Roland Park's master plan discussions have already yielded one idea of note: a traffic circle at Roland Avenue and Cold Spring Lane, a gateway to the Keswick business district.

"The intersection is not working to full potential," contends Matthew Fitzsimmons, of Hoes Heights, who is co-chair of a subcommittee that is looking at transportation issues.

Subcommittees and working groups began meeting late last year in an effort by the Roland Park Civic League to create a city-backed master plan for Roland Park and surrounding neighborhoods, including Wyndhurst, Keswick, Evergreen, Hoes Heights, Roland Park North and Roland Springs.

Those communities as well as Heathbrook at Evans Chapel Road would be included in the master plan's proposed core boundaries, said Roland Park resident Seema Iyer, chief of research and strategic planning for the Baltimore Planning Department.

The plan, which is being drafted with the help of Baltimore City officials who live in Roland Park, is seen as governing a wide range of issues, including liveability, education, the protection of green and open space, commercial and retail, historic preservation and residential design standards.

Organizers held their second and third charrettes Jan. 8-9 at Roland Park Elementary/Middle School. The next charrette is scheduled for April 5.

Traffic has long been a big concern for residents, including at the corner of Cold Spring and Roland, where turning left is a challenge, because the lanes are often too short to fit all of the cars that line up to turn left, Fitzsimmons said.

"The left-turn lanes don't have enough room for stacking," Fitzsimmons said.

The problem is worst for motorists who are turning left from Cold Spring to Roland, he said.

Other problems with the intersection are that "aesthetically, it's not a pleasant intersection," and "it's relatively wide for pedestrians to cross," Fitzsimmons said.

By building a traffic circle, the community could make the corner safer and "we get an opportunity to make something attractive," he said.

But the idea has its drawbacks, chiefly the lack of a traffic light for pedestrians if a traffic circle is built, Fitzsimmons said.

"Without a light, how do pedestrians have access to cross?" he asked rhetorically.

And he conceded it could be a hard sell for many people in the area, who aren't used to the concept or fond of the ones they know, such as the circle in downtown Towson.

"Culturally, we're not understanding of it," Fitzsimmons said. "It's foreign to many Americans."

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user comments (1)

user honora says...

What a horrible idea. I live two blocks north of that intersection and it is fine. I already avoid the Towson circle, I can not avoid this intersection. Circles are a mess to drive through and a disaster for pedestrians. Yes, circles are so European and cool. This 'ugly American' is fine with being culturally unable to deal with traffic circles.

Posted 9:30 AM, 01.14.10

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