Traffic Light

THE PROBLEM -- A traffic light on Key Highway in South Baltimore appears to serve no purpose. THE BACKSTORY -- Reader Jim Smith asks a very good question that should have a very easy answer about a signal on Key Highway a block south of Cross Street: "Why does the city maintain a traffic signal at the intersection of a busy street and a vacant lot?" The answer, of course, is far from simple. Frank Murphy, deputy chief of the Baltimore Department of Transportation's traffic division, said the light was installed several years ago based on early plans for the Pier Homes at HarborView development that indicated a cross street would be built there.

Despite admitting that he knew a traffic light wasn't working when he drove his tractor-trailer through a Columbia intersection and slammed it into a car, killing two teens, Gary L. Dicks, 24, of Stephens City, Va., was acquitted yesterday on a pair of traffic charges. The ruling by Howard County District Court Judge Pamila J. Brown appears to spare Dicks of any criminal liability in the Jan. 6, 2006, crash at westbound Route 175 and the southbound ramp off Interstate 95. Three civil cases are pending against Dicks in Howard County Circuit Court.

The driver of a tractor-trailer involved in a crash that killed two teenagers last year at a nonworking Howard County traffic light is scheduled in court tomorrow to continue fighting two traffic citations stemming from the incident. Gary L. Dicks, 24, of Stephens City, Va., was charged with negligent driving and failure to stop at a through highway entrance and yield right of way. After an hour of arguments between prosecutors and Dicks' defense attorney in November, Howard County District Court judge Pamila J. Brown recessed the case and ordered a continuation to give lawyers a chance to present more information to support their positions.

Martin O'Malley's huge victory is a measure of how tired, how angry, how fed up Baltimoreans have become with drugs and killings -- the cancerous stuff at the city's core. Black and white, we voted for someone with energy and drive, and we seem to believe that energy and drive should be focused, for starters, on eradicating the violent drug commerce that brought Baltimore national notoriety.O'Malley grabbed this issue right out of the gate.Last night, an hour before the polls closed on one of the most stunning mayoral elections in the history of Baltimore, I stopped for the traffic light at the corner of Harford Road and the Alameda.

IT MAKES sense to connect several of the existing roads in one of the most popular areas for new homes in Ellicott City. The traffic volume there has increased tremendously during the past five years. Worthington Way is often congested as a result.The best way to relieve that congestion is to divert some traffic to other arteries. But residents on streets that would provide traffic relief don't want it to happen.Their reluctance is understandable. Looking at how busy Worthington Way has become, they fear traffic diverted from that road will change the character of their quiet neighborhoods.

THOUSANDS of commuters in western Baltimore County are puzzled that the State Highway Administration allowed construction of a traffic island on busy Reisterstown Road, where it intersects McDonogh Road.The concrete island was built by the developer of the Avalon subdivision and it appears to do little to ease congestion, only baffling drivers and bruising the tires on their vehicles.Intrepid One visited the isle last week. You can't help noticing how the thing was ill-fitted into the middle of the busy four-lane road.

Schools need more than cash to succeedWe are writing in response to the May 1 article "Questions of money, politics in Howard."As former school administrators, teachers and students, we have been a part of the educational system in Howard County and in Maryland for decades.We have seen, experienced and played primary roles in the evolution of the superb Howard County educational system. As a result, we recognize the criteria and persons that are required to maintain and promote such a school system.

With music by Chesapeake High School's marching band and a politician's promise to push for a traffic light on nearby Mountain Road, the new Pasadena Safeway opened yesterday at Lake Shore Plaza to a waiting crowd of about 100 shoppers.Safeway -- a tenant since the shopping center opened in 1983 -- closed its old store at 7 p.m. Tuesday, the remaining stock to be trucked to other stores in the chain, a spokesman said.The new Safeway, in the thoroughly remodeled shell of a defunct Jamesway discount store, is about 80 percent larger, with 51,930 square feet of floor space compared to the old store's 28,420.

THERE ARE A LOT of Christmas stories trotted out this time of year, but for me, few are as touching as the story of the big policeman and the guy in the white Lexus.It begins at a busy intersection that I travel through most mornings on my way to work.At the traffic light, the lanes are clearly marked "Left turn only" and "Right turn only."But because there's always a long line to make the right, some of our more impatient citizens will bypass all this traffic by getting in the left lane and making an illegal right turn at the light.

The County Commissioners will meet with State Highway Administration officials today to haggle over the cost of a traffic light to be installed at Cranberry Road and Route 27.The signal was requested by the owners of two Westminster companies near the intersection -- English American Tailoring and Random House.Both wrote the commissioners recently, saying that they were concerned about the safety of their employees and that they wanted improvements at the intersection.The intersection passes tests needed for a traffic light, Steve Horn, Carroll's chief transportation planner, told the commissioners.

'Fair share' about more than negotiations Collective bargaining means much more than sitting down at a bargaining table ("How fair is 'fair share?'" July 3). It means educating employees about their rights, training shop stewards and providing materials and resources to employees. It means involving employees in workplace policies and practices through labor-management committee meetings which are designed to improve workplaces. And it means representing employees in issues regarding the enforcement of contracts.

THE PROBLEM: A broken traffic light was sending mixed signals to some North Avenue drivers. THE BACKSTORY: You may remember two-time Maryland candidate Mike Schaefer, a recurring character in columns by Watchdog colleague Laura Vozzella. (No, he's not related to the former governor but yes, he was the one who called Sheila Dixon a "queen for a day.") Schaefer makes a brief appearance here because he requested assistance solving a mystery he encountered while traveling west on North Avenue.

The problem: A traffic signal in Waverly is too brief to let farmers' market patrons leave a clogged parking lot. The backstory: Lorraine Tunis Doo had plenty of time to notice the problem. She and her sister-in-law sat in traffic more than 15 minutes trying to leave the parking lot of the Waverly Farmers' Market. The market is held Saturday mornings in a municipal parking lot, and drivers exit on Barclay Street, near a complicated intersection where 33rd Street, University Parkway, Merryman Lane and Barclay meet.

State Sen. Ulysses Currie has repeatedly intervened with state agencies since at least 2003 on behalf of Shoppers Food and Pharmacy, involving himself in the minute details of its business, such as traffic light installations, roadside improvements and other projects near the grocery chain's stores, according to thousands of documents reviewed by The Sun. Currie, the Prince George's Democrat who chairs the powerful Budget and Taxation Committee, worked...

THE PROBLEM -- A traffic light on Key Highway in South Baltimore appears to serve no purpose. THE BACKSTORY -- Reader Jim Smith asks a very good question that should have a very easy answer about a signal on Key Highway a block south of Cross Street: "Why does the city maintain a traffic signal at the intersection of a busy street and a vacant lot?" The answer, of course, is far from simple. Frank Murphy, deputy chief of the Baltimore Department of Transportation's traffic division, said the light was installed several years ago based on early plans for the Pier Homes at HarborView development that indicated a cross street would be built there.

Despite admitting that he knew a traffic light wasn't working when he drove his tractor-trailer through a Columbia intersection and slammed it into a car, killing two teens, Gary L. Dicks, 24, of Stephens City, Va., was acquitted yesterday on a pair of traffic charges. The ruling by Howard County District Court Judge Pamila J. Brown appears to spare Dicks of any criminal liability in the Jan. 6, 2006, crash at westbound Route 175 and the southbound ramp off Interstate 95. Three civil cases are pending against Dicks in Howard County Circuit Court.

The driver of a tractor-trailer involved in a crash that killed two teenagers last year at a nonworking Howard County traffic light is scheduled in court tomorrow to continue fighting two traffic citations stemming from the incident. Gary L. Dicks, 24, of Stephens City, Va., was charged with negligent driving and failure to stop at a through highway entrance and yield right of way. After an hour of arguments between prosecutors and Dicks' defense attorney in November, Howard County District Court judge Pamila J. Brown recessed the case and ordered a continuation to give lawyers a chance to present more information to support their positions.

The tractor-trailer driver in the crash that killed two teenagers at a nonworking Howard County traffic light is not only fighting the two traffic citations from the accident. Gary L. Dicks, 24, of Stephen City, Va., was served notices of wrongful death and negligence lawsuits recently for his actions on the night of Jan. 6. The parents of Scott E. Caplan, 19, of Columbia, and Theresa E. Howard, 18, of Eldersburg, separately have filed $5 million wrongful death lawsuits against Dicks.

The driver of the tractor-trailer involved in a crash that killed two teenagers in January at a nonworking traffic light at Route 175 and Interstate 95 will return to Howard County District Court in February to continue fighting two traffic citations from the accident. Gary L. Dicks, 24, of Stephen City, Va., received two traffic citations -- negligent driving and failure to stop at a through highway entrance and yield right of way -- that totaled $360 in fines. Judge Pamila J. Brown recessed yesterday's trial after more than an hour of testimony and said it would continue Feb. 1, allowing both lawyers a chance to present more information to support their position before she makes a ruling.

Through Aug. 19, McDaniel College, Westminster TODAY Practice 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Directions from Baltimore via Interstate 695 Take I-695 (Baltimore Beltway) to Exit 19 onto I-795 (Northwest Expressway) and continue to its end. Follow signs to Westminster via Route 140 West to Route 31 South; at blinking traffic light, turn left (Route 31); at first traffic light, turn left onto Main Street. Go up the hill; the entrance to the Ravens' visitors' parking is on your left.