As part of the Greater Roland Park Master Plan, improvements to Roland Avenue and Northern Parkway are taking shape. I am hopeful that the final product will bring improved road surface and streetscapes, as well as improved safety.
Some concerns remain. The first is in the area of safety. The new, slick surface on Roland Avenue is causing record speeds on weekends and evenings. Until traffic-calming measures are completed, speed enforcement by the police might help slow things down. At the annual meeting of the Roland Park Civic League, Department of Transportation officials said they are working on speed enforcement citywide. I have seen officers on Cold Spring Lane. Maybe some can move to Roland Avenue soon.
New protected bike lanes, aka the cycle track, on Roland Avenue promise to improve cyclist safety and slow traffic by narrowing the other two travel lanes. I am all for cyclist safety. At the January remembrance for cyclist Tom Palermo, a neighborhood leader told me that even before Palermo's death the city was hoping for protected lanes in the master plan area.
A community meeting about the new bike lanes is scheduled for Thursday, June 11, at 6:30 p.m. at Roland Park Elementary/Middle School. I hope some of the neighborhood concerns reported to me about the new lanes will be addressed.
There are worries about children living or attending school along Roland Avenue as they emerge from the passenger side of cars into the bike lane. Yes, it is up to parents to instruct children to look first before opening a car door, but having children step into any kind of traffic, bike or car, is a gamble.
Secondly, because the cycle lane will now be curbside, drivers open their doors closer to vehicular traffic. Lanes will be narrower. Is there enough room on the proposed layout to allow drivers of all ages and physical abilities to step out safely from their cars? If current speeds on Roland Avenue continue, serious problems could arise.
A neighbor asked me about how cycle lanes will work in the heavily congested shopping area by Eddie's. At the June 11 meeting it would be very helpful to see a detailed rendering of the cycle track in order to see how the cycle track interfaces with community buildings –– the schools and preschools, the churches, the library, the Woman's Club of Roland Par, and the shopping centers.
Another street change that may affect safety is the reduced height of some new curbs. Along the Roland Avenue median sections were repaired, not replaced, and at a low height. The new road surface now sits so high that practically no curb exists in some locations.
This is dangerous on several ways. It is a danger to drivers. Speeding cars that lose control will not be slowed or stopped by a curb, and more may end up in the travel lanes on the opposite side of Roland. Secondly, it is a danger to the Japanese zelkova trees that suddenly look sick. More are likely to be struck by cars and damaged from winter road salt.
With my own zelkova looking fuller than ever, I do not know what has happened to the once lush "cathedral of trees" on Roland. Many interior branches are dead. Is it from roots being cut during curb repairs, from disease, or from winter salt?
Because of low curbs, higher road surface, high gutters (if any), and missing drains, water is collecting in some areas on the east side of Roland Avenue. At Upland the new bump out, access sidewalk and street flood in the rain, making them unsafe for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.
At Elmhurst, where water has always collected on the sidewalk south of the intersection, curbs are now even lower. Sidewalks flood out in rain and pedestrians have to walk out in the street. No drain exists at that corner on either side of Elmhurst.
The drains at Gladstone and Roland have all but disappeared. The one at the north side is gone. What is left of the south drain is jammed with straw. A few weeks ago driving through that swimming pool would have severely damaged any car that tried.
The devil is in the detail. Many details are looking great, particularly the restored median and newly planted trees by Gilman and the tall curbs there, new street lights on Roland, various bio-retention areas that will slow storm water runoff and bring new plantings to the neighborhood. Let's hope that the community and the city can work together to resolve remaining concerns.