NOW SHA IS PLAYING WITH THE STOP LIGHTS AGAIN AT HERMANVILLE ROAD

[3CATSAILOR]

I remember many years ago talking to the folks on the State Highway Safety Board about how bad the traffic lights were in need of a serious upgrade at 235 and Hermanville Road due to signficant accidents and fatalities. Eventually they did upgrade it. Now, they have two lights covered with what appears to be burlap in the South bound direction on 235. Perhaps they are new lights they haven't hooked up yet. If so, if they are needed now, why didn't they have it 20 years ago when the intersection was just as dangeroius? I can't imagine they would be getting ready to remove lights based on how dangerous the intersection still is.

 

[glhs837]

Hmm, so it always had a left turn arrow going SB so the folks heading to the base got a "head start" before it went all green. Cant imagine what more lights that way would do. Oh, hold up. Might be that the leftmost one will have a dedicated red arrow to prevent left turns when NB has green, instead of "left turns shall yield".

I would hope they do the same for the left turn from SB onto Hermanville, since I think that path has more crashes. Sadly my request for crash information for the intersection ran into an $800 bill if I wanted them to do the records search.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

Last few mornings there has been no arrow, both green at same time.

If they would just make it consistent it would help. Some mornings there was a leading arrow, some mornings no arrow and id watch someone pull out in front of traffic every time when that happened.

Maybe it's simply time to replace the signal light?

 

[Gilligan]

Sadly my request for crash information for the intersection ran into an $800 bill if I wanted them to do the records search.

?? I've never had a bill for anything requested from, and received from, MD via FOIA...

 

[glhs837]

?? I've never had a bill for anything requested from, and received from, MD via FOIA...

Sorry, I had forgotten. They wanted $83, but also exempted all correspondence, which was request number 2....... So it was unclear what I would get.

Number two of your request is denied because those records are covered by the deliberative process

privilege and are exempt from disclosure under GP § 4-301. In addition, those records qualify as intra-
agency memoranda that is exempt from disclosure under GP § 4-344. In accordance with GP § 4-343,

MDOT SHA finds that the disclosure of these records would not be in the public interest because
disclosure: a) would deter MDOT SHA from seeking important and valuable information relating to
highway safety; b) would discourage candid debate relating to MDOT SHA’s HSIP; and c) could be used
to attempt to discover MDOT SHA' s thought process regarding decisions affecting highway safety. See,
Pierce County, Washington v. Guillen, 507 U.S. 129 (2003) in which the United States Supreme Court
recognized that 23 U.S.C. § 152 [now § 148] and § 409 were proper bases to justify refusal of accident
data in response to request made under the State of Washington’s Public Disclosure Act, the equivalent of
Maryland’s Public Information Act.

As for one and three, they were previous design work and future plans respectively. Given the below disclaimer, didn't seem much point.

Payment does not guarantee the full release of the records you seek. It is possible that records or
information within the records requested may be redacted or exempt from disclosure under State and/or
federal laws and/or regulations.

 

[Gilligan]

As for one and three, they were previous design work and future plans respectively. Given the below disclaimer, didn't seem much point.

Interesting. The last response package I received from SHA/MDOT was a complete 58-page preliminary design package intended for "internal use and distribution only".

 

[RoseRed]

The burlap has been up there for the last couple of weeks, maybe longer.

 

[somdwatch]

I looked this morning it looks like they're adding left turn light for both ways of travel as they align with the left lanes.

 

[3CATSAILOR]

Last few mornings there has been no arrow, both green at same time.

If they would just make it consistent it would help. Some mornings there was a leading arrow, some mornings no arrow and id watch someone pull out in front of traffic every time when that happened.

Maybe it's simply time to replace the signal light?

Instead of replacing the light which makes the most sense, they seem to enjoy simply installing more lights.

 

[3CATSAILOR]

I looked this morning it looks like they're adding left turn light for both ways of travel as they align with the left lanes.

Very good point. I didn't notice that.