City council member Eric Costello says that, after years of petitions from Bolton Hill and his office, the city Department of Transportation will take several “traffic-calming” initiatives on West Lafayette Ave. and Laurens St.
The city moved forward in October on its long-term Complete Street program that tries to emphasize safety and alternatives to cars as transportation in the city.
In what optimists might see as a sign of progress, two officials from the city’s Department of Transportation (DOT) last month came to Bolton Hill with and at the urging of city council member Eric Costello to investigate complaints about traffic dangers.
Last month, BHCA urged the city’s Department of Transportation to move forward on plans for a bike lane along Eutaw Place, but to take note of concerns of businesses and residents about the continuing need for car parking along the street.
Last month’s Bolton Hill Bulletin detailed separate efforts by residents around W. Lafayette Avenue and Laurens Street, in conjunction with the BHCA Traffic Committee, to persuade the city’s transportation agency to undertake efforts to slow speeding and reckless vehicle traffic.
Traffic-calming requests abound, within Bolton Hill and throughout Baltimore generally. In June of this year, after the Baltimore City Department of Transportation had received 40+ individual requests for traffic calming in Bolton Hill, city council member Eric Costello’s staff asked the Bolton Hill Community Association to identify two top priorities for DOT.
Eutaw Place neighbor Henri Daniels organized a meeting at Unity Hall last month to have members of the city Department of Transportation hear concerns about a bike lane that could be installed on Eutaw Place. Approximately 60 people attended the meeting.
“My car and I just got attacked by squeegee kids after I politely declined their services when pulling into exit six off JFX coming home, so they surrounded my car and lifted up my windshield wipers and sprayed the car down while banging on my glass with their squeegees and cussing me out. I already called the police to inform them…. I can only imagine how I would feel if I had kids or other passengers in my car and how terrifying it would be. These people are menaces and must be stopped firmly or things could end very badly the next time.”
The next BHCA board meeting, which is open to everyone, will take place in-person at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 7, at Memorial Episcopal Church, 1407 Bolton Street, unless announced otherwise.
Artist Ernest Shaw last month completed the second of the two-part mural at Park and North avenues.
