Speed Humps Considered To Slow Traffic Around Howard Park

Traffic engineers collected speed, volume and vehicle-classification data at 11 locations throughout the neighborhood during the study.

On Kelly Avenue between Reed and Thomas streets, vehicles were recorded traveling about 32 mph northbound and 31 mph southbound, according to Jeff Stern with GFT. The study also found that about 8 to 11% of traffic in that area consisted of heavier vehicles, including delivery trucks, school buses and other commercial vehicles.

The recommendation for Kelly Avenue is to install two speed humps between the stop-controlled intersections. Similar speed humps already installed along Atwood Road appear to be working, Stern said.

"What I found very interesting was the speeds on Atwood where those two speed humps are was below 25 miles an hour," he said. "The speed humps actually worked really well and got the speeds down."

Residents living along Kelly Avenue said the improvements cannot come soon enough.

"The traffic and the speed that goes through there is horrific," said one North Kelly Avenue resident, who told commissioners she spends a lot of time on her front porch and regularly watches vehicles speed through the neighborhood.

She described Kelly Avenue as a shortcut for drivers traveling to and from the bypass and the Bel Air area. When she learned the proposed speed humps could cost about $18,000 total and might have to wait for funding, she offered to pay for them herself.

"I will personally pay you $18,000. Can I get it done? That's how important it is to our safety," she added, pointing to children, school buses and other pedestrians using the neighborhood.

Town officials declined the offer, saying traffic improvements should be funded with public money. Alex Garland, who lives on North Kelly Avenue, told commissioners residents have been discussing speed humps for years. Garland said previous traffic studies have reached similar conclusions and urged the town to move beyond studying the problem.

"Let's take some action," Garland said. "I'm kind of tired of talking about it."

Garland also told commissioners he has been hit twice while walking his dog near the intersection of Kelly and Thomas streets, although he was uninjured. He noted that children and school buses regularly use the area.

Commissioners acknowledged residents' frustration and said they would look for money to fund the installation of the speed humps before the next budget cycle.

One commissioner noted that while $18,000 is relatively small compared with many other municipal expenses, the town faced a tight budget this year, including a $270,000 increase in health insurance premiums.

The town also is recommending a chicane along Catherine Street between Atwood Road and William Street after the study found vehicles traveling about 5 to 7 mph above the posted speed limit.

A chicane uses curb extensions or other features to force vehicles to shift laterally through a roadway, slowing traffic without requiring drivers to travel over a speed hump.

Raised crosswalks also are proposed at George and Archer streets, while curb extensions are recommended at George Street and Atwood Road to shorten the distance pedestrians must cross.

Some residents questioned whether additional chicanes are the best solution.

Nathan Booth, a former Kelly Avenue resident, said drivers unfamiliar with existing chicanes sometimes appear confused about how to navigate them.

"I wonder if there's a cost versus benefit analysis of that versus a speed bump," Booth said.

Traffic engineers said chicanes typically work better near intersections while speed humps are better suited to midblock locations.

Residents also raised concerns about drivers rolling through stop signs.

One Catherine Street resident estimated that 30 to 40% of motorists fail to stop at a sign near her home and suggested adding a "Stop Sign Ahead" warning sign.

She recalled a crash about 15 years ago in which a vehicle came around a curve and went through the window of a house.

Town staff said warning signs, reflectors and other relatively inexpensive safety measures could potentially be installed within weeks.

The Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company also asked the town to consider emergency response times before installing speed humps. Fire company Chief Scott Panowitz suggested using speed cushions, which leave gaps wide enough for larger emergency vehicles to straddle while still forcing passenger vehicles to slow down.

"If we could get something where they're separated enough that we can get a fire truck through, but a regular car would still have to go over them, that would help us tremendously," Panowitz said.

Town officials agreed to involve the fire company before final decisions are made. Police also plan stepped-up enforcement in the neighborhood, particularly along Catherine, Kelly and Brooks streets and at stop signs.

Several commissioners indicated that Kelly Avenue speed humps emerged as the clearest priority from the meeting.

One commissioner called them the "number one priority" and said waiting until the next budget year should be the latest they are installed if money can be found sooner.

The discussion comes as Bel Air prepares for additional development around the Harford Mall property. Commissioners noted that future redevelopment, including hundreds of apartments and new retail space, could further affect traffic through Howard Park.

The town's Neighborhood Transportation Management Program is expected to review the traffic study recommendations before any projects requiring funding return to the commissioners for approval.