The problem: A one-way sign in southwest Baltimore County directs drivers into the sky, and the street signs don't match common usage.
The back story: Last week, Watchdog meddled a little beyond the boundaries of a reader's complaint.
William Holmes contacted the Watchdog hot line to request a repair to a one-way sign at June and Ashbourne roads, just south of Sulphur Spring Road. The one-way arrow was pointing upward, instead of directing traffic to stay north on Ashbourne.
The sign had been that way for most of a decade, but Holmes said he was starting to notice drivers going the wrong way.
"There's a lot of children that play on the street. They only look one way — they don't expect cars are coming from the other direction," he said.
"It will only take a couple of minutes to straighten it," Holmes added. "You could probably do it with just one nail."
Watchdog went to take a look and confirmed the sign was askew. We also noticed that the street sign read "Ashbourn" — without an "e" — contradicting our map book.
Watchdog contacted David Fidler, spokesman for Baltimore County's Department of Public Works, to inquire about both the one-way sign and whether "Ashbourne" or "Ashbourn" was the correct road spelling.
Fidler responded less than an hour later to say the one-way sign would be fixed as soon as possible. His agency could not find a work order about that problem, he said. Nevertheless, it was to be expedited.
"The sign pointing to heaven will be more terrestrial," Fidler said.
But the street sign was correct. For many years, Ashbourne had been spelled with an "e," but "someone researched the spelling on the original record plat," he said. "It turned out it originally lacked an 'e."'
The maps didn't reflect the newer, accurate spelling, Fidler said.
Not long after that call, he called back with an update. The one-way sign would be temporarily fixed, but it and its "do not enter" counterpart would soon be removed from the utility pole and installed on a pole of their own.
The poles are owned by utilities, which in the past permitted signs to be posted on them. But that practice was stopped for safety reasons, Fidler said.
He had bigger news about the spelling of the street. "The 'e' is going back on," he said.
Public works officials checked deeds, maps and U.S. Postal Service records and confirmed that most references listed it as "Ashbourne."
"There's so much weight with the 'e' on it, we might as well go with popular will," Fidler said. "Despite the fact that the original plat does not have an 'e' on it, it now has an 'e' forever."
Watchdog counted 15 properties on "Ashbourn" Road in the state's online real estate database, but more than 100 on "Ashbourne," including Holmes' house.
He has been spelling it with an "e" since he moved in more than 40 years ago. "I read it on all my mail," he said.
And he had never noticed the discrepancy on the sign.
Who can fix this: Darrell Wiles, chief of traffic engineering and planning, Baltimore County Department of Public Works, 410-887-3554.
Need help?
Is there something in your neighborhood that's not getting fixed? Tell us where the problem is and how long it's been there by emailing watchdog@baltsun.com or calling 410-332-6735.