Traffic/Trucks

Feds approve new U.S. 301

The state’s plan to build a $704 million U.S. 301 bypass near Middletown cleared another hurdle when the Federal Highway Administration signed off on the project last week. The federal “record of decision” allows the Delaware Department of Transportation to move forward with land acquisitions, final design and construction, which is supposed to begin in [...]

Carolineâ€™s northern towns hope speed cameras will change countyâ€™s image

Dale Mumford, town manager for Goldsboro, Marydel and Henderson hopes one day Caroline County will gain a reputation that speeding in rural Caroline County is not tolerated. The Ridgely resident traveled to Annapolis last month to lobby for a bill allowing the state to use speed cameras in an effort to save lives on its roadways. His [...]

Brakes applied to slower speed request

SHA denies Berlin’s request to lower speed limit on Route 113 Despite a recent request from the mayor and council, State Highway Administration officials said they would not lower the speed limit on Route 113 through Berlin. In a letter to Berlin Mayor Tom Cardinale, SHA District Engineer Donnie Drewer said the speed limit on the highway [...]

Md. House Passes Speed Camera Bill

The Maryland House of Delegates voted 90 to 45 yesterday to pass the governor’s speed cameras legislation, allowing police departments to install roadside cameras to ticket speeding motorists in work areas, school zones and residential neighborhoods across the state. Read more in the Washington Post

Interchange planning moves to next phase

A planned interchange and overpass at routes 301 and 304 has moved another step closer to becoming a reality, but it will still be several years before the first shovel goes into the ground. That’s the word from State Highway Administrator Neil Pedersen in a letter to Del. Dick Sossi, R-36-Queen Anne’s. Sossi requested an update [...]

Report of 2/21 Town Council Work Session w/ SHA

SPEED LIMITS The local District Office of SHA worked with the SHA Office of Traffic Safety to reconfigure and greatly simplify the speed limits in Town. They have proposed that the speed limit will be reduced from 55 to 50 mph from the MD 213 / US 301 Intersection to right before the Food Lion [...]

Town Council Work Session w/ State Highway

A G E N D A Town Council Meeting February 21, 2008 4:00 a.m. At the Goodwill Fire Company I. Convene II. Introduction of Town Council and State Highway Administrative Representatives III. Discussion of Issues of Concern a. General Safety b. Speed Limit Consistency c. Designated Crosswalks with Appropriate Signage d. Curbs e. [...]

Good News from SHA

Town Council Vice-President Mary Roby had a discussion with Richard Lindsay, District Engineer for the State Highway Administrtion (SHA), following a meeting with the Queen Anneâ€™s County Commissioners on Tuesday February 5th. She was told that Thomas Hicks, the Director of SHAâ€™s Office of Traffic and Safety, drove around Centreville after the meeting and [...]

Sewer Line Upgrade in Progress

[From the Town’s web site] The Town of Centreville is performing sanitary sewer line upgrades on Homewood Street, Draper Lane, and Chesterfield Avenue during February and March, 2008, which may cause parking and traffic disruption. We apologize for the inconvenience as we work to enhance the environment and upgrade the Town’s infrastructure to better serve [...]

SHA chief to meet with QA leaders

[NOTE: Meeting Time has changed to 12:15] The Queen Anne’s County Commissioners will meet with Maryland State Highway Administration officials on Feb. 5 to discuss needed safety improvements for dangerous intersections in the county. The commissioners earlier in January requested an “emergency” meeting with Maryland Transportation Secretary John Porcari concerning U.S. Route 50 and state Route 213. Commission [...]

Traffic-calming measures discussed

A Monday morning meeting to discuss traffic-calming measures in downtown Centreville allowed town and state officials, as well as residents, to bring issues to the table and brainstorm solutions. “We addressed everything at the two-hour meeting and everyone got to speak,” said Centreville Council President Norman Pinder. “The real problem is traffic and we have a [...]

Lawmakers May Open The Way for Cameras To Watch for Speeding

Local governments throughout Maryland would be allowed to use roadside cameras to enforce speed limits under legislation being considered by Gov. Martin O’Malley’s administration and some lawmakers. Supporters say it would make roads safer. But critics say the speed cameras infringe on civil liberties. The O’Malley administration is preparing a bill that would authorize the use of [...]

Meeting Concerning Traffic Issues

Mary Roby has set up a meeting to discuss the Town’s traffic concerns with the State Highway Adminstration at the Goodwill Fire Company meeting room on January 14 at 9 AM. Commissioners Billups and Gunther will be attending as well.

Preston asks SHA for relief from traffic

Councilman says 11,196 vehicles pass through town each day Members of the Preston Town Commission appealed personally to officials from the Maryland State Highway Administration Nov. 13 for some relief for their traffic problems, even if it doesn’t include a bypass. During the SHA’s annual meeting with the county commissioners, Preston Town Councilman Bill Mills took [...]

Town Council meeting on Chesterfield Sidewalks

Thursday November 1, 2007 at 5:00 PM The Town Council will meet to have input from the public on the payment for the installation of sidewalks along the north side of Chesterfield Avenue where sidewalks are not currently present. This meeting will take place at the Goodwill Fire Department, 212 Broadway.

Preliminary results are in for Rte. 213 truck study

Cameras near White Marsh Road and just north of the Route 301 interchange were used. Holcomb fielded criticism from Centreville council members and Queen Anne’s Commissioner Gene Ransom because this method counted any traffic using routes 18, 304 and 305 as “local traffic.” As a result, while a 2005 study showed two-thirds of trucks counted were [...]

Safety improvements, but no light, at Route 213 and Spaniard Neck Rd.

Safety improvements are planned next spring at a north Centreville intersection, but a traffic light wonâ€™t be installed, according to the Maryland State Highway Administration. Queen Anneâ€™s County Commissioner Gene Ransom brought up the need for a traffic signal at state Route 213, Spaniard Neck Road and Wexford Drive during a Tuesday afternoon meeting. Wexford Drive [...]

SHA tells developer to put flashing lights at North Brook

“An official from the Maryland State Highway Administration has told the developer of Northbrook to install flashing yellow and red signals at the intersection of state Route 213 and Spaniard Neck Road outside North Brook. ‘We know eventually that a (stop) signal is going to be warranted there, and the developer knows that,’ Transportation Engineer [...]

Law enforcement goes underground, Virtual weigh station would alert police to heavy trucks on Route 301

Gone are the days when a police officer would hide behind the billboard to catch scofflaws. Now the police hide under the road. The Maryland State Highway Administration is considering a new technology to catch truck drivers who try to avoid weigh stations. The virtual weigh station might be used on Route 301 in southern Cecil [...]

Letter from SHA to County concerning traffic light at entrance to Northbrook.

Virtual Truck Weigh Station page now includes Mr. Dave Czorapinski's presentation to the County Commissioners broken into small segments.

Video clip of Richard Lindsay and Bob Kiel of SHA talking to the County Commissioners about Trucks in Centreville 8/2/2005

Letter from SHA denying Centreville's request for Truck Restrictions - includes summary of Origin and Destination Study

Acme Makes a Delivery

Click above for a video of an ACME truck making a tight turn off of MD 213, flying across the railroad tracks, doing 35 mph in 25 mph zone, and cutting in front of a pickup truck to make a left-hand turn. It is so much easier to come in on MD 304 directly from US 301.

See how close these trucks encroach upon the sidewalk at the above intersection?

Existing Restrictions from the SHA Office of Highway Safety (page 4) - "MD 213 Centreville- No permit loads permitted on MD 213 in Centreville unless delivery is within the town limits. Police escort is required when the delivery is in the town limits."

Distances from Intersection of US 301 and MD 213 (miles)

to
via MD 213 via US 301 Difference

705 Morgnec Rd (David Bramble, Inc) 19.4 32.3 12.9

MD 213 and John Powell Rd (Church Hill) 12.6 18.6 6.0

MD 213 and MD 544 (South of Chestertown) 15.7 29.3 13.6

MD 213 and MD 291 (North Chestertown) 18.5 33.2 14.7

MD 213 and MD 290 (Galena) 32.9 29.4 -2.5

Dept of Transportation Letter to Town re: Truck Ordinance 12/16/2004 - "The proposed ordinance has been reviewed by a member of the Attorney General's staff who is assigned to SHA. He advises that the Town's proposal that was provided to SHA appears to restrict loitering, rather then trucking operations."

Results of SHA Traffic/Truck Survey 10/31-11/6/2004

Trucks on Kidwell - "I couldn't tell you how many times this morning between 6:00 am to 9:00 am, heavy trucks have gone up and down Kidwell Avenue, the majority of them this morning have been 'Bramble' trucks...... best guess maybe 12 to 16 times."

CGC Letter to Town Council 11/3/2004 - "Centreville has seen a drastic increase in overall traffic in the past few years. This traffic increase has been in auto traffic and also in the numbers of heavy multi-axel trucks that are using our main roads (Liberty and Commerce Streets). These large trucks have caused serious damage to the underlying infrastructure (sewer and water), damage to the roads, damage to the houses along these streets and most of all, create a very unsafe situation for our Town’s residents and pedestrians."

Upper Marlboro's Truck Restriction Ordinance - "The Board of Town Commissioners may designate certain streets as No Through Truck Traffic for purposes of preventing dangerous or heavy truck traffic flow or traffic patterns in and upon Main Street from Route 202 (Largo Road) through Old Crain Highway at the western entrance of the Town and Old Marlboro Pike at the northern entrance of the Town."

Preliminary Draft of Centreville's Truck Restriction Ordinance - "No truck shall use Commerce Street between the intersection of Commerce Street and Ridgeview Avenue to the south and the intersection of Liberty Street (Maryland Route 213) and Maryland Route 305to the north. No truck shall use Liberty Street between the intersection of Liberty Street and (Maryland Route 213) to the north and Liberty Street and Ridgeview Avenue to the south. ... On all roads in the town limits, commercial vehicles, including agricultural and refuse collection vehicles, shall be prohibited between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m."

Minutes of 10/14/2004 Meeting w/ SHA (link to town website ) - "Mrs. McCarthy discussed the intent of the ordinance was specifically not intended to limit local trucking, especially farmers. However, the Council has not received any written communication from local farmers or their representative agencies. She would ask that their comments and concerns be submitted to Town Hall for consideration along with other letters received by citizens."

Minutes of 9/16/2004 Town Council Appearance (link to town website ) - "Mrs. McCarthy stated that she felt immediate action was warranted; she had received numerous phone calls from citizens and businesses and was concerned for the safety of citizens, the Town’s infrastructure and its historical homes on Rt213. Mrs. McCarthy made a motion to instruct Town staff to draft an ordinance within 30 days to restrict truck traffic; Mrs. Turner seconded the motion. The Council approved the motion unanimously (3 ayes)."

Traffic Volume 1996-2003 (Vehicles per Day):

Road
Year	18	213(S)	213(N)	304(W)	304(E)	305
1995	2450	10,825	4,875	2,650	2,650	1,250
1996	2425	9,975	4,950	2,725	2,725	1,225
1997	3675	10,250	5,025	3,375	5,075	1,675
1998	3750	10,525	5,100	3,550	5,250	1,750
1999	3825	11,875	2,875	3,625	5,325	1,825
2000	3900	12,150	2,950	3,700	5,400	1,900
2001	4000	12,525	7,275	2,475	2,975	1,475
2002	2375	13,675	6,575	2,650	3,150	1,550
2003	2450	13,750	6,650	2,725	3,225	1,625
2004	2525	14,225	6,925	3,075	4,375	1,675

2020*	3800	15,500			4,300	2,000

* Projected from 1998 community plan - see Chapter 2

Results of CGC Truck Survey - 104 (59%) local trucks and 72 (41%) through trucks over a six-hour period on MD 213.

Article 23A. § 2. Enumeration of express powers. "The legislative body of every incorporated municipality in this State ... shall have general power to pass such ordinances not contrary to the Constitution of Maryland, public general law, or, except as provided in § 2B of this article, public local law as they may deem necessary in order to assure the good government of the municipality, to protect and preserve the municipality's rights, property, and privileges, to preserve peace and good order, to secure persons and property from danger and destruction, and to protect the health, comfort and convenience of the citizens of the municipality; ...

§ 25-102. Powers of local authorities.

(11) Regulating through truck traffic and prohibiting trucks from using any highway or alley that is not designated or maintained as a part or extension of the State or federal highway system, provided the local authority has designated an adequate alternate route for diverted truck traffic;

§ 24-209. Truck traffic adversely affecting residential community. "Under this section, truck traffic may be prohibited entirely on any State highway or part of a State highway, if an adequately functional alternate route is available to carry the truck traffic, taking into consideration the amount of additional fuel that would be required over the alternate route and the economic impact on the citizens of this State caused by the alternate route."

Letter from Delegate Sossi 9/8/2004 - "I support your concerns about truck traffic in Centreville and I am pursuing the issue with the State Highway."

Presentation at the Town Council meeting 9/16/2004

Aileen Minor's Comments - "Our police chief said at our last town meeting there is no safe place to pull over the large trucks if they are in violation, as our streets are too narrow." "... the state police do not have the manpower to adequately check the trucks for violations."
Dan Worth's Comments - "Even though the three of us are relatively new to Town, what we are asking for is not something new."
Photos - includes one of a truck running a light.

Engineering Study of an Historic Building - "Buildings built in the days of buggies and wagons were never designed to withstand the shock of 50,000 pound trucks bouncing within 20 feet of their front door."

Frostburg Truck Restriction Ordinance - "WHEREAS, many water and sewer lines were placed under the beds of certain streets, alleys and highways in the City of Frostburg prior to usage of the surface thereof by heavy trucks and equipment, which said streets are now being used by such trucks and equipment and damage to said water and sewer lines has been caused thereby."

CGC Letter to the Town - "It is believed that these measures will have their intended purpose of increasing safety and quality of life throughout Centreville. These measures will also produce a more pedestrian-friendly environment that will improve commerce in the historic downtown area."