Traffic

Whenever a pollster asks the public to name the most important local issue, education usually wins handily. But what's ranked No. 2? In any given survey, it may be the economy, taxes, crime or health care, depending on the mood of the electorate. But in the poll conducted late last month for The Sun by Potomac Inc., the second "most important challenge" facing the state was judged to be traffic, roads and mass transit. Politicians need to take note. It was just last year that Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. persuaded lawmakers to raise vehicle fees to net an extra $237 million annually for transportation spending.

It's now summertime (unofficially) in Ocean City and some of you will be hitting the shore for the first time since last year. I took a gander around town during last week's Memorial Day celebrations, looking for new places and new faces. If you're headed over for this weekend's Ravens Beach Bash , here are some tips on changes at the beach that you'll want to know about: 1. Lasers we love. Visitors last Sunday got to enjoy some green lasers- no, not the kind from two summers ago that drove everyone crazy.

Traffic flowed toward the end of rush hour on Wednesday without unscheduled road closures as the state Department of Transportation reported no incidents at 9:12 a.m. It marked an unusually quiet morning for local roads, as many thoroughfares remained incident-free, including on such collision hot spots as Interstate 695 in Baltimore County. Morning long delays on the commuter bus service continued through 9:10 a.m., according to the Maryland Transit Administration.

Motorists crawled along the I-95 corridor Saturday as a smattering of accidents slowed already sluggish holiday traffic, authorities said. Troopers from Prince George's County to Cecil County reported roadways more crowded than normal as the end-of-year travel season got underway. "It's been backed up really heavy all day," said Cpl. Kevin Watkins of the Maryland State Police's John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway barracks in Perryville. Traffic was stop-and-go and averaging only 25 miles an hour most of the day, Watkins said, adding that an accident "makes it even worse.

A one-car accident in the southbound lanes of Interstate 83 near Cold Spring Lane has caused a two-mile backup, according to police. Authorities say a car spun out of control and hit a rail about 6:30 a.m. The accident has left the right two lanes of the highway open. Separately, a motivational speaking event at the First Mariner Arena this morning was expected to increase downtown traffic volume and jam parking garages in the central business district for most of the day. According to the Baltimore Department of Transportation, thousands of people are expected to attend the "Get Motivated Business Seminar" at the arena, increasing the normal volume of traffic downtown.

The state Department of Transportation reported an accident on Interstate 95 at Exit 80 (MD 543/Creswell Road) around 7 a.m. Tuesday. No additional details were given. In Frederick County, a disabled vehicle on Interstate 70 at Exit 42 (MD 17/Myersville Road) eastbound has closed the right exit lanes around 7 a.m. MTA reported that trains and buses were running on time at 7:12 a.m. Text NEWS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun local news text alerts

Two roadway incidents in Baltimore-area suburbs forced lane closures during Thursday morning's commute, according to the state Department of Transportation. A two-vehicle collision in Baltimore County on Interstate 95 at the Baltimore Beltway exit has closed two of four traffic lanes and one of two traffic shoulders at 8:09 a.m., on Thursday, according to DOT. In Anne Arundel County, a disabled vehicle in the roadway on US 50 East at the Baydale Drive exit has closed one of three eastbound traffic lanes and one of two eastbound traffic shoulders at 8:18 a.m., DOT said.

A single-vehicle collision in Howard County on Interstate 95 South at the MD 100 exit has closed two of four traffic lanes and one of two traffic shoulders at 7:39 a.m., Wednesday, according to the state Department of Transportation. The Maryland Transit Administration reported that buses and trains were running smoothly at 7:48 a.m. Text NEWS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun local news text alerts

After several morning accidents Tuesday, including one pedestrian fatality in Baltimore County, most area traffic after 9 a.m. was slowed primarily by a disabled vehicle in Howard County, according to the state Department of Transportation. Baltimore Police said that a fatal accident on Liberty Road westbound in Milford Mill closed the shoulder and all through lanes as of 6:48 a.m. All lanes opened around 8:55 a.m., police reported. A disabled vehicle on MD 100 at Exit 8 (Coca Cola Drive)