Welcome back to our Virtual Walk-A-Bout tour of the area around the River Hill Village Center. Though we haven't posted recently, much work has gone on "behind the scenes" to create a Village Center Master Plan.
The Master Plan Committee (MPC) has held several meetings to define the scope of the plan. As discussions continue, and as we receive feedback of the desires of members of our community, the MPC is working to focus the plan in a manner which maintains the positive elements of our Village Center while improving areas about which people have concerns. Please continue to give us feedback so we can make the plan meet your needs and desires.
In today's post we will venture south from the River Hill Village Center along route 108.
Here we are looking south on Route 108 (the road on the left of the photo). This is at the intersection of Route 108 and Auto Drive. This is the route you would have to take if you wanted to walk from the River Hill Village Center to the bridge that crosses route 32. If a pedestrian or biker wanted to travel from River Hill to the Bank of America, St. Louis Church, or the popular biking routes of western Howard County, this is the only way to go, without going several miles out of the way.
This photo is just a few feet down route 108. Notice the nice sidewalk that abuts the new Walgreens. Also notice that the sidewalk magically ends right at the beginning of Antwerpen Toyota property. A pedestrian would have to walk on the grass at this point. A biker would have to be brave enough to ride along this extremely busy stretch of route 108.
As an interesting side-note, it was reported that soon route 32 will be widened to two lanes in each direction going west from route 108. When that is done, bikers will be allowed to ride along route 32. A likely access point for bikers to get onto route 32 is the exit ramp in this photo. Certainly improvements could be made in this area to make it safer for both pedestrians and bikers.
Now we have traveled south on route 108 about 200 yards, and are on the other side of the bridge over route 32, and the other side of the road, looking north. You can see the area we came from in the distance in the middle of the photo. Notice the incredibly poor condition of the sidewalks in this area. More importantly, notice the lack of crosswalks in this highly used stretch of road. Additionally, notice this dangerous intersection. The right lane is told that it can only turn right, but other than this sign there is no deterrent from drivers in the right lane going straight. I have seen several near accidents in this area as drivers in the right lane attempt to go straight while drivers coming in the other direction assume drivers are turning, and narrowly avoid missing them when they also turn.
Now we turned 90 degrees to our left. We are looking west down Ten Oaks Road, and going left to right in the photo is route 108. To the right of the photo is an undeveloped (and frankly, unkempt and sunsightly) parcel of land. To the left is Bank of America. Notice, again, the complete lack of crosswalks. You want to walk or ride your bike across the street here? Fine, but you are taking your life into your hands.
Just to get the point across, we are now standing on the other side of 108 looking north. Ten Oaks Road is to our left. Imagine pushing a stroller or riding a bike across this busy, and confusing intersection. Also, though there is a sidewalk right where we are standing, there are none on the opposite side of the street.
Now we are back on the other side of route 108, looking south. St. Louis Church is on the other side of the pine trees in the back of the photo. The former location of Artie's Ice cream is on the left of the photo. Though the landscaping is pleasant in this area, imagine being a pedestrian and trying to walk along here. It doesn't take a stretch of the imagination to realize the danger in this area.
We are still looking south along 108. This is the former location of Artie's. A new pizza place called
"Pudgies" will be opening up here. Is this area designed to handle the traffic and parking needs of this establishment? Time will tell. Certainly, it is clear that it is not safe for pedestrians from River Hill to travel to this location.
Turning around 180 degrees we see the Clarksville Plaza shopping center. This plaza, though aesthetically pleasing, has many vacancies. Could this be partially due to the difficult turn lane and lack of safe pedestrian access?
We are, once again, a little further south on Route 108. Artie's is to our left. We are looking south at the shopping center that houses Craig Northrop Real Estate and Mimi's Kabobs, amongst other businesses. Again, there is no sidewalk and no crosswalk in this area. A proposal has been submitted,
and is working its way through the legal system, to build a funeral home slightly further down route 108. If built, this funeral home, though providing an important service to the community, would likely increase the amount of traffic and pedestrians along route 108, making an already dangerous situation more-so.
Now we venture to a different location. We are on Ten Oaks Road, just past the Bank of America, looking west towards the shopping center that houses Katana Japanese Cuisine as well as a pre-school and several other businesses. Again, like the rest of this area, there is a complete lack of crosswalks and sidewalks. This area is very popular with bikers, and much could be done to improve safety in the area.
To sum up, the area south of the River Hill Village Center, along Route 108 and Ten Oaks Road is in need of major improvements for pedestrian and bike safety. Additionally, much growth is anticipated in this area, as new homes are constantly being built (even during the tough economic times). As we drag ourselves out of the recession, it is anticipated that further growth will occur in this area, increasing the amount and speed of traffic. With increased pedestrian access, it is likely that the businesses in this area would see additional customers and revenue. This revenue is needed to help these mostly small businesses survive and thrive.
With some relatively minor improvements, such as improved signage, painted crosswalks, and the fabrication of sidewalks, this area could be vastly improved.
