I-95/MD 24 Meeting

The Maryland Transportation Authority is holding workshops to discuss the improvement project for I-95/MD 24. It says the project will begin this fall and continue through spring 2011. The workshops are from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 14 at the Abingdon Fire Hall.
There will be no formal presentation but staff will be available to answer questions. Our first question would be, we thought a specific plan wasn't approved so how can construction be starting already?
For more info click here and then click on "Capital Projects."

Open Letter to Santa

Dear Santa,

Many of the folks in Abingdon have been good this year (except those nasty speeders!) So could you please find it in your heart to consider some of the items on this list?

These are in no particular order, and we will take any and all if available.

1. A decent restaurant in the Wal-Mart/Target shopping center. We love our fast food here, but it would be nice to have a spot with actual knives and forks and wait staff close-by. Sorry Santa, Country Kitchen doesn't count.

2. Speed bumps. I've been asking for these and so far no one cares. Or how about a stop sign? I've been told that slowing traffic is an illegal usage of stop signs, but maybe you could bend some rules?

3. More trees. If not more trees, can you stop all the cutting? I really never appreciated those trees by the WaWa on 924 until cutting them down created the ugliest corner around.

4. A new pharmacy. This is a joke Santa! Why would we need another pharmacy here! Oh wait, a new one's being built near Bright Oaks Drive. That's not funny, Santa.

5. More money for the library. You know that we love our library here. Maybe you could send them some new books, or at least some more copies of Sue Grafton's new book because I'm very low on the reserved list for that one.

6. An elected school board. I don't know, Santa, maybe it wouldn't make a difference at all, but I'd really like my voice to be heard and listened to. Maybe the threat of defeat might make these people more receptive to community voices.

7. A choice. I've got a few years, but if the middle/high schools in my area continue to fail so miserably on the MSA scores, could you send me a voucher so that my kids can attend a school where the county cares more about the students?

8. Pedestrian walkways. I would love to be able to walk to Target or Wal-Mart, but let's face it, it's too dangerous for me. How could I cross the road once I got there anyway? Can you help the wise transportation department think about pedestrians in its plans?

9. Whatever the Anita Leight Estuary Center wants. I'm not sure what that is, but they're great, so please send whatever they need.

10. A great 2008 for TAA readers and other area bloggers. And maybe some more blog readers for 2008, too!

Thanks, Santa. If it doesn't all fit under the tree, maybe you could put some of it in the many storage facilities located nearby!

Interesting Bookmarks

Picked up two interesting items at the Bel Air library. The first is an easy way to support the library while doing your Christmas shopping.
At the Bel Air library (not sure if this is available at Abingdon) you can pick up a voucher for the Barnes & Noble Bookfair supporting the Harford County Public Library Foundation.
On Dec. 7 at the Bel Air Barnes & Noble if you present the voucher to the cashier while making your purchase, a percentage of the net sale will be donated to the foundation. It doesn't say how much, but any bit will help.
Two new interesting titles we're interested here at TAA are The Letters of Noel Coward and Options, by the Fake Steve Jobs.
Another bookmark takes us back to one of our favorite topics, road construction. The bookmark asks readers to "Help Shape the Future of Transportation in Maryland" by going online and completing a 10-minute survey. The answers "you provide will be used to shape Maryland's 20-year vision for transportation."
Here's the link.
Take the survey

1-95: Interchanges

If you've been wondering what that map is down at the right, it's the "visioning" by the Maryland department of transportation as to what our exit at 1-95 will look like in a few years.
I received a flier last week detailing the Section 200 (the name of the project) changes, and chuckled out loud at the description of the express toll lanes on 95 which will have sliding fees depending on traffic volume. This was the funny part: "Drivers would have the option of paying a toll to drive in the relatively congestion-free ETLs (express lanes) or in the GPLs as they do today."
My question, what if the majority of drivers decide to drive in the "relatively congestion-free" lanes? I'd pay a few dollars to get somewhere faster, and I imagine many drivers would. How can the MDTA promise that these lanes will be faster? I don't really understand. Will there be a rebate if you're stuck in traffic?
Of greater concern to me is the new exit configuration with 1-95/MD 24. I would describe what they're proposing for this section, but I don't think I could even paraphrase it. I do know that they've already started clearing trees on both sides of 24 (by WaWa and Wal-Mart), but nothing's happened in a few months.
There will be a public hearing from 5-8 p.m. Dec. 13 at William Paca Elementary where the public is invited to comment. The MDTA is also accepting written comment until Jan. 21, 2008.
I'm providing a link to maps of the project. If you can figure this out, please let us know.
Section 200 Project