[RP TownTalk] Street by Ernie's Lock

Fri Jan 18 14:52:36 UTC 2013

Applying the spaghetti theory of policy analysis, let me throw a strand of
pasta on the wall and see if it sticks or not.  (One would think that with
seemingly everyone agreed on the problem that a workable and satisfactory
solution could be found. I've been mulling this over these last several
days as the conversation has ensued here TownTalk and I'm actually more
skeptical now than I was when it started. Laying my skepticism aside...)

Seems to me the worst aspect of the problem is that drivers heading east on
Queensbury to turn left onto W Beale do so at a high rate of speed. There's
nothing to slow them down, due to the gentle angle of the intersection. In
other words, they're not getting up to speed on W Beale, they're entering W
Beale already going way too fast. This is what makes it especially
dangerous for pedestrians and drivers headed west on Queensbury.  SOLUTION:
A median strip on Queensbury that would force those making a left turn to
slow down and make a full, sharp left, rather than cutting the angle and
never slowing down.  Of course, this could have the unintended consequence
of exacerbating one of the problems others have already mentioned: The fact
that people waiting to make left turns onto W Beale backup traffic into the
Rt 1 intersection, which is the last thing we need.  Like I said, no
solution is either perfect or all-encompassing.

Yours in traffic,

On Fri, Jan 18, 2013 at 9:22 AM, Bruce Wernek <bruce.wernek at verizon.net>wrote:

> Folks
>
> There's no way to stop the cut throughs.  Why not use speed humps to slow
> down the traffic.
>
> I walk my dog up to Lynn's because he like the pee wall.  It's treacherous
> to say the least.  Commuters cut over from Queensbury racing to get home
> and they aren't looking for me and Edgar.  There's been a number of
> occasions when I've had a lump in my throat in while cross the street as a
> speeding commuter is coming toward me.
>
> Bruce
>
>
> On 01/17/13, Alan K. Thompson<akthompson at riverdaleparkmd.gov> wrote:
>
> Dear Audrey,
>
> We're limited as to what we can regulate on the roads.  We can certainly
> put a sign up that says "Local Traffic Only" or "No Cut-through Traffic" or
> "Business Traffic Only" but I suspect that every ticket written for someone
> cutting through would be thrown out of court, and someone would
> (eventually) take us to court over the practice.  If that worked, then
> University Park wouldn't have the "Do Not Enter" signs on Sheridan and
> Tuckerman to deter traffic that cuts through their neighborhood.
>
> The attempts with the Jersey barriers (I think there were at least two
> attempts, with different locations for the barriers and different sections
> of W. Beale that were one way) suggest that this problem isn't easy to
> solve.  The solution has to not annoy the customers of those businesses
> (because even being annoyed, like the Jersey barriers, might make them go
> elsewhere) while seriously deterring the cut-through drivers, and also
> being something we can legally enforce.  If the "shared parking" proposal
> that was going around as the bank was being approved had gone through, then
> we could close the street and make people go through the parking lot (which
> would slow down cut-through traffic enough to deter it, while not annoying
> people who were going to be parking anyway) but that didn't happen (and
> there might be some unintended consequences anyway).
>
> In the short run, as I noted earlier, we can ask the police to enforce the
> speed limit and other driving rules to at least make it passable.  We can
> also use traffic logging resources we have to determine how much of a
> problem it is, and what times of day there are problems, and see if there
> are patterns in the data that suggest new solutions.  On a longer time
> scale, I would suggest that we could consult with a traffic engineer about
> ways we might achieve our goals. I'll discuss this with my honored
> colleague from the First Ward, Jonathan Ebbeler, and see what thoughts he
> has on the matter, since this street is in his ward.
>
> Alan
>
>
> On Thu, Jan 17, 2013 at 4:50 PM, Audrey Bragg <abragg7393 at aol.com> wrote:
>
>> Hi Alan,
>> I remember the jersey barrier and the business objection to it.  I am not
>> proposing that.  My idea was something as simple as a sign at the entrance
>> saying "business customers only"  No through traffic.  I see from the other
>> posts that people agree that it is a road that needs a solution.  I know
>> that big improvements take big money, but a sign?  Maybe.  How would it be
>> enforced?  Maybe by the police force for a day or two.  Once people know
>> they won't use that road for a cut through.  Actually, we could make some
>> money here.  We have the police sit at Beale Circle.  When the cars come
>> through without going into the businesses, we pull them over and give them
>> a hefty fine.
>> Audrey
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Alan K. Thompson <webmaster at ci.riverdale-park.md.us>
>> To: Sue Collins <wheadle at yahoo.com>
>> Cc: Jonathan W. Ebbeler <jebbeler at riverdaleparkmd.gov>; TownTalk <
>> towntalk at riverdale-park.org>
>> Sent: Thu, Jan 17, 2013 3:36 pm
>> Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] Street by Ernie's Lock
>>
>> The town council has tried several different ways of discouraging
>> cut-through traffic on W. Beale (including putting in a Jersey barrier that
>> would not let traffic get onto East-West Highway).  If my memory is
>> correct, some of the businesses, and perhaps some residents, complained and
>> the barrier was removed.
>>
>> I think we can ask the police to step up monitoring speeding there at the
>> very least.
>>
>> Alan
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Jan 17, 2013 at 3:05 PM, Sue Collins <wheadle at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Oh, I completely agree!  Trying to walk across that little road is very
>>> chancy, esp. as most of the people making the turn don't seem to remember
>>> there's a little gadget in their car called a directional signal.  And yes,
>>> many of them do go through there at a high rate of speed; too high for such
>>> a small street, anyhow.
>>>
>>> *From:* Maureen <maureen.farrington at gmail.com>
>>> *To:* TownTalk <towntalk at riverdale-park.org>
>>> *Sent:* Thursday, January 17, 2013 2:52 PM
>>> *Subject:* Re: [RP TownTalk] Street by Ernie's Lock
>>>
>>> We should put in a circle like Mt Ranier at Rte 1 and Queensbury.
>>>
>>> I've seen a ton more people use West Beale from Rte 1 to get to 410.
>>> East Beale would be much safer for that maneuver.
>>>
>>> -Maureen
>>>
>>> On Jan 17, 2013, at 2:47 PM, bob smith <sfmc68 at verizon.net> wrote:
>>>
>>> I have had similar problems during evening traffic and even very early
>>> morning.
>>> It would be nice if folks would at least drive politely, but traffic is
>>> like water, it
>>> finds a way to get by.
>>> bob smith
>>>
>>> On 1/17/13 2:40 PM, Audrey Bragg wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi folks,
>>> I just had to go to Ernie's Lock today and I noticed that cars come
>>> flying through there from Balt. Blvd to take a short cut to the E-W Highway,
>>> Coming out of the parking lot after I got my keys made was a nightmare.
>>> The cars don't go slow, they speed.  I also noticed this when coming out of
>>> Calvert House.  So if that road belongs to the town and the only reason for
>>> going on it would be to go to the Bank, Animal Hospital, Calvert House or
>>> Ernie's, couldn't we make it "local traffic for businesses only".  Just
>>> wanted to know if anyone agreed with me before I bug all the council people
>>> and the Mayor.
>>> Audrey
>>>
>>>
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