The waterfront views and expensive houses on Anne Arundel County?s peninsulas are drawing more people ? and traffic on the peninsulas? main thoroughfares.
“The fact of the matter is that it is hard to get in and out of those roads, because there?s just one way in and one way out,” said Council Chairman Ronald Dillon, R-Pasadena.
A bill, crafted by County Executive John R. Leopold, would ease traffic by allowing the county?s planning officer to place heavier restrictions on peninsula housing subdivisions.
“When you have one subdivision in a vacuum, there?s not much of an impact; but when you look at the greater number, you have a significant impact,” Leopold said.
Current practices allow housing developments with 50 trips or less to be exempt from rules regarding traffic impact, County Planning Officer Larry Tom said.
The bill would give Tom authority to remove that exemption on developments planned for the peninsulas.
But some critics say past attempts to have moratoriums on development and funds for bypasses have not been realized, contributing to the traffic congestion.
“Adequate road facilities down here [in Pasadena] has been a real pain for the last 25 years,” said Tom Redmond, a former county councilman and legislative co-chairman for the Pasadena Business Association.
AT A GLANCE
The proposal focuses on possible limits to new developments on these roads:
» East of the intersection of Fort Smallwood and Hogneck roads
» East of the intersection of Mountain and Woods roads
» East of the intersection of Bay Ridge Avenue and Bay Ridge Road
» East of the intersection of Central Avenue and Muddy Creek Road
Source: Anne Arundel County
