As someone who previously worked in the state and federal departments of transportation, I recognize firsthand the caliber of talent in the Baltimore County Department of Public Works. Unfortunately, the county charter gives this agency an almost-exclusive focus on highway transportation when our communities need to also look at pedestrian connections, bicycling and transit where appropriate. When the Baltimore County Council considers charter changes in the spring, there should be a particular focus on making our public works department a 21st century agency.The charter should be amended to replace the current public works agency with a Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, with a specific charge to focus on safety and multimodalism — not just highway engineering. Baltimore County is a different place than it was in 1956, when the charter was adopted. The constituents I represent in Towson support a pilot program to look at the effectiveness of a shuttle in the downtown core. Residents along corridors like Regester Avenue and Stevenson Lane are frustrated by the absence of effective traffic calming — a problem experienced throughout Baltimore County.
Under a new county executive, the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure could undertake other strategies to improve communities from Catonsville to Dundalk.
Read full article: A holistic approach to transportation in Baltimore County – Baltimore Sun
