tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7973563408164405472024-03-13T16:36:06.396-04:00WALK LAURELLaurel's Source for Pending Pedestrian & Bike Infrastructure Improvements. Updated weekly.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797356340816440547.post-26726125365655878252013-08-30T12:27:00.000-04:002013-09-01T00:28:40.035-04:00Should Main Street be a 20 MPH street?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Main Street is Laurel's original commercial corridor and currently the only stretch of retail/office that was designed for walk-up traffic. It has wide sidewalks (up to 10' including the tree boxes). It is a designated bike route in the City. The buildings are not set back from the property lines and there are no parking lots in between the road and the building entrances. In short, it was designed for the <strong>people</strong> that live on and adjacent to Main street - like a traditional city. It, however, has a speed limit of 25 mph, which is often the default lowest speed limit assigned to roads. Residents have often stated that drivers were going too fast on Main Street. Data shows that the average speed is about 22 MPH with 70% of the traffic traveling below the speed limit. However, a better question may be: <em> Is 25 mph the correct speed limit for Main Street?</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A trend that has been developing in Europe and is just
beginning here in the US, is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">20 mph
streets</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Typically, 25 MPH is the
default minimum – often reserved for residential roads, but based largely on the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_speed" target="_blank">design speed</a></i> that the roadway was
designed for. Somerset, MD, a small lovely residential hamlet in Montgomery
County, has made a <u>policy decision</u> to reduce the speed limit for the entire
town to 20 MPH.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYbZB9XESSXAiwKo3YNn-Ol2Hgr4xqfiq1R8TYfuYFphhDd0XMi-o6i2JEKsXB0BZVWVkX1gxcA6TQ_uPOpub50Nluuf1vCBDvKBj7qfjEU4x2sqGFYojCbMbyL5fBgGCORLd6yk_xLJpQ/s1600/20MPH.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYbZB9XESSXAiwKo3YNn-Ol2Hgr4xqfiq1R8TYfuYFphhDd0XMi-o6i2JEKsXB0BZVWVkX1gxcA6TQ_uPOpub50Nluuf1vCBDvKBj7qfjEU4x2sqGFYojCbMbyL5fBgGCORLd6yk_xLJpQ/s200/20MPH.bmp" width="151" /></span></a></div>
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This decision was not an <em>engineering</em> one (which typically deals with only the safety of drivers that are already pretty safe wrapped up in a 3000 lb steel box). Rather, it was a decision based on <em>planning</em> for slower roads and roads that are safer for all users (children, joggers, cyclists, etc.). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of the the positives and negatives of a slower Main Street are:</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Positives:</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Slower speeds making walking more comfortable
for pedestrians.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Slower speeds are better for bikers (speed
differential between cars and bike is a main factor in bicycling level of
comfort and broadening its appeal to more users.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>A pedestrian getting hit at 25 mph has 4-fold
higher likelihood of dyeing than at 20 mph.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Slower drivers are more apt to see the types of
businesses that line Main Street.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>There is simply no engineering reason to
allow/encourage 25mph speeds on Main Street, but there are certainly economic
and safety reasons for lowering the speed limit.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Negatives:</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A driver will need an extra 23 seconds to travel
the main retail stretch from MD 216 to US 1.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That’s it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> On the surface, r</span>elying on planning and policy, rather than what a
roadway <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">could</i> handle, sure seems to be a better way
for towns to assign speed limits.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797356340816440547.post-54166074118120058872013-08-03T21:30:00.002-04:002013-08-03T21:31:24.068-04:00Links edition<br />
<ul>
<li>Bikes are great for <a href="http://dc.streetsblog.org/2012/03/23/why-bicyclists-are-better-customers-than-drivers-for-local-business/" target="_blank">business</a>.</li>
<li>Even drivers want <a href="http://dc.streetsblog.org/2013/06/13/in-california-cities-drivers-want-more-bike-lanes-heres-why/" target="_blank">separate bike lanes</a>.</li>
<li>124 bike racks last year! Nicely done, <a href="http://www.gazette.net/article/20130510/NEWS/130519800/gears-in-motion-for-bikes-lanes-in-hyattsville&template=gazette" target="_blank">Hyattsville</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.gazette.net/article/20130719/NEWS/130718869/1124/takoma-park-gets-23m-for-bike-lanes-and-sidewalks&template=gazette" target="_blank">Takoma Park gets $2.3M for bike lanes and sidewalks</a>. The money quote is here: <i>“To find out that not only were we the only ones to be awarded in Maryland, we were the only ones who submitted — It’s huge.”</i></li>
<li>Walkability is good for <a href="http://www.theatlanticcities.com/neighborhoods/2012/04/data-driven-case-walkability/1757/" target="_blank">town coffers</a>.</li>
<li>My single favorite planning/transportation/land-use topic: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Olin-Placemaking-Laurie/dp/158093210X" target="_blank">Placemaking</a>. I highly recommend the book, if only for its coffee table value. Every time I pick it up, I think about Gude Park's potential.</li>
</ul>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797356340816440547.post-52042083970452565262013-07-30T09:44:00.001-04:002013-07-30T10:35:16.938-04:00Tour de LaurelFinally got around to biking the entire City (existing and planned routes) all at one shot. Sunday morning was perfect for it. Pictures of the lovely mill town are below, but first some observations:<br />
<ul>
<li>Riverfront Park is such a jewel for the City - it can't be lengthened fast enough.</li>
<li>Main Street - despite being 150 years old and the only walkable and bikeable commercial corridor in the City (and a city-designated bike route) - has not one single bike rack. Unexcusable.</li>
<li>The City streets are very easy to bike in with traffic. The designated routes are slow and drivers allow you to take the lane. </li>
<li>The access path from Cherry Lane to Gude Park is awesome and easier to get up and down than it looks. It still looks good after a few years - the crew that built it must know a thing or two :)</li>
<li>Biking on Route 1 is terrifying. But the sidewalks are too narrow and have people walking on them. It's a shame the stores don't address the street, but instead plop a giant ugly parking lot between the entrance and the City's walkers and bikers. The zoning code needs to be changed to mandate rear parking and no front yard setbacks.</li>
<li>The Laurel Place and Mulberry Street bike lanes will really tie the north-south network together nicely.</li>
<li>There are stretches of the Gude Lake path that could use a bit of smoothing and widening - particularly on the north side.</li>
<li>The City shold adopt the <a href="http://www.thewashcycle.com/2011/02/compounded-public-cobenefits-of-the-idaho-law.html" target="_blank">Idaho Stop</a>. There is simply not enough vehicle traffic in the City (and too many stop signs) for it not to be adopted.</li>
<li>Please remove the unwarranted stop sign at 4th and Marshall - what a buzz kill for cyclists heading to Main Street (and cars, I'm sure).</li>
<li>Bowie Road between the tracks and Route 1: U.G.L.Y. Gravel shoulders and zero sidewalks. That should be priority number 1 on the CIP. The ROW can hold two 10' lanes and buffered bike lanes on each side, plus sidewalk and trees.</li>
<li>The wayfinding signage around town is nice and it should be added with any new lanes that get built.</li>
<li>The signal at 4th and Cherry needs a couple of extra seconds added to the southbound minimum green setting. Not quite enough time for a cyclists to completely cross prior to the main line getting a green. This could be quite the liability for the City and should be address ASAP.</li>
<li>All in all, a very enjoyable and quick ride.</li>
</ul>
The photos:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhifRtBAscS26knWuOIVBPf4ipv1lQQ_KwpMzufpPhdez7-dKX9k2hBRhh2lFOPbGUjnQaHrULOvYuPrACZF5f7oNyKm5sSJUFe4kqKiUDovhhhrZJqVzg0WH8ycz0R7DtQwvT6qjTGdJw5/s1600/IMG_1414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhifRtBAscS26knWuOIVBPf4ipv1lQQ_KwpMzufpPhdez7-dKX9k2hBRhh2lFOPbGUjnQaHrULOvYuPrACZF5f7oNyKm5sSJUFe4kqKiUDovhhhrZJqVzg0WH8ycz0R7DtQwvT6qjTGdJw5/s320/IMG_1414.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The original Laurel Dam</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip3FLFccLonUvNxY5HYbBPzkml9JzvcVYBXhDY4c-xX0cFGngGI2r3Jqe8XhYfHLQv4y1nZ0L7myV5vCsoukVMvCvqyjPwPdvHvBtuxx-FWB2AZ82RS_zepTxQKzw89tnZIL3IdCupEOu3/s1600/IMG_1420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip3FLFccLonUvNxY5HYbBPzkml9JzvcVYBXhDY4c-xX0cFGngGI2r3Jqe8XhYfHLQv4y1nZ0L7myV5vCsoukVMvCvqyjPwPdvHvBtuxx-FWB2AZ82RS_zepTxQKzw89tnZIL3IdCupEOu3/s320/IMG_1420.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The mighty Patuxent</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBuAbo5X1CD3WVGD5iA02lFXOOtCFzIW93yTUSHFqeQy6gTspZmV8oh44n6pU2tPmZgsfBoJaipjcvtVerPFxDAv7JXMRQA1H_JWDEwuOEgOZPDXRa4fXPGU9GufgXzXmKPahNczjTLuGh/s1600/IMG_1422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBuAbo5X1CD3WVGD5iA02lFXOOtCFzIW93yTUSHFqeQy6gTspZmV8oh44n6pU2tPmZgsfBoJaipjcvtVerPFxDAv7JXMRQA1H_JWDEwuOEgOZPDXRa4fXPGU9GufgXzXmKPahNczjTLuGh/s320/IMG_1422.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Winding riverfront path</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNlv4bgqvmz00akPMqLM1c-IUQrdbOEyXMwbh44A2WvhIfVSjUs_nx2HEeJgcUPTMySwY7RViUMYdoKdijLyZBNHEFIXvfXdCDFX1NNQAJGOCqJfCcqkwoTfSO7PSN2Gr-mOwwiffMP9yB/s1600/IMG_1423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNlv4bgqvmz00akPMqLM1c-IUQrdbOEyXMwbh44A2WvhIfVSjUs_nx2HEeJgcUPTMySwY7RViUMYdoKdijLyZBNHEFIXvfXdCDFX1NNQAJGOCqJfCcqkwoTfSO7PSN2Gr-mOwwiffMP9yB/s320/IMG_1423.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Laurel Marc Station.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisb5ukpImz3E-vQsNlD9mnFGBMBpc5sXwyOz1O2TLLSPwKSvD__g-gCCHOzkG-OpteltR1jfVu9KcwtX5WqRUqpJc8TvScm-OcMHhsWMB75Rw6Ys-IXHNYIwInTRI3jicjRNODii21juCw/s1600/IMG_1429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisb5ukpImz3E-vQsNlD9mnFGBMBpc5sXwyOz1O2TLLSPwKSvD__g-gCCHOzkG-OpteltR1jfVu9KcwtX5WqRUqpJc8TvScm-OcMHhsWMB75Rw6Ys-IXHNYIwInTRI3jicjRNODii21juCw/s320/IMG_1429.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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New sharrows on Lafayette</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrwK6wFLXpp0xlUkFV8GzVCkzkiBrHHebX00pHtoQgJW_YYuI7Rv1tUB0rnbmU9EC4iNvmfBNyS8HNZNlbwvHSkOZ4P_7rSeUUu4lbBlcj4iX8EUFsWM76dO1G8g23wopfZSF5ccMJW080/s1600/IMG_1432.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrwK6wFLXpp0xlUkFV8GzVCkzkiBrHHebX00pHtoQgJW_YYuI7Rv1tUB0rnbmU9EC4iNvmfBNyS8HNZNlbwvHSkOZ4P_7rSeUUu4lbBlcj4iX8EUFsWM76dO1G8g23wopfZSF5ccMJW080/s320/IMG_1432.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ye olde Laurel Mall</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKapNnmDiraVNy9yc2xymw_oq6t175ktc2NT-okaGvyMtBq5Yc0-yeJbm0AQSuvZuL1q8KjZWk7AhEfVKWdBEcrNfiDog-x_KzWDN3i9zmx0utmL0jlVrgMW9NgfjoY30yPVXHyQ_tZzDx/s1600/IMG_1433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKapNnmDiraVNy9yc2xymw_oq6t175ktc2NT-okaGvyMtBq5Yc0-yeJbm0AQSuvZuL1q8KjZWk7AhEfVKWdBEcrNfiDog-x_KzWDN3i9zmx0utmL0jlVrgMW9NgfjoY30yPVXHyQ_tZzDx/s320/IMG_1433.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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4th Street looking almost chic. How about some knock-out roses to liven up the median?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP3HGrwMlVF3ey98RMoUKBykcrphYlyvseGmpltFkVjsPkKwOKXTuDL_mjpn34Wk1WgYbg6683y00duaEsxnw2Ga5wvtNhR7aNIlSVS-HHUlnmEZSQcGyJtCUBXYHw-Zg6uhbZJCRoJnDR/s1600/IMG_1436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP3HGrwMlVF3ey98RMoUKBykcrphYlyvseGmpltFkVjsPkKwOKXTuDL_mjpn34Wk1WgYbg6683y00duaEsxnw2Ga5wvtNhR7aNIlSVS-HHUlnmEZSQcGyJtCUBXYHw-Zg6uhbZJCRoJnDR/s320/IMG_1436.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Cherry Lane ped/bike access ramp</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiniIcPtZ4IYL_2UjayHS2y5H25VMHTzlPvPgOHI3RiTNd5Yg9WbpV70Sei1reyjcJxk_E6WIPBlCvdUt3k1hndWzXnD_l0JcRjN0dvfQy5k4a_RrPdYUrm2HLyM45T-neywZLSY0_q8U1U/s1600/IMG_1442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiniIcPtZ4IYL_2UjayHS2y5H25VMHTzlPvPgOHI3RiTNd5Yg9WbpV70Sei1reyjcJxk_E6WIPBlCvdUt3k1hndWzXnD_l0JcRjN0dvfQy5k4a_RrPdYUrm2HLyM45T-neywZLSY0_q8U1U/s320/IMG_1442.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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Gude Park trail and banners</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitt82UWHMxUQpG-458WNv14I5908hj8Ac_knaQNWI-3NKtt4NaGYEbSGt-KQYCLlaeB08XAOEqUbQHVVRMrHFQ8ctav7mZmH9Pvlc_cHTh1XqwiLqK9eLn2G1Dk7g61AdnmzqQSAqK9erL/s1600/IMG_1451.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitt82UWHMxUQpG-458WNv14I5908hj8Ac_knaQNWI-3NKtt4NaGYEbSGt-KQYCLlaeB08XAOEqUbQHVVRMrHFQ8ctav7mZmH9Pvlc_cHTh1XqwiLqK9eLn2G1Dk7g61AdnmzqQSAqK9erL/s320/IMG_1451.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Left side bike lane</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglY6GwHrETUd28LX5AJ6dlySoPa4mo-ZquVCsF8Ljcyu-j2Ns0Y0NM7O08b5uyR7hWiwVAYSVjhhD3yRxIDJ9YNimmpwqIfnRCuYgP82bDM2Sd5Vl_3Ynz8K3T6eYYkf0L9wOr-ER7bamb/s1600/IMG_1457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglY6GwHrETUd28LX5AJ6dlySoPa4mo-ZquVCsF8Ljcyu-j2Ns0Y0NM7O08b5uyR7hWiwVAYSVjhhD3yRxIDJ9YNimmpwqIfnRCuYgP82bDM2Sd5Vl_3Ynz8K3T6eYYkf0L9wOr-ER7bamb/s320/IMG_1457.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Laurel Community Garden</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpAEEI-Jw9TTiAko9LwIHdFUn-qppvfyzMiT6oYwGjoSXJKrQPAQlaveW73DuscP5g-qPtrdl2YRfWgzKjXi7Rz1QwUkkXAFbdwiwa0NXeicX-NNWFls_ZervT_k072N5RPUuH8-MtiOYn/s1600/IMG_1454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpAEEI-Jw9TTiAko9LwIHdFUn-qppvfyzMiT6oYwGjoSXJKrQPAQlaveW73DuscP5g-qPtrdl2YRfWgzKjXi7Rz1QwUkkXAFbdwiwa0NXeicX-NNWFls_ZervT_k072N5RPUuH8-MtiOYn/s320/IMG_1454.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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6th Street - the old streetcar ROW (that's why it's so wide)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzmLxsrUuiCsRdi9VrvOqTRM_Xemw6W42SfXS9z5G2179n4CRqLC8um7jHTuc9a3W2msifj1Bd9lg7UCGT7g0atZuA-6KOZKuRLhp8V6FKVNIIx-Yl2IcOG1WZR0gWMEP5y_jl-IUhVja8/s1600/IMG_1459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzmLxsrUuiCsRdi9VrvOqTRM_Xemw6W42SfXS9z5G2179n4CRqLC8um7jHTuc9a3W2msifj1Bd9lg7UCGT7g0atZuA-6KOZKuRLhp8V6FKVNIIx-Yl2IcOG1WZR0gWMEP5y_jl-IUhVja8/s320/IMG_1459.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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Seems too specific. Can deer read?</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797356340816440547.post-62267646894864183172013-02-23T23:36:00.003-05:002013-02-24T11:11:33.118-05:00Bike Routes, by Comfort LevelThis map below shows Laurel's preferred bike routes, color-coded by ease of ride-ability. <span style="color: blue;"><b>Blue Routes</b></span> are residential collector roads - very easy to bike in the street with low traffic volume and low speeds. Novice riders should feel comfortable riding in the street. <span style="color: lime;"><b>Green Routes</b></span> have slightly more traffic volume but are easy to ride because they have bike lanes and/or wide shoulders and/or low speeds. <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Yellow Routes </span></b>have moderate volume and speeds but should still provide a level of comfort for the average rider. <b><span style="color: red;">Red Routes</span></b> are high-volume with either high speeds or narrow lanes. These are not for average riders. Click on each colored link to find a brief description of the Route. Finally, the little bike symbols show where bike parking can be found.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=211139217175064086294.0004d66f783b8e2bf5b34&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=39.09906,-76.867862&spn=0.021381,0.018797&t=h&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br />
<small>View <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=211139217175064086294.0004d66f783b8e2bf5b34&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=39.09906,-76.867862&spn=0.021381,0.018797&t=h&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">bicycle level of comfort City of Laurel, MD</a> in a larger map</small>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797356340816440547.post-71983968996955706642012-03-04T13:21:00.002-05:002012-03-04T13:22:49.944-05:00Links Edition - developing the smart way<span style="font-family: inherit;">Haven't had the time to update this Blog as frequently as I would like. In reality, I see it morphing toward editorializing and discussion of best practices, rather than an update/discussion on Laurel-specific plans (tough to do the latter when you're no longer in the know). Strangely, this site gets 300 to 400 hits a month still, mostly from people researching pedestri</span>an<span style="font-family: inherit;"> and bike safety/infrastructure. Kind of flattering for the City, no? Regardless, here are some links to articles I've finally gotten around to reading that m</span>ay be<span style="font-family: inherit;"> informative to those that still come here:</span><br />
<br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.gazette.net/article/20120215/NEWS/702159324/1029/college-park-riverdale-park-approve-plans-for-office-space-at&template=gazette">College Park City Council gets it</a>: <i>"<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">Among the city’s conditions for approval were moving and reorienting the buildings to make them more accessible to pedestrians on River Road, in advance of future development for a Purple Line station." </span></i></span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://blog.smallstreets.org/post/18496915718/turn-this-parking-lot-into-a-village"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Fitting </span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">an entire vill</span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">a</span>ge </a>(<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">a</span>nd <span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">a</span>ll its t<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">a</span>x revenue) in the sp<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">a</span>ce the of <span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">a</span> single non-t<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">a</span>x gener<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">a</span>ting County p<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">a</span>rking lot.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2011/10/how-much-bike-trail-worth/382/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">How much is </span>a bike trail worth</a>? (self explanatory)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">For those that think s<a href="http://www.streetsblog.org/2011/04/26/to-get-safer-streets-traffic-lights-and-stop-signs-arent-the-answer/">top signs always make streets safer</a>.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/06/giving-city-streets-built-in-safety-features/?ref=science">The importance of pedestrian and bike master planning</a>.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/9067129/Paris-cyclists-given-right-to-break-traffic-laws.html">Bike can run red lights in Paris</a>. </li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.planetizen.com/node/50883">Creating sustainable Cities</a>.(a long, but good, read)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.copenhagenize.com/2011/08/case-for-bicycle-infrastructure.html">The case for bike infrastructure</a> (this is a long read but worth your time)</li>
</ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797356340816440547.post-77991737118367111302012-01-01T19:28:00.001-05:002012-01-01T19:39:22.605-05:00Year in review; and some new ideas, too!<div class="MsoNormal">The following is a quick review of pedestrian & bike capital improvements in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Laurel. The City:</st1:place></st1:city></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><ul><li>added bike lanes on <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Cypress Street</st1:address></st1:street>, including the City’s first bike box.</li>
<li>added sidewalk on <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">7<sup>th</sup> Street</st1:address></st1:street> in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Old</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Town.</st1:placetype></st1:place></li>
<li><st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">added Laurel Lakes Drive</st1:address></st1:street> near the Safeway.</li>
<li>added a 8’ wide hiker-biker trail on Van Dusen, south of MD 198.</li>
<li>added bike sharrows on <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Laurel Lakes Drive</st1:address></st1:street></li>
<li>widened the sidewalk on a large portion of <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Cherry Lane</st1:address></st1:street> to 8’ wide.</li>
<li><st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Brooklyn Bridge Road</st1:address></st1:street> was resurfaced by the County with wider shoulders near the gully. The wider shoulders make it easier on bikers and joggers.</li>
<li>MD SHa, at the City’s behest, installed sidewalk on Route 1 south of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cypress</st1:place></st1:city>, completing the sidewalk network for the entire length of Route 1 in the City.</li>
<li>The bike lanes on <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">4<sup>th</sup> Street</st1:address></st1:street> were completed</li>
<li>Bike parking was added to City Hall and to the new <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">5<sup>th</sup> Street</st1:address></st1:street> Community Center.</li>
<li>Decorative period-style sign posts and sign backers were installed on parts of <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Main Street</st1:address></st1:street>.</li>
<li>The crosswalks were widened on <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Cherry Lane</st1:address></st1:street> at <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">4<sup>th</sup> Street</st1:address></st1:street>.</li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal">Very good year for those not dependent on their cars. <b> Now, let’s keep up the momentum by:</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><ul><li>Installing bike lanes on the Mulberry and <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Laurel Place</st1:address></st1:street> to complete the north-south bike route through the entire city. Conceptual plans have already been drawn up and can be incorporated into the CIP’s resurfacing project for both roads.</li>
<li>Updating policy and infrastructure goals/designs of the City’s Bike Masterplan. This should be a winter-time project. I volunteer to lead the public hearings, draft any policy changes and create the visuals, if need be. But given that the masterplan is now attached to the City’s Uniformed Land Development Code, it is imperative to keep this plan updated and fresh.</li>
<li>Prohibit parking on <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Laurel Place.</st1:address></st1:street> </li>
<li>Consider policy changes that allow bicyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs and signals as stop signs.</li>
<li>Installing cycle-tracks on Van Dusen and buffered bike lanes on <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Cherry Lane</st1:address></st1:street>.</li>
<li>Completing the 8' trail south of the dog park.</li>
<li>Planting more shade trees along existing trails.</li>
<li>Finding a way to get more bus shelters in place – too many “sticks in the ground” are posing as bus stops, without shelters or even sidewalk leading to the stop. This needs to change if we are going to encourage alternative transportation modes.</li>
</ul><div>Have a great 2012, Laurel!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797356340816440547.post-77436391831096608122011-11-03T12:41:00.000-04:002011-11-03T12:41:20.263-04:00Transit Improvements in LaurelWhile this blog is oriented toward pedestrian and bike infrastructure (and its role in planning and the creation of a sophisticated modern city), there is another transportation mode that are no less important to cities: transit. Two important transit improvements are coming (in a couple of years) that will help those that rely on the Metro bus or MARC trains. The first piece of news is that <a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-new-marc-cars-20111102,0,2667472.story">MTA is adding capacity</a> to the MARC lines via more cars. The second piece of (old) news is that WMATA was awarded a TIGER grant last year to improve bus travel time on several routes, including <a href="http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/2010_5_14-TIGER-GRANT-Information.pdf">Route 1 from Laurel down into DC (2MB PDF)</a>. Bus travel time improvements include Transit Signal Priority (TSP) and Queue Jumps. TSP allows buses to get through an intersection faster than they normally would by adding green time or truncating green time from cross streets. Queue Jumps provide space for buses to get ahead of a queue of cars (so that there actually <em>is</em> a potential time advantage to using a bus over driving yourself).<br />
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Both MARC and WMATA improvements are scheduled for a couple of years out, but are very welcome nonetheless.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3jIPFQnBe3L-ZaEskFlGNKINqwm-GCJZxJsushx_97uUV9QuiWVTo6IxNJ_E9BqZWWC6rMrNHBTjlIuLw6Fwi92awPLyMe49RrtM4VltA-54-Tz61xGsnfRWjMr6eBoIr65OMDK4GUcs4/s1600/mta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3jIPFQnBe3L-ZaEskFlGNKINqwm-GCJZxJsushx_97uUV9QuiWVTo6IxNJ_E9BqZWWC6rMrNHBTjlIuLw6Fwi92awPLyMe49RrtM4VltA-54-Tz61xGsnfRWjMr6eBoIr65OMDK4GUcs4/s1600/mta.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfc_QczV6aS1Ux_KAfgzIR6bom_QMZ0KpPiEIzYyiedqi0c6Sn19ZHT-U1JkfEwRBeNhKnkw1buYwMrO0wM2dIK7jRz2shFQnDR3BJzPpocoNWMXlue2jzjGtObu7jI0u-yypcF2FPL8T/s1600/metrobus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfc_QczV6aS1Ux_KAfgzIR6bom_QMZ0KpPiEIzYyiedqi0c6Sn19ZHT-U1JkfEwRBeNhKnkw1buYwMrO0wM2dIK7jRz2shFQnDR3BJzPpocoNWMXlue2jzjGtObu7jI0u-yypcF2FPL8T/s200/metrobus.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797356340816440547.post-11992358744013297792011-10-17T23:19:00.002-04:002011-10-17T23:25:41.948-04:00Real-time traffic in LaurelZoom and Pan within the map.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="yes" src="http://www.mapquest.com/embed?hk=qce6EO" style="height: 360px; width: 600px;"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797356340816440547.post-54616004017529599972011-10-09T20:44:00.001-04:002011-10-17T23:26:49.291-04:00Doing Parking Islands the right way<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Laurel has a lot - a LOT! - of surface parking. These lots collect stormwater (and motor oil and antifreeze and debris) and send them directly into the nearby Patuxent river, and eventually into the Chesapeake. While treating all this stormwater prior to it reaching the river is expensive, there is a ubiquitous tool that can treat some of it : the humble parking island.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutWWlNQ2EH6IjSJLz4gVdOBDVBTWvj55OOsfoOgqKhmTX8g4coPF9m5PpS9PybI-LaSjEuApAOGTPdULRCOReYNRCGuE2wtF_ZtmIFlv6B2ghLOBlRjDK3rb-EioRtEyiGabJ9_PElN8P/s1600/parking-islands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutWWlNQ2EH6IjSJLz4gVdOBDVBTWvj55OOsfoOgqKhmTX8g4coPF9m5PpS9PybI-LaSjEuApAOGTPdULRCOReYNRCGuE2wtF_ZtmIFlv6B2ghLOBlRjDK3rb-EioRtEyiGabJ9_PElN8P/s320/parking-islands.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old style parking islands </td></tr>
</tbody></table>But instead of making them like the one above, for the same amount of money, they can be made like these:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3kIufdSxBtL05TPgqYfDq8-nEgCOdS6c0chbXCJiK57mTtlPin-_OgAS3gPujkbkplcLWnj9lp9n91GdCBrklgL3fVynkqTtdOC82k_6fjxRGJys2jsf1yPNvp-HC9X4jZ0lq3ZaZX9TK/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3kIufdSxBtL05TPgqYfDq8-nEgCOdS6c0chbXCJiK57mTtlPin-_OgAS3gPujkbkplcLWnj9lp9n91GdCBrklgL3fVynkqTtdOC82k_6fjxRGJys2jsf1yPNvp-HC9X4jZ0lq3ZaZX9TK/s320/1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Green" parking islands</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoyTneDcMWiUP1RRyyAKtuKgbwMcRgnRSaI4CGghV3XVTxWO09ChFEYrCbvNrcplOss85C3B7QbSOg4VrzwF2tLQsP_hYNrosaDCX3pn4u8TzmVokOu6nPNnlz8ZQ06VJnPC4VbHCnLBG4/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoyTneDcMWiUP1RRyyAKtuKgbwMcRgnRSaI4CGghV3XVTxWO09ChFEYrCbvNrcplOss85C3B7QbSOg4VrzwF2tLQsP_hYNrosaDCX3pn4u8TzmVokOu6nPNnlz8ZQ06VJnPC4VbHCnLBG4/s320/2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Capturing & treating run-off before it enters storm water inlets (photo credits: Lisa Zimmerman)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>These parking islands are slowly becoming more common. They capture filter run-off from moderate storms. The only main difference between these "green" islands and traditional ones is 1) the use of rocks to slow down and capture water flow; 2) the types of plants that go in the island.<br />
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With a new <a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/howard/news/ph-ll-walgreens-1006-20111003,0,7746964.story">Walgreens coming to town</a>, and a new (reconfigured) parking lot, the City presently has the opportunity to try and start "greening" some its parking lots.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797356340816440547.post-50828593006863037042011-09-13T21:02:00.001-04:002011-09-13T21:04:53.100-04:00US Route 1 Sidewalk gap to be filledThere has been a long-standing gap in the sidewalk network along the City's main north-south commercial corridor, Route 1. This gap is the section along Route 1 in the southern part of the City between the Contee Shopping Center and the rest of the City north of Braygreen Road. See picture below taken from the City's Bike MasterPlan.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6OEA7h3GbibYnSU-uXQHQroFIpSCfL90uYwBN-RASeVB34WJjrZfliPb7QKdsUlkqeGdfMzNF6g1QwtJnBCSO5CvIuadgEbFpRTvF5C23m3KtYENpkA5Jr5zF5BM7Pm7ufcYLS4-2vpEa/s1600/US1-LONGTERM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6OEA7h3GbibYnSU-uXQHQroFIpSCfL90uYwBN-RASeVB34WJjrZfliPb7QKdsUlkqeGdfMzNF6g1QwtJnBCSO5CvIuadgEbFpRTvF5C23m3KtYENpkA5Jr5zF5BM7Pm7ufcYLS4-2vpEa/s320/US1-LONGTERM.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only sidewalk gap on Route 1.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>DPW requested sidewalk from the State about a year ago. The State obliged and is putting in a new 5' sidewalk, with a 4' buffer between the sidewalk and road. The buffer provides room for further expansion to a full fledged hiker-biker trail that meets up with the City's existing designated bike routes <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(and ideally will go all the way down to Muirkirk Station and College Park, one day)</i></span>. This new sidewalk is a big feather in the City's cap, as it <u>completes </u>the sidewalk network for the <u>entire </u>Route 1 corridor (on the west side, at least). Well done DPW - you've made a lot of people safer and made their trips more convenient.<br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">On a different note</span></i>, posts on this Blog will be much more infrequent, as I am no longer in the City's employ. Hopefully, the City will grant me the opportunity to volunteer in whatever capacity I may be of service. Thank you Laurel; it has been an honor to work for you.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797356340816440547.post-20693200613216989322011-08-30T10:50:00.000-04:002011-08-30T10:50:47.568-04:00Bike Sharrows on Laurel Lakes AveAs part of the City's Bike Masterplan, Laurel Lakes Avenue and Cypress Street were designated as preferred Bike Routes through the City. As shown below, both Streets were marked with <a href="http://walklaurel.blogspot.com/2010/08/sharrows.html">sharrows</a> and signed as Bike Routes. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK780xsO4C7nKN0nXXqLbwbMQ5meUswX4ODh3mEtN5WwC5AT7wy8xwL959nrwkgP1_2_5DwIts17PGnGSRdZ2GePohwIL0Qiow_vtrUBJtp0ilzzA7jNWMNuYDMwCVYk0a8Yg3Z5Sdn4ZJ/s1600/DSC04064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK780xsO4C7nKN0nXXqLbwbMQ5meUswX4ODh3mEtN5WwC5AT7wy8xwL959nrwkgP1_2_5DwIts17PGnGSRdZ2GePohwIL0Qiow_vtrUBJtp0ilzzA7jNWMNuYDMwCVYk0a8Yg3Z5Sdn4ZJ/s320/DSC04064.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bike Guide sign on Cypress, directing cyclists onto Laurel Lakes Ave for access to points south on Route 1.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsuHDTBo4YxqRY09crDMYtxvLIA6GZJ-D6LN9EGsdddUfi1z3POHJWD57DaMWl5V0Z-GoNd2kFLfrB8q4uweaOFPfXOTtQ_KRkLDR1MWkCHCX6pfXXtx-ZK3MLK2o6aDDlkAnXUAzPw6e9/s1600/DSC04065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsuHDTBo4YxqRY09crDMYtxvLIA6GZJ-D6LN9EGsdddUfi1z3POHJWD57DaMWl5V0Z-GoNd2kFLfrB8q4uweaOFPfXOTtQ_KRkLDR1MWkCHCX6pfXXtx-ZK3MLK2o6aDDlkAnXUAzPw6e9/s320/DSC04065.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sharrows on Laurel Lakes Ave. Sharrows are located such that cyclists won't be doored by parked cars, yet motorists can still easily maneuver around them, if needed.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>These two streets bring the City a little closer to having a complete north-south route the full length of the City, providing access to the commercial Route 1 corridor without requiring cyclists to actually ride on Route 1.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797356340816440547.post-32229495667318124452011-08-25T11:12:00.001-04:002011-08-25T11:13:18.106-04:00Hiker-Biker Trail on Van DusenContractors for the City of Laurel are putting the finishing touches on an 8-ft wide trail along Van Dusen Road, from MD 198 to North Arbory Court. Here is what the heavily-worn area looked like before:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiirlWCxB6a8K_FCRx-xzW2YNc1KnbT4XwpOy-695fegqOGI-NyxbBMhG_ANh4Z7nSZUk2k9ySoEUK0BMHhPKKXo_uj7FohyphenhyphenA8izWIBhdlOiOXQlURi3CpUZvFMLR2lWo3jiqB6Aj_rKjQL/s1600/vandusen-before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="120" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiirlWCxB6a8K_FCRx-xzW2YNc1KnbT4XwpOy-695fegqOGI-NyxbBMhG_ANh4Z7nSZUk2k9ySoEUK0BMHhPKKXo_uj7FohyphenhyphenA8izWIBhdlOiOXQlURi3CpUZvFMLR2lWo3jiqB6Aj_rKjQL/s320/vandusen-before.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Van Dusen, before the new hiker-biker trail</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Here is what the upgrade - already lined with shade trees - looks like now:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesgbJw07uH599-4Z5kF4bPgPonkZyhTH-hVBjEOBtL8c-XhNdIwlEch2xhdXWRqKp2zKQDmnM0l3KTqUzIL8A68AEDRLtcWvfTzJcYJtLGOmDuFku3i_P57fGatjbXt7XohtfH_pvcjzQ/s1600/DSC04062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesgbJw07uH599-4Z5kF4bPgPonkZyhTH-hVBjEOBtL8c-XhNdIwlEch2xhdXWRqKp2zKQDmnM0l3KTqUzIL8A68AEDRLtcWvfTzJcYJtLGOmDuFku3i_P57fGatjbXt7XohtfH_pvcjzQ/s320/DSC04062.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New 8' sidewalk along Van Dusen Road</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Comments from passers-by have been overwhelmingly positive!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797356340816440547.post-21772283354853122502011-08-23T15:43:00.000-04:002011-08-23T15:43:06.648-04:00Yes, that was an earthquake in LaurelBut no, it didn't stop ongoing pedestrian and bike projects around town. Currently, there are two projects underway. The first is the marking and signing of <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=maps+20707&ll=39.081873,-76.86533&spn=0.003177,0.004801&oe=UTF-8&gl=us&z=18&vpsrc=6">Laurel Lakes Ave</a> as a designated bike route. The second project is the installation of a new 8' wide hiker bike trail <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=maps+20707&ll=39.101575,-76.870769&spn=0.006353,0.009602&oe=UTF-8&gl=us&z=17&vpsrc=6">along Van Dusen Road</a>. More on both of these important projects to follow.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797356340816440547.post-5613729163170471522011-08-11T15:48:00.000-04:002011-08-11T15:48:44.036-04:00Bike Box<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This is a photo of Laurel's first intersection bike box. It was installed with the <a href="http://walklaurel.blogspot.com/2011/08/bike-lanes-on-cypress-street.html">Cypress Street bike lanes</a>.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNyNuD1IvWttJA_MQ4abF1VAnr9S5ItxuseCw_rJbVZ0Xh6JgoHx_dhrKsQF92A5s7VjgK5fqgaaRLQpe1w6HVRhou8QkkUdL5xP2-xXuCfGEAeDgiODNsHxcu_EGXZzQ41sCNXTqyNwvx/s1600/DSC04031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNyNuD1IvWttJA_MQ4abF1VAnr9S5ItxuseCw_rJbVZ0Xh6JgoHx_dhrKsQF92A5s7VjgK5fqgaaRLQpe1w6HVRhou8QkkUdL5xP2-xXuCfGEAeDgiODNsHxcu_EGXZzQ41sCNXTqyNwvx/s320/DSC04031.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left-turn Bike Box on Eastbound Cypress at Mulberry </td></tr>
</tbody></table>The left-turn bike box provides a safe area for cyclists to wait out approaching traffic from westbound Cypress, without fear of being rear-ended by motorists behind them. The sketch below shows this a bit more clearly.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1d1DzSiuJSF-SZvJvDWD68VJDAVvhFydHkrTu2xNkevLFlHSRiwhGx2QtqSFJJv8JgkKpJYBj0-ZtI9w3xut_fJGuLAII56SKtVfX97jzBkWpnV7euGS5CdnsdC8kjjz36D2-p7Xt0a7/s1600/cypress-bikebox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1d1DzSiuJSF-SZvJvDWD68VJDAVvhFydHkrTu2xNkevLFlHSRiwhGx2QtqSFJJv8JgkKpJYBj0-ZtI9w3xut_fJGuLAII56SKtVfX97jzBkWpnV7euGS5CdnsdC8kjjz36D2-p7Xt0a7/s320/cypress-bikebox.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sketch showing the two ways that a cyclist can turn left onto Mulberry from Cypress</td></tr>
</tbody></table>From the sketch above, an eastbound cyclist traveling in the full lane of Cypress Street can make a quick and easy left turn onto Mulberry* (solid green line) assuming there is no westbound traffic on Cypress. If there is westbound traffic, the cyclist must wait (like any vehicle) in the intersection until westbound traffic has cleared (dotted green line). The box delineates a safe area where cyclists are protected from westbound traffic heading toward them, as well as from eastbound traffic coming up behind them.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Bike lanes will be installed on Mulberry as part of that street's Capital Improvement Project, currently slated to begin next spring.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797356340816440547.post-34022015731382860952011-08-11T15:07:00.000-04:002011-08-11T15:07:41.611-04:00Bike Lanes on Cypress StreetNew bike lanes have been installed on <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=20707&hl=en&ll=39.084013,-76.866585&spn=0.003177,0.006845&sll=39.104369,-76.883626&sspn=0.101905,0.153637&z=18">Cypress Street</a> from Oxford Drive to Mulberry Street. The bike lanes are 6 feet wide. 8-ft parking lanes have been delineated, as well. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmt_7iJXejVhN2t1EiHC6imujgHJhwVpkQYeXbTJvXrQGeqs4SF7lnvx_9OovIy66zzmAvLekjcZeJiqcieweSgSfQJBLjBwR1wt2FV3Cbvw6zX7FqZ6PIob-ONiFiPIzDmarSBdIrEMz/s1600/DSC04029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmt_7iJXejVhN2t1EiHC6imujgHJhwVpkQYeXbTJvXrQGeqs4SF7lnvx_9OovIy66zzmAvLekjcZeJiqcieweSgSfQJBLjBwR1wt2FV3Cbvw6zX7FqZ6PIob-ONiFiPIzDmarSBdIrEMz/s320/DSC04029.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Bike Lanes on both sides of Cypress St.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Because Cypress Street is a collector road for the Vistas, the Tiers, Oak Pointe, as well as the Wellington neighborhoods, it sees a good deal of vehicle traffic; so separating out the bike lanes for this short stretch provides for a safer biking trip.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797356340816440547.post-10142366597515795092011-08-03T09:36:00.001-04:002011-08-03T09:36:32.505-04:00Using Traffic Counters to Target Speeders<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Typically, when DPW puts out a traffic counter, we end up with data that provides an overall speed profile, something similar to this:</div> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJf25DnsAwz0TAM874sPRPIz6zq6LmJWvVIFn8nCi_-N8msC6MSGQs9Iw8sxabKgcVQ3TFdZIiTvn3lsZculUvnvGjCsEdCd-Q-vt5kaxEzkociB_qHKNvDkZWDxChQqtSDqbSgiJ2NdR/s1600/k1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJf25DnsAwz0TAM874sPRPIz6zq6LmJWvVIFn8nCi_-N8msC6MSGQs9Iw8sxabKgcVQ3TFdZIiTvn3lsZculUvnvGjCsEdCd-Q-vt5kaxEzkociB_qHKNvDkZWDxChQqtSDqbSgiJ2NdR/s320/k1.png" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical Speed profile for a road</td></tr>
</tbody></table>By itself, this chart gives you high-level data such as average speeds, and percentage of speeders. While this data is useful in determining if a road has an <em>overall</em> speeding problem, it doesn't provide the micro-level details that tells you if a problem exists during <em>certain times</em>. For example, last year we presented speed data to residents on Main Street that showed that, on a relative basis, instances of speeding were low. However, the data didn't break down the speed distribution as a function of time-of-day. For example: what if all the speeding occurred at night? Or maybe they're all morning commuters?<br />
To try and resolve this, DPW has a borrowed a new counter for the summer that outputs more manageable data that can be graphed into something like this:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-zhk3u8jf0zyNjRWuDfbSIEr4sWKmXiyLzb3Oz2e6hc34J7LqAWa4ivJlQfmi7C_zxV5NI9rLbxGqG4Q1-Q6ra82f7eCIyjxFZinIRHRiBkZ_yXlmuwt6FVhGpXrqYfRJDC8LxaXtBWzB/s1600/k2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-zhk3u8jf0zyNjRWuDfbSIEr4sWKmXiyLzb3Oz2e6hc34J7LqAWa4ivJlQfmi7C_zxV5NI9rLbxGqG4Q1-Q6ra82f7eCIyjxFZinIRHRiBkZ_yXlmuwt6FVhGpXrqYfRJDC8LxaXtBWzB/s320/k2.png" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div>The 3-D graph above shows how the speed distribution varies throughout the day. In the above street, for example, we can see that there is a spike of speeding in the 7:00 hour and the 8:00 hour - meaning that these likely are morning commuters exiting the neighborhood.<br />
Also, we can drill down and see if there are individuals that may speed at the <em>same time every day</em>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidfw8Hg4vy0W29MhBb_-M0BFY5ZZrBu6XlyrJcv-VxOpvQQnF-z6riMwQGN3iPnWSG7q3u_80LiaPInUD0XQP0cjrm9j8TkUk6lDs3Lm_6acV-X2HFEOJVLHiask8xOwV_KeEIifKVh91P/s1600/k3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidfw8Hg4vy0W29MhBb_-M0BFY5ZZrBu6XlyrJcv-VxOpvQQnF-z6riMwQGN3iPnWSG7q3u_80LiaPInUD0XQP0cjrm9j8TkUk6lDs3Lm_6acV-X2HFEOJVLHiask8xOwV_KeEIifKVh91P/s320/k3.png" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div>The above graph is a scatterplot of all the vehicles going over 30mph, broken down by time-of-day and by day-of-week. From this data, we can see that if there are speeders who speed every day at roughly the same time. Of course, there's no guarantee that it is the same driver, but the data still provides the opportunity for:<br />
<ul><li>Selective and efficient radar enforcement; using radar enforcement only when the data shows it to be useful. </li>
<li>Micro-targeting speeders using radar enforcement on small time intervals to target likely repeat offenders.</li>
</ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797356340816440547.post-6238860133939196802011-07-27T12:06:00.001-04:002011-07-27T12:07:00.493-04:00Sidewalk widening on Cherry LaneNext week, contractors will begin widening the sidewalk on the south side of <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=maps+20707&hl=en&ll=39.092249,-76.862712&spn=0.006079,0.013143&gl=us&z=17">Cherry lane from Laurel Place to Ashford Blvd.</a> The sidewalk will be widened from 4 feet to 9 feet. While this stretch of Cherry receives a lot of pedestrian traffic currently, the City anticipates even more foot traffic along this route. Further, this widening will induce even more pedestrians, joggers, bikers, etc. The growth of pedestrian traffic necessitates changes in the existing design of the road at driveway locations where pedestrians and cars will be in conflict. To accommodate this change and to make the widened sidewalk safer for faster moving pedestrians - joggers and bikers, the City will also sharpen the curb radii at the driveway entrance for the <em>Laurel Lakes Executive Park</em>. See the photos below. While this change to the driveway entrance may seem trivial, it is not; here's why: The current wide driveway entrance allows for very fast turning into and out of the executive park. These fast turn movements:<br />
<ul><li>Reduce the likelihood of a turning motorists seeing a passing jogger;</li>
<li>Increase the injury level of a jogger, if one is struck.</li>
</ul>By sharpening the curb radius, we force entering and exiting vehicles to slow down as they cross the potential path of fast moving pedestrians.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhGlsS-P_fhy4vrF2W-VTAbMobfZWpPeJ_5N6WASZHMbKKkLOD8wB-UiHlBqi0Hh7jG5paBYOBctoimShSA6W0TW7gAtDjHa252hy9kvA-J-DtepIDl-10qquff2mHMCym-Q5Fyb24xlv/s1600/sidewalkcherry1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhGlsS-P_fhy4vrF2W-VTAbMobfZWpPeJ_5N6WASZHMbKKkLOD8wB-UiHlBqi0Hh7jG5paBYOBctoimShSA6W0TW7gAtDjHa252hy9kvA-J-DtepIDl-10qquff2mHMCym-Q5Fyb24xlv/s320/sidewalkcherry1.jpg" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Driveway to Laurel Lakes Exec. Park showing locations for new curb location</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXtPDMsXfeqK1KGeue2Lm6sEqP3qYbS3ttUj4v9R6HGfZOjMFn3oBSGT3iN5jSbgd8606oTNgxKvsHNnE7fK-LzdsFUPcllwHEWvcnRZIEz0-YMQLh-NGQ8u-3-0-i6GApDGQK-qqsI5WB/s1600/sidewalkcherry2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXtPDMsXfeqK1KGeue2Lm6sEqP3qYbS3ttUj4v9R6HGfZOjMFn3oBSGT3iN5jSbgd8606oTNgxKvsHNnE7fK-LzdsFUPcllwHEWvcnRZIEz0-YMQLh-NGQ8u-3-0-i6GApDGQK-qqsI5WB/s320/sidewalkcherry2.jpg" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exit from Laurel Lakes Exec. Park, showing new curb location</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuDA1O80oaeouivrbWr0YMHDe8kVO0kAJQjgDhvN3qJioSGfKr6hCMN2xN4IYjibAECXGD63eTUThVJIwVU-W9ucyVVgXNyNcWZlS6SHubXpPBio7cp-Fuzo5d4UwCuAsHmRKu6KErIYHx/s1600/sidewalkcherry3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuDA1O80oaeouivrbWr0YMHDe8kVO0kAJQjgDhvN3qJioSGfKr6hCMN2xN4IYjibAECXGD63eTUThVJIwVU-W9ucyVVgXNyNcWZlS6SHubXpPBio7cp-Fuzo5d4UwCuAsHmRKu6KErIYHx/s320/sidewalkcherry3.jpg" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance into Laurel Lakes Exec. Park, showing new curb location</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797356340816440547.post-26416286467137546602011-07-12T13:34:00.001-04:002011-07-12T16:41:40.521-04:00New Pedestrian and Bike Regulations in City CodeAs of July 1st, the City of Laurel has adopted a <a href="http://www.laurel.md.us/content/unified-land-development-code">Unified Land Development Code</a>. This new code consolidates and replaces the existing zoning ordinance, subdivision regulations, forest conservation codes, and all other development-related regulations. Several particular changes have been made in the Code with regard to the way that new developments accommodate and mitigate traffic. Specifically, developments will now have to accommodate pedestrian and bicycle travel, in addition to the vehicle traffic that developments have traditionally been required to mitigate. These changes will help provide alternative choices for City residents to get around town. The changes are as follows:<br />
<ol><li><strong>Sec. 20-2.2. (b)(3)</strong> Requires <u>traffic impact studies</u> to look at the effects of bike and pedestrian traffic generated to and from new developments, instead of only vehicle traffic. This will insure that traffic mitigation, if needed, applies to pedestrian and bike traffic, instead of just car traffic.</li>
<li><strong>Sec. 20-16.12. (b), (g)</strong> Reduces and/or consolidates the number of parking lot <u>driveways</u> during redevelopment projects. The purpose of this change was to reduce the number of conflict points the lead to crashes - for cars and for bikes and pedestrians. </li>
<li><strong>Sec. 20-31.5. (b) </strong> All new <u>blocks</u> are now limited in length to 500 feet. The previous limit was 1400 feet. This change encourages shorter blocks to reduce the likelihood of mid-block crossing in commercial areas that get a lot of pedestrian traffic.</li>
<li><strong>Sec. 20-31.1. (c) </strong> For new developments, minor streets are to be designed such that <u>speeding</u> is discouraged. Potential methods, offered by the Code, include traffic calming, sharp corner radii, narrow streets, and bump-outs at intersections. By providing for traffic calming in the design process, it prevents the City from going back and having to retro-fit a speed reduction fix into a neighborhood.</li>
<li><strong>Sec. 20-31.1. (o)</strong> <u>Dead-end streets</u> (e.g. cul-de-sacs) are now prohibited.</li>
<li><strong>Sec. 20-28.7 (e)</strong> <u>Bike Parking requirements:</u> All new multi-family, office and commercial developments must provide bicycle parking. For residential properties, two spaces are required for every five dwelling units (exemptions are made for Single family, duplex, triplex, and townhouse developments are exempt from residential bike parking requirements). For retail and restaurants, two spaces are required for every 2,500 square feet. For all other commercial or office properties, two spaces for every 5,000 square feet. A single rack constitutes two spaces. Bike racks shall be either an “Inverted U-Style (Bike Arch)” type or a “2-Bike Post and Ring” type and have a powder coat finish. Wave or Grid type bike racks are not permitted. Bicycles must be able to be locked in two places. Outdoor bike racks must be located within visual distance of the entrance of the building for which the parking has been designated. Bike parking for office buildings and for residential, if applicable, shall be located indoors. Rack areas located outdoors must be lighted with a minimum foot-candle of 1.0.</li>
<li><strong>Sec. 20-44.6</strong>. On new developments, <u>sidewalks</u> are required on both sides for primary and secondary residential streets; the Code previously required sidewalk on only one side. Minimum <u>sidewalk width</u> is now 6' with the exception of residential-only areas. For new developments or redevelopments, roadside hiker-biker trails on property that abuts permittee’s property must be extended, in kind, through permitee’s property in the City’s public right of way. In addition, bike facilities shall be required in the City right-of-way, as referenced in the City of Laurel <a href="http://www.laurel.md.us/sites/default/files/u18/CityofLaurel-BMP-final.pdf">Bikeway Master Plan</a>. Bicycle facilities should extend to the nearest intersection on each side of the permittee’s property. These changes provide for the continuation of investments the City has made in alternative travel modes.</li>
</ol>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797356340816440547.post-59919441821622147852011-06-30T10:23:00.004-04:002011-07-08T10:52:34.239-04:00New Sidewalk<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Updated</span><br />
Now that many <a href="http://walklaurel.blogspot.com/2011/06/sidewalk-contract-to-start-up-next-week.html">repairs</a> to existing sidewalk around town have been made, the City's contractor will construct two new lengths of sidewalk to fill in some gaps in the overall network. There are two locations - one on the north side of town and the other on the south side:<br />
<ol><li><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=maps+20707&ll=39.106633,-76.85518&spn=0.00303,0.006571&oe=UTF-8&gl=us&z=18">7th Street, east side, between Montgomery Street and Prince George Street.</a> <span style="color: red; font-size: x-small;">(update: completed 7/7/11)</span></li>
<li><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=maps+20707&ll=39.082169,-76.865383&spn=0.003031,0.006571&oe=UTF-8&gl=us&z=18">Laurel Lakes Ave, west side, from its intersection with Cypress south to where the existing sidewalk terminates.</a> <span style="color: red; font-size: x-small;">(update: sidewalk completed last night and has seen many users already!)</span></li>
</ol>Each of these new segments will add about 400' of sidewalk to the City's overall network. <br />
<br />
The additional sidewalk on 7th Street fills in a necessary gap that ought to prevent pedestrians from needing to cross 7th Street, near Prince Georges Street - an uncontrolled location. Similarly, the new sidewalk on Laurel Lakes Ave provides an off-street connection for pedestrians traveling between the Laurel Lakes Shopping Center and the senior housing facility on Laurel Lakes Ct.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5n8MX3xqzOiLtnEXh-qCLzP-vEls-BxfDvrDyV2Fa1hrMeR9d7KYTO8_ttvpkcC0N2PI4cCs5XPTy8yEjEb_l7MBRSM2eP8Fpeg4CD_SSq3bq_jM771tzgwOrmMyfplgMbJYIXiiiI0rs/s1600/newsidewalk7-7-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="120" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5n8MX3xqzOiLtnEXh-qCLzP-vEls-BxfDvrDyV2Fa1hrMeR9d7KYTO8_ttvpkcC0N2PI4cCs5XPTy8yEjEb_l7MBRSM2eP8Fpeg4CD_SSq3bq_jM771tzgwOrmMyfplgMbJYIXiiiI0rs/s320/newsidewalk7-7-11.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Left) New sidewalk on 7th Street; (Right) new sidewalk on Laurel Lakes Ave</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797356340816440547.post-84614965558507895252011-06-17T14:57:00.001-04:002011-06-17T17:45:33.451-04:00Sidewalk Contract to Start up Next WeekContractors will be in town starting next week to make repairs at select locations where public sidewalk is damaged. They will also be installing new sidewalk at a handful of other locations around town in order to fill in gaps in the City's sidewalk network.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797356340816440547.post-91508129027370892352011-06-03T11:40:00.000-04:002011-06-03T11:40:23.119-04:00Brooklyn Bridge Road re-pavingPrince Georges County will soon wrap up the re-paving of Brooklyn Bridge Road. The road will be re-striped the same as before, with one exception. At the City's request, the County has agreed to paint narrower travel lanes on Brooklyn Bridge <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=maps+20707&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Laurel,+Prince+George's,+Maryland&gl=us&ll=39.108801,-76.864493&spn=0.002939,0.006571&z=18">near the gully right before it becomes Montgomery Street</a>. Re-striping this narrow section of the roadway will have two effects - 1) it should have some effect on slowing down drivers as they enter the City; and 2) more importantly, it will provide a wider shoulder for all of the pedestrians, joggers, bikers, skaters, etc. that use this stretch of roadway.<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=maps+20707&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Laurel,+Prince+George's,+Maryland&gl=us&ll=39.099275,-76.848306&spn=0,0.006571&t=h&z=14&layer=c&cbll=39.108969,-76.865814&panoid=L83o79xVZGi4Pd1wrFi5lw&cbp=13,124.76,,0,14.04&source=embed&output=svembed" width="425"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=maps+20707&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Laurel,+Prince+George's,+Maryland&gl=us&ll=39.099275,-76.848306&spn=0,0.006571&t=h&z=14&layer=c&cbll=39.108969,-76.865814&panoid=L83o79xVZGi4Pd1wrFi5lw&cbp=13,124.76,,0,14.04&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br />
<small>Brooklyn Bridge Road, prior to entering the City of Laurel</small>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797356340816440547.post-2123016964197916482011-05-20T10:00:00.000-04:002011-05-20T10:00:11.375-04:00Complete Streets: 4th Street editionWhile form should always follow function in the creation of a <a href="http://www.completestreets.org/complete-streets-fundamentals/complete-streets-faq/">complete street</a>, <em>form</em> still matters. Here is 4th Street from <em>2 years ago</em>.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnLuPy_8UjKWBIfJi8i5V63ClbDsCKZx57-DPS1ov1QEGuU2csiyQlhn3x7Sj_zi-fiz3WGTSnbZt-ORb9SccR46cVGlykqjsVyhq3VCKb2U2me0GYF6d5P9py9H0x43Vk6t2aMkiVrwTn/s1600/4-b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnLuPy_8UjKWBIfJi8i5V63ClbDsCKZx57-DPS1ov1QEGuU2csiyQlhn3x7Sj_zi-fiz3WGTSnbZt-ORb9SccR46cVGlykqjsVyhq3VCKb2U2me0GYF6d5P9py9H0x43Vk6t2aMkiVrwTn/s320/4-b.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4th Street, circa 2009</td></tr>
</tbody></table>And here is 4th Street <em>now</em>. Note the:<br />
<ul><li>Pedestrian refuge islands to provide for those crossing the street - <em>function</em></li>
<li>Narrow lanes to reduce vehicle speed - <em>function</em></li>
<li>Bike lanes to increase roadway capacity - <em>function</em></li>
<li>Center-island medians that prevent 250,000 gallons of run-off per year - <em>function</em></li>
<li>Tree-lined medians to provide boulevard-style tree canopy - <em>form</em></li>
<li>Red brick medians - <em>form</em></li>
<li>All on-street parking has been retained - <em>function</em></li>
<li>Wide decorative "brick" crosswalks - <em>form and function</em></li>
</ul><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXRrhX1PYp9vnZQ4lRSG7PTVil6aeR-r_06f6ZwOnMYH5cxW7vKcnS2zWKrApiHH84EbjfeIG6CW5Pc1IyDgoTAZe_mjdCujDvCs7jxIsjXt7bm3-vpDeZ0CctiG0sihZCWKk3I8D1ro5D/s1600/4-a2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXRrhX1PYp9vnZQ4lRSG7PTVil6aeR-r_06f6ZwOnMYH5cxW7vKcnS2zWKrApiHH84EbjfeIG6CW5Pc1IyDgoTAZe_mjdCujDvCs7jxIsjXt7bm3-vpDeZ0CctiG0sihZCWKk3I8D1ro5D/s320/4-a2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6-MtDfB92nyUMpVfAsAZ0iKN_WWGo9Rc6uMp4rCXceTAps7EmfA4tBkfXTM2hAn7pPyl6CdFIso7xCFeibQ7N9-8-6SJvGcbMN5sS7P84xvkVJBl3G4P_Z3E7XvaH6uTJZWIQhP-eB0Ss/s1600/4-a1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6-MtDfB92nyUMpVfAsAZ0iKN_WWGo9Rc6uMp4rCXceTAps7EmfA4tBkfXTM2hAn7pPyl6CdFIso7xCFeibQ7N9-8-6SJvGcbMN5sS7P84xvkVJBl3G4P_Z3E7XvaH6uTJZWIQhP-eB0Ss/s320/4-a1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYKTpgrdO4QU-ee_4l4Q0Q-lJqogm11LsqOoXuHxCjmwtwVsIQOKZ8c-vACkksGrgR8UNz3szBM25zZb_KDMHxPIr0G8vl0P3vl0DsQiBXykha4Ns7uFUGO_Q6OfmzVWIakQrU5WerwrTF/s1600/4-a3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYKTpgrdO4QU-ee_4l4Q0Q-lJqogm11LsqOoXuHxCjmwtwVsIQOKZ8c-vACkksGrgR8UNz3szBM25zZb_KDMHxPIr0G8vl0P3vl0DsQiBXykha4Ns7uFUGO_Q6OfmzVWIakQrU5WerwrTF/s320/4-a3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The inclusion of form with function creates a complete street that not only works well but is attractive and beneficial to <a href="http://www.completestreets.org/complete-streets-fundamentals/factsheets/economic-revitalization/">retaining property values</a> for those that live there. What if <strong>Route 1</strong> looked like this through our fair City? Why can't it?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797356340816440547.post-19457345195955024582011-05-06T15:14:00.001-04:002011-05-09T08:38:19.693-04:00Community Center Bike Parking<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKc2Ae8Zurn92lQcRQK3PkkjChTW46L8yQLU3vcxqKtIH79AANYcuCl42c2BrhkPIJkuO2Ckt8TgzcNr32j4asln_kW8nc1I2NOxPAXUNY7Lexg7smBlCxaMQpIYoRiD_xQEwOIjuPKaYp/s1600/cc-racks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKc2Ae8Zurn92lQcRQK3PkkjChTW46L8yQLU3vcxqKtIH79AANYcuCl42c2BrhkPIJkuO2Ckt8TgzcNr32j4asln_kW8nc1I2NOxPAXUNY7Lexg7smBlCxaMQpIYoRiD_xQEwOIjuPKaYp/s320/cc-racks.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Custom bike hitches at new community center on 811 5th Street</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797356340816440547.post-85480760226926432652011-04-14T15:53:00.002-04:002011-04-14T17:21:40.321-04:00Phase 1 of Bikeway Masterplan CompletedIn the Fall of 2009, the City of Laurel passed a resolution adopting a City-wide <a href="http://laurel.md.us/sites/default/files/u18/CityofLaurel-BMP-final.pdf">Bike Masterplan</a> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(3mb PDF)</span>. In 2010, the first phase was designed and vetted in public meetings. This phase consists of 4th and 5th streets and connects to the City's <a href="http://walklaurel.blogspot.com/2010/11/navigating-intersection-of-4th-and.html">Gude Lake Park</a> with Riverfront Park, both of which have their own trails. 5th Street also fronts Laurel Elementary School and two of the City's community centers - the Anderson-Murphy Armory and the soon-to-be-opened community center at 811 5th Street. In addition, 4th Street provides access to two large shopping centers. Since 4th Street is only one block offset from Route 1 and carries far less vehicle traffic, these new routes provide safer alternative for north-south travel. See <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0LS4IKhUn4YnBZmsqwI5meK7p9knqtyOp3nDJ5KpveaKAoiPnXbCnmkz2BUpsw7pBafYcioCuibFB9q_Ynme7YMGbPZQw6g3GQ8Sw2iuMf0KE5tpIwsHqaBa8x8ThS6ZYMnmd4tIB4GG/s1600/phase1-orthogonal-complete.jpg">map</a> below for a graphical depiction of the Phase 1 bike routes.<br />
<br />
This initial phase started last summer with <a href="http://walklaurel.blogspot.com/2010/08/new-bike-lanes.html">4th Street bike lane striping in Old Town</a>. <strong>Now, Phase 1 has been completed.</strong> The Phase 1 build-out consists of 3 miles of designated bikeways -1.25 miles of on-street bike lanes and 1.75 miles of shared roads designated as bike routes. These routes are signed with the familiar <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bicycle_Route_sign.svg">bike route sign</a> and are marked in the road with <a href="http://walklaurel.blogspot.com/2010/08/sharrows.html">sharrows</a>. These sharrows help cyclists find the lateral location in a shared-lane where they are unlikely to be impacted by the sudden opening of a parked car door.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0LS4IKhUn4YnBZmsqwI5meK7p9knqtyOp3nDJ5KpveaKAoiPnXbCnmkz2BUpsw7pBafYcioCuibFB9q_Ynme7YMGbPZQw6g3GQ8Sw2iuMf0KE5tpIwsHqaBa8x8ThS6ZYMnmd4tIB4GG/s1600/phase1-orthogonal-complete.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0LS4IKhUn4YnBZmsqwI5meK7p9knqtyOp3nDJ5KpveaKAoiPnXbCnmkz2BUpsw7pBafYcioCuibFB9q_Ynme7YMGbPZQw6g3GQ8Sw2iuMf0KE5tpIwsHqaBa8x8ThS6ZYMnmd4tIB4GG/s320/phase1-orthogonal-complete.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click for larger image</td></tr>
</tbody></table><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwalklaurel.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fphase-1-of-bikeway-masterplan-completed.html&layout=button_count&show_faces=false&width=450&action=like&font=arial&colorscheme=dark&height=21" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:21px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-797356340816440547.post-83382222111786464552011-04-05T11:47:00.001-04:002011-04-07T10:01:05.561-04:00New Street LightingDPW has ordered additional street lighting for the following three locations:<br />
<ul><li>Ward Street</li>
<li>Van Dusen Road, just south of Erica Lane</li>
<li>Intersection of 4th and Montrose (upgraded lighting)</li>
</ul>These additional lights should in place in about a month.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0