Would giving 301 a "freeway" style setup releive congestion? (or at least help?)

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darkriver4362

Guest
I agree, I have absolutely no problem paying a little extra on taxes if I knew it was going to go towards making it safer too.... One of the biggest problems I see too is the people running these lights. MSP and the local Sheriff's office's do a great job of nailing the people they see do this, but they can't be everywhere all the time. You are right, alot of planning will be neccessary...but it's a crazy road out there....something needs to be done.

P.S. Anyone know what the projected population growth of SOMD will be in about 10 years???
 
willie

willie

Well-Known Member
Originally posted by Marty

The point is that something needs to be done.

Yes! Taxes will be increased! But a $10.00 per year.. or $100.00 per year is a small amount to pay for safety. Once again, how much is a human life worth to you??? If you have not lost a close relative, girl or boy friend, Son or Daughter, Husband or Wife in a traffic accident that could have been avoided by careful and thoughtful planning then maybe it is something to complain about.. But if you have, the extra tax would be a small price to pay and I challenge anyone who will stand up and say that we rather have deadly accidents at these crossings than come together and raise the money needed to incrrease all our traffic safety.

Martin Hedgren
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If you are talking about saving lives then RT 4 will take precedence over ALL other roads. If your talking about the usual liberal democrat way of solving problems then raise taxes but get in line behind the school construction and education people. Legalize slots owned and run by the state and put a few on RT 95. That will work.
 
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Marty

New Member
Route 4.. YES and HELL YES! I drive it every day to and from work, and let's not forget SR 235 with its frequent accidents.

As to getting in line behind others.. No Way! This should get priority and it can be done as a special project. If done this way, it would force accountability since it could not be "hidden" among other projects - the money collected would be assigned and the records are public information to be viewed at any time.

Do we have any County Supervisors etc, reading this that is brave enough to actually do something about it? Run with it maybe???:rolleyes:

Guys, I don't mean to ruffle any feathers but it seem to me that this is a problem. This County is growing, many are moving here (Navy) from other parts of the country where a traffic system like this is not acceptable. Myself, I came here from southern CA and while I know that there is a great difference in traffic intensity, it is (as far as I know) unheard of a highway allowing 55 mph to have intersections like the ones on SR 235 and 4 in CA.

Ok, "I'm not in Kansas anymore" - I know that.. maybe I should not make comparisons with southern CA but this is where my experience comes from and I tend to base my opinions on experience.

Marty
 
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darkriver4362

Guest
It just seems that if you take away these little lights that only a few people a day use, and install some on/off ramps, that would keep the traffic moving, plus reduce the number of accidents that would normally occour at an intersection...

I saw one of those intersection accidents today in Waldorf, where Borders is at, someone looks like they ran the red light...smashed right into the side of another car....just seems kinda pointless to me to stop all of 301 or whatever road is there for a shopping center...
 
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Gunn317

Member
The use of a Freeway in Maryland has always had me wondering...they're not enough of them! Whats with the state? How nice would it be to jump on a freeway and not have to worry about traffic lights and intersections and garbage until you've reached close to your destination.

Granted, Rt. 235 turned into a freeway isn't going to work. The county commissioners and other government members in the past dropped the ball and its almost too late to do anything like that now. It's getting worse yet they still sit on their --- and won't do anything about it.

What about the proposed road, FDR Boulevard running parallel to Rt. 235? Or at least a subset of it. All the way from Wal-Mart to BJ's, there should not be a light to get into any of those businesses. If I want to go to one of them, I turn at the beginning or end of the road and take this access road to one of the department stores along the side. That itself would greatly alleviate traffic in that area. Currently I can come North on Rt. 4 and turn right into First Colony and visit all those shops without ever setting a tire on 235 (Hallelujah!). I should be able to go to KMart or WalMart in this manner.

Anyway...
 
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darkriver4362

Guest
Originally posted by Gunn317
The use of a Freeway in Maryland has always had me wondering...they're not enough of them! Whats with the state? How nice would it be to jump on a freeway and not have to worry about traffic lights and intersections and garbage until you've reached close to your destination.

Granted, Rt. 235 turned into a freeway isn't going to work. The county commissioners and other government members in the past dropped the ball and its almost too late to do anything like that now. It's getting worse yet they still sit on their --- and won't do anything about it.

What about the proposed road, FDR Boulevard running parallel to Rt. 235? Or at least a subset of it. All the way from Wal-Mart to BJ's, there should not be a light to get into any of those businesses. If I want to go to one of them, I turn at the beginning or end of the road and take this access road to one of the department stores along the side. That itself would greatly alleviate traffic in that area. Currently I can come North on Rt. 4 and turn right into First Colony and visit all those shops without ever setting a tire on 235 (Hallelujah!). I should be able to go to KMart or WalMart in this manner.

Anyway...
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Amen buddy
 
Tonio

Tonio

Asperger's Poster Child
You know how 270 through Rockville has local lanes and through lanes? I think that might work in Waldorf, to separate the shoppers from the commuters. But it would need some overpasses, like at 5/228 and at Mattawoman/Beantown. "Whatsa matta, woman?"
 
M

Marty

New Member
Hey gang..

Seem to me that there are some very valid concerns and some excellent questions that we should forward to "the men that rule" our Counties.

I am new here (St Mary's County) but maybe some of you are more aquainted with the Counties and know how we can bring the County politicians out in the open.

I would very much like for them read this thread and post a reply. I would like to know their plans for new roads and any additions/changes that are planned as it relates to the areas that we have discussed. I know that planned roads etc, is public information and therefore it must be available to anyone - the thing is to get them to answer us in person on this board.. If anyone of them dare to do so, we can save his/her answer and give a "friendly" remainder from time to time.

Marty
 
Toxick

Toxick

Splat
Originally posted by Marty
I would very much like for them read this thread and post a reply.
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I have absolutely no doubt that if any of them read this tread, they would register vague amusement, and continue to go about their business unswayed even a smidgen.

But then again, it's election year - so maybe it would get some lip-service until November, after which, they will continue to go about their business unswayed even a smidgen.

Then they'd make some ordinances where you need even more permits to do anything besides breathe.
 
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darkriver4362

Guest
They will never get on here..ever. Especially in Charles Cnty....they are so freakin hyped about about "rebuilding La Plata" but...there's no decent way to get to it.
 
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darkriver4362

Guest
LOL ya'll weren't lying about the 235/5 light, it did it to me tonight, turned friggin' red when there was NO one around on either road :cussing:
 
Toxick

Toxick

Splat
Originally posted by darkriver4362
LOL ya'll weren't lying about the 235/5 light, it did it to me tonight, turned friggin' red when there was NO one around on either road :cussing:
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I know it's horrible.

And It's real fun when you're sitting there at a red light - with noone coming in either direction - and THEN when someone comes along, that's when you can go.

So you get to wait as long as possible, and then the hapless person who came along also gets to wait as long as possible.

Happened to me twice yesterday.

:boo: :boo:

If I was given to conspiracy theories, I'd be tempted to say that it's almost as if some sadistic individual is sitting there with a traffic light controller.
 
M

Marty

New Member
A strobe light will fix that - the light will think that you are an emergency vehicle.. Just don't let "them" see you using it:biggrin:

Marty
 
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darkriver4362

Guest
Lol how about one of them lil buttons the fire dept. uses to change it to green??
 
hwyman3

hwyman3

New Member
THis whole upgrade/bypass idea has been discussed for years. The "leadership" of Charles County and the State of Maryland has been trying to build a western bypass around Waldorf for years. The Army Corps of Engineers refuses to grant a permit to build a crossing of Mattawoman Creek, so the bypass has stalled. The Charles County Commissioners refuse to entertain the idea of upgrading 301 through Waldorf. There has been talk of an Eastern Bypass, but with the expansion plans of St. Charles and going through Zekeih(sp?) Swamp, I don't think that would fly.

The bypass just will not work around Waldorf. Using numbers provided by the State Highway Administration, only 10% of the traffic on Rt. 301 through Waldorf is through traffic. If we brought out the bulldozers and asphalt trucks today, by the tme the bypass was built, traffic on 301 would have increased 10%. In other words, building the bypass would leave us with the same mess trying to get to the mall or Best Buy. Personally, I don't see the need to spend millions of dollars to be left with the same mess we are trying to fix. The only solution that will fix Waldorf's traffic problems is overpasses. It may not look too pretty, but it's better than looking at taillights behind you like when you travel to Northern Virginia.
 
Tonio

Tonio

Asperger's Poster Child
Originally posted by hwyman3
Using numbers provided by the State Highway Administration, only 10% of the traffic on Rt. 301 through Waldorf is through traffic.
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That's amazing to me. I never would have guessed that, since the times I've driven through La Plata, traffic is almost as heavy as in Waldorf. What's the SHA definition of "through"? People heading from Virginia north to Baltimore or vice versa?

The only solution that will fix Waldorf's traffic problems is overpasses. It may not look too pretty, but it's better than looking at taillights behind you like when you travel to Northern Virginia.
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I would go along with that.
 
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