On the eve of the Towson roundabout's opening, some business and community members wonder if they're trading one traffic headache for another. Others are more optimistic that the $2 million project will relieve traffic congestion at one of Baltimore County's busiest crossroads.
The new traffic circle, set to open next week, will route drivers through the intersection at York, Dulaney Valley and Joppa roads and Allegheny Avenue without traffic lights or stop signs.
The key word in the process is "yield." Drivers must yield to pedestrians in the crosswalks and then to traffic already in the circle.
"I'll keep my fingers crossed that drivers ease up on the accelerators and horns and give those who look lost a chance," said LeRoy Y. Haile, a 68-year-old Towson native who remembers when the county seat was a country town. "I hope people are gentle and patient and considerate."
The Towson project is the state's sixth roundabout, but the first in an urban area. The other roundabouts -- in Howard, Washington, Cecil, Anne Arundel and Carroll counties -- are in rural settings.
To set up the Towson roundabout, the five-way intersection that sees about 28,000 motorists daily will be closed at 10 p.m. Friday, if the weather is suitable. It will reopen at 5 a.m. Feb. 2. Traffic will be detoured around the area, although entrances to local businesses will remain open.
The roundabout, which is oval-shaped, will be delineated with barrels and cones until concrete work is complete by early spring.
"I think it's going to be a headache for quite a while," said Jim Clifford, 84, who lives in nearby Ridgely Condominiums. "You have to learn how to use it."
He fears commuters might cut through Virginia Avenue in East Towson, which he says is heavily traveled, to avoid the roundabout. He also worries about crossing the circle on foot.
"Anybody who is disabled or not quick on their feet is not going to get across safely," he said. "Drivers are brutal today."
But State Highway Administration officials say that safety will be enhanced by concentrating pedestrian traffic in wide, well-defined areas.
Also, walkways will have islands in the center of each leg to allow walkers to pause before continuing to the other side.
Linda Singer, SHA community liaison, said disability issues have been addressed with the Baltimore County Commission on Disabilities. Ramps at the crosswalks allow for wheelchairs and canes. Textured pavements will alert those with visual disabilities to the crosswalks, she said.
