From pedestrian signs at intersections to accessible bus stops, more than 160 locations have been pegged for possible improvements to accommodate pedestrians in Howard County.
Once finalized, the county?s Pedestrian Facilities Master Plan will prioritize improvements and provide a guide for future funding decisions, said Carl Balser, transportation chief at the Department of Planning and Zoning.
The plan can also guide developers, since many of the projects will be included in plans for new developments, Balser said. Many gaps in sidewalks, for example, are a result of the pattern of development. Some companies constructed sidewalks in front of developments, but other nearby or adjacent land remains undeveloped, Balser said.
The preliminary draft, which already has been vetted by more than a dozen community groups, will be reviewed during at least two public meetings this month.
At the public meetings, Planning Specialist Brian Muldoon from the Department of Planning and Zoning will make a presentation about how these improvement locations were evaluated and the plan for changes over the next five to 15 years.
“It?s to see if we have covered all the bases,” Balser said.
To determine the priorities, county officials spent more than a year walking the streets and talking to the community and other county and state officials.
Bridget Mugane, executive director of the Howard County Citizens Association, who has seen the presentation twice, said county officials took a rational approach to prioritizing the needs, including taking community input, which she said was particularly important.
“It?s a very rational way to do this,” Mugane said. “Before this, they were fighting brush fires, nothing was methodical or organized.”
IF YOU GO
» What: The Department of Planning and Zoning will hold two public meetings to discuss the draft of the Pedestrian Facilities Master Plan.
» When: 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday.
» Where: Long Reach Village Center in the Tamar Room at Stone House, 8775 Cloudleap Court, Columbia
» When: 6 to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 26.
» Where: Tyson Room of the George Howard Building, 3430 Court House Drive, Ellicott City
