I have driven this stretch of road several times since I need to go that way to get to Piney Run Park. I want to know who the idiot is that signed off on that road striping. You don't really need to know much about traffic management to understand that what they did does not make any sense.
Logically, whenever someone changes a lane, that is a traffic hazard, though in the grand scheme of things, it may be a low-risk traffic hazard. However, what if the road forces a lane change? Just like this stretch of Route 26? As you travel east, the through lane is a single lane. The road then opens to 2 lanes in each direction, however, the through lane is now on the far right. Not too much farther the original through lane becomes a dedicated turn-lane onto Emerald Lane. If you want to continue eastward, you MUST change lanes. How does this make any sense? There will be accidents as knuckleheads try to race to the front of the line and squeeze in. You know that guy. Heck, you might BE that guy.
Here is an exaggerated diagram of the road so that you get the idea.
Does Maryland Director of Transportation Beverley K. Swaim-Staley agree to this new ridiculous new configuration? Does acting State Highway Administrator Darrell B. Mobley agree with this? Do you, as citizens of Eldersburg or Carroll County agree with this? Martin O'Malley, you MUST be smart enough to know that this idea is stupid. Please tell you staff at the Department of Transportation to fix this.
4 comments:
That looks bad. Have you noticed how the road is by St. Stephens school on Liberty? They make the traffic go down to one lane for about 20 feet, then open up a right turn lane. Wouldn't it make more sense to keep the lane open as a "right turn only" lane? I bet that is what people use it for anyhow, even though for 20 feet it's technically a "breakdown lane."
So stupid...do you think they're planning on eventually (and by "eventually," I mean in like 10 years) going to make it 2 lanes all the way down closer to Wesley Freedom? If so, they should definitely put up a "sorry we're temporarily idiotic...be back in a few years."
That's a good question, Rebecca. I would imagine that there plan is to make it 2 lanes all the way through Eldersburg. We attend Ward's Chapel and the State Highway Administration has told the Church that they will eventually widen route 26 to 4 lanes through that area.
And by "there plan" I mean "their plan". I hate it when I do that.
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