressing the needs and safety of all residents. It aligns with our Complete Streets policy, highlighting the importance of an open and transparent process. This approach ensures that the needs of historically underserved communities are prioritized, using equity emphasis area data to guide decision-making,” said Clarence Dickerson, Administrator, Howard County Office of Transportation.
In his approved FY25 Budget, Ball included an additional $500,000 to implement the new traffic calming policy. Utilizing this funding, DPW will begin accepting and evaluating requests for neighborhood traffic calming throughout the fiscal year.
The new neighborhood traffic calming policy and application can be found here. Questions about the new policy can be directed to traffic@howardcountymd.gov.
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