At the point where traffic in the circle exits onto East Joppa Road, the engineers will pinch the travel lanes down to one to slow traffic and give pedestrians an easier crossing. "Flex posts" will narrow the roadway on the southern end to help cut down on weaving.
Kuhn said SHA's plan is to shut down the roundabout the nights of June 16-18 to install the new lane posts and repaint the lane markings. No concrete-pouring is involved.
Let's hope the changes work and that drivers enjoy a safer, saner roundabout. If not, at least we know where to grab a pint and enjoy the action.
Legislative victory
Congratulations to my old friends at ABATE of Maryland on helping to secure the passage of legislation increasing the penalties for failure to yield the right of way in collisions that kill or seriously injure people. After a five-year struggle, the measure is now law.
The legislation, enacted during the recent General Assembly session, raises the fines in such cases from a paltry $70 to as much as $1,000 and provides for the loss of driving privileges for up to 180 days.
The group also lobbied successfully for legislation to allow auxiliary lighting on motorcycles to increase their visibility.
For motorcycle riders, frequently the victims in crashes where less-than-attentive drivers of larger vehicles fail to see them, these bills could be the most important safety legislation since the state adopted its mandatory helmet law.
ABATE, of course, hates that law and annually attempts to win its repeal. Mercifully, its effort died again in committee this year. But apart from that one cockamamie position, the ABATE folks do a good job of advocacy. It's good to see them score wins on their better ideas.
By the way, Steven P. Strohmier of ABATE's Baltimore chapter wrote to request a mention of Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. Normally, this column avoids National Whatever Months, but Strohmier makes a good case that May is a good time to remind readers of the vulnerability of folks on two-wheel vehicles.
"This is the time when people start getting out on their motorcycles more often since the weather improves and makes for more comfortable riding for the average motorcyclist. It is the goal of this designation and awareness campaign to hopefully make drivers of other motor vehicles more alert for the increasing numbers of motorcyclists and to be alert for their presence," Strohmier writes.
He's right. Those bikers may look tough, but their flesh and blood are no match for a passenger car or SUV. One of the most common scenarios for a motorcycle fatality occurs when an inattentive driver hangs a left turn across the path of an oncoming bike.
Motorists can guard against becoming involuntary agents of death by diligently scanning the road ahead, putting away the cell phones and turning down the music to increase the chances of hearing an approaching motorcycle.
gettingthere@baltsun.com
