For the second part of our Virtual Walk-A-Bout pretend you are at the village center. Perhaps you are pushing a stroller, riding a bike, or utilizing a wheel-chair. You would love to go to the other side of Route 108 to shop, eat, or browse. Let's see how that would work.
You would start your voyage somewhere around here. This is one of the main ways to leave the village center by car. On the right of the photo is the Capital One bank. The left of the picture is Great Star Drive. The pedestrian access to here is relatively good, with crosswalks and traffic calming features to keep you moderately safe.
So, you walk down the sidewalk to the intersection of Great Star Drive and Route 108. In this photo, you are looking left, or South, down route 108 now. Notice there is a crosswalk to get across Great Star Drive. What you can't tell from the picture is the sidewalk ends right there at the other side of Great Star. You can't continue further down 108, and you can't backtrack along Great Star Drive, unless you want to walk on the grass, of course. This would prove difficult for someone in a wheelchair, on a bike, or with children.
Now, you turned right, and are looking across Route 108, at Great Star Drive. On the left side of the photo you can see Kendell's Hardware store. On the right side of the photo you can see the former Gateway School site. Time to cross 108. Fortunately, there is a crosswalk. This is one of only two crosswalks across Route 108 anywhere near Clarksville. The other crosswalk across Route 108 is at Signal Bell Lane, one intersection south of Great Star Drive. There is no crosswalk across 108 at Linden Linthicum Lane or south of 32. If you want to cross in one of these areas your only option is to either make a long detour to one of the two crosswalks, or take your life into your hands and j-walk (which is STRONGLY discouraged).
Even though there is a crosswalk here at Great Star and Route 108, it is still difficult to make it across. Route 108 is extremely busy. The "walk" light stays lit for only a few seconds. An able bodied individual has to run across to 108 to make it in time. An individual with difficulty walking probably would not be able to make it across in time.
Phew! You made it across Route 108. Now you are looking at the former Gateway School site. As of the writing of this blog post, Howard County is still negotiating with Green Stone Ventures on the site. It is likely though, that there will be significant development in this area very soon. The development will likely spur an increase in traffic at the intersection of Route 108 and Great Star Drive, making it that much harder for pedestrians to access this side of Route 108. As soon as details are made public over the exact intentions of the developer in this area, we will update the blog, and let the world know.
Again, we are looking at the Gateway School site. In the distance you can see Kendall Hardware. Will Kendall hardware or the shopping center site to the north be redeveloped or integrated as the Gateway School site is developed? Can their development be integrated in a harmonious, pedestrian friendly manner, conducive to the economic and social success of the entire area?
We are looking at the grass just between the west side of Route 108 and the old sidewalk next to the Gateway School site (a sidewalk, by the way, that is about 30 feet long and connects to no other sidewalks). Notice this big white grave-stone looking marker. It is one of only four remaining mile markers in Howard County. For more information about this historical object
read this article from "Preservation Howard County."
Next, we will continue our tour south along Route 108. Here we are looking at Kendall Hardware. Notice that, if we want to walk south along Route 108, say to go to Pizza Hut, pick up our car from the mechanic, or walk to the Park-And-Ride at Ten Oaks, there is no way to go without walking along the grass. There is no sidewalk (on either side of 108) and no pedestrian amenities.
Stay tuned for the next post of our Virtual Walk-A-Bout, in which we will highlight various features further south on 108, and venture south of Route 32.
