Howard County officials have finalized the plan for pedestrian improvements after more than 20 community meetings.
“These folks know their own communities far better than we do, and they also know where the problems are,” Howard?s Department of Planning and Zoning Transportation Chief Carl Balser said of the residents? response.
The plan lists more than 160 locations flagged for improvements, determines their priority level and includes comments such as whether the county should seek state funding or if the changes would be included in a new development.
Some residents had raised concerns that the draft plan did not fully consider changes that will occur in downtown Columbia, but Balser said much could happen in the next few years.
“Without some knowledge of how Town Center will redevelop, at this point it?s hard to speculate,” he said.
The plan will be updated every two years to assess the county?s progress, said Planning and Zoning Director Marsha McLaughlin.
The final plan map and list of improvements is posted at www.co.ho.md.us/planning. The final document detailing the process and background information will be posted in a couple weeks, Balser said.
Future Projects
» A pedestrian crossing on the outside loop of Columbia Gateway Drive.
» A new sidewalk segment on Route 40 in Ellicott City.
» Low-cost fixes in downtown Columbia, including crosswalks, curb cutouts and pedestrian signals.
