Projects: Walkways and Bikeways

Over time many paths and trails throughout the community have vanished due to growth. This has created not only a hazardous environment for those citizens who enjoy the outdoors but contributes to unnecessary vehicle traffic. In addition, light rail restricts existing pedestrian and bicycle activity by dividing the community in half. Bicycles and pedestrians are forced to rid on narrow roads.

Summary of Goals:

• Aggressively seek funding for sidewalks and paths in appropriate community areas.
• Improve the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists by creating a network of sidewalks and paths in areas of greatest congestion and danger.
• Require all future roadwork to address the issue of bicycle and pedestrian access.
• Encourage walkway planning efforts with county or state officials.
• Obtain information on issues pertaining to sidewalks including liability, rights of way, planning, design, and funding sources.

Issues & Actions:

Issue #1: Retrofit walkways are extremely difficult to locate and design in this community due to minimal public rights-of-way, privacy concerns, liability concerns, existing structures, utility poles, trees and topography. There is also a concern that development of walks may detract from the rural character of the area.

Action 1.1 [RRLRAIA board] Establish a Walks and Trails Committee (WTC) to research innovative solutions to such issues as liability, obtaining easements from landowners and construction methods.

Issue #2: Village centers lack safe pedestrian access. The commercial centers of “Ruxton Village” (intersection of Ruxton Road and Bellona Avenue), “Charles Street Village” (Charles Street from Stevenson Lane to Woodbrook Lane), Lake Falls Village, (intersection of Falls Road and Lake Avenue), and Riderwood Village (post office) are not safely accessible by pedestrians or bicyclists.

Action 2.1 [WTC] Make sure that village center streetscape plans include crosswalks and sidewalks as part of the total redevelopment plan. Walks and Trails Committee should provide input and support for these redevelopment projects.

Issue #3: Robert E. Lee Park is also difficult to access from the west.

Action 3.1 [WTC] Work with the Robert E. Lee Park Conservancy to repair and maintain the trail along the railroad bed to Falls Road.

Issue #4: The MTA light rail tracks have divided the community into two sections. Prior to its construction, the right-of-way was used as a pedestrian link providing access and community interaction.

Action 4.1 [WTC] Work with the MTA and the Robert E. Lee Park Conservancy to develop at-grade pedestrian crossing of the light rail tracks allowing access to Robert E. Lee Park from the east (refer to “Possible Walks & Trails” map, TC*1).

Action 4.2 [WTC] Work with MTA to develop a trail from Essex Farm Park to Ridervale Park connecting them under the railroad bridge (refer to “Possible Walks & Trails” map, TC*2)

Action 4.3 [WTC] Promote pedestrian improvements for the Falls Road, Ruxton Road and Joppa Road bridges over the light rail tracks. Ruxton Road and Falls Road improvements should be part of the village center revitalization projects.

Issue #5: There is a lack of designated bicycle routes in the community.

Action 5.1 [WTC] Designate a Bicycle Task Force

Action 5.2 [BTF] Work with county and state agencies on bicycle safety measures including the following:

Action 5.2a Designate and mark Thornton Road with a bike lane from Joppa to Timonium if width allows.

Action 5.2b Designate and mark the east side of Falls Road from the city line to Joppa with a bike/pedestrian lane.

Action 5.2c Designate a bike lane on Bellona Avenue from Ruxton Road south to Charles Street.

Issue #6: Bellona Avenue from Joppa Road south to Berwick Road is not safe for pedestrian traffic. A sidewalk in this area would provide safer pedestrian access for many residents to the Ruxton Village Center.

Action 6.1 [WTC] Establish Bellona Avenue Walkway Task Force (BAWTF) to determine community support for a sidewalk along the eastern side of Bellona Avenue from Joppa Road south to the Ruxton Village Center. Consider a shortened version of this walkway from Berwick Road to Boyce Avenue over the existing dirt path for the initial phase (refer to “Possible Walks & Trails” map, W*1).

Action 6.2 [BAWTF] Based on adequate community support for the walkway, request planning, design and funding assistance from the Baltimore County Office of Community Conservation and elected officials.

Issue #7: There is no safe pedestrian access along Bellona Avenue between Riderwood Village and Ridervale. A sidewalk in this location would link several communities to the Riderwood Village.

Action 7.1 [WTC] Determine neighborhood support for a sidewalk in this location. Based on neighborhood support, request RRLRAIA board send written request to Baltimore County Public Works endorsing the inclusion of sidewalks in these two projects if at all feasible. Follow up with periodic calls to determine status of project.

Issue #8: Baltimore County plans to construct a regional park and sports complex west of Falls Road, north of the Beltway (Meadowood Park). The feasibility of a regional trail from the Penn Railroad Station to Lake Roland is currently being studied. Although the project, if feasible, is several years away, it may be that a link to Meadowood will be considered. Such a trail would be an asset to the RRLR community also, but the community would prefer that such a trail be located on the western edge of the community parallel to interstate 83. There is a Baltimore Gas and Electric transmission line and right-of -way that may be an option the community would support. The old Westminster Railroad bed which roughly parallels Falls Road would be another option.

Action 8.1 [WTC] Monitor progress of Jones Falls Trail Study. If and when a real prospect develops, determine community support or opposition for this trail extension. Based on sufficient community support and RRLRAIA board approval, request planning study by Baltimore County.

Action 8.2 [WTC] Explore the possibility of reclassifying the Jones Falls greenway from an “environmental greenway” to a “recreational greenway” within the County’s Master Plan 2010 and Land Preservation Plan.

Issue #9: County Public Works Department does not always notify communities regarding design of proposed capital projects. Some of these projects present opportunities for sidewalk construction such as Bellona Avenue (Issue #8)

Action 9.1 [WTC] Monitor the Capital Projects Budget to determine if any street projects are proposed within the community and determine community support for sidewalks in the location of such projects. Notify County Public Works Department regarding community support for sidewalks on specific projects in the capital budget.

Action 9.2 [RRLRAIA] Recruit lawyers, architects, and community-friendly developers to the RRLRAIA board as their expertise would be invaluable.

Action 9.3 [RRLRAIA] Share expertise and influence with bordering community associations, the Community Conservation Action Group, the Greater Towson Council of Community Associations, and others.

Possible Walkway Descriptions:

Village Centers
Five village centers are high priority for sidewalk and crosswalk improvements. These would be planned and constructed as part of an overall revitalization plan.

Walks
W*1: A very difficult construction from Boyce Avenue north to Joppa Road would require cooperation from all private property owners on the east side of Bellona Avenue. If constructed on the west side between the road and light rail, a special exception to light rail setback requirements would be needed. The connection, if possible, would provide walking access for many homes to the Ruxton Village Center. The shortened version of this walk goes from Berwick Road north to Boyce Avenue following an existing dirt footpath (see Issue #8).

W*2: North Bellona Road Sidewalk These sidewalks would be part of a larger public works project already included in the Baltimore County Public Works Capital Budget, Fiscal Year 2000. The sidewalk would connect existing sidewalks on Bellona Avenue east of Ruxton Crossing Road to the Riderwood Post Office and Village Center (see Issue #7).

Light Rail Track Crossing
TC*1: The possible at-grade track crossing would be similar to one already in the park at the south end of the light rail bridge crossing the lake. It would provide park access to the neighborhoods off of Rolandvue Avenue and the south end of Bellona Avenue. This crossing would have to be in conjunction with trail improvements on the park side of the light rail track (see Issue #4; Action 4.1).

TC*2: This potential crossing would connect two parks (see Issue #4; Action 4.2 and Issue #7; Action 7.1).

Trails
T*1: This is an existing trail over the historic Greenspring branch train right-of-way which served the mills in the 19th century. The trail is located on private park property. Maintenance and policing of the trail are the most urgent needs.

T*2: This is an existing trail which provides neighborhood access into Robert E. Lee Park from the north. (refer Section 3; Issue #7; Action 7.1).

T*3: This trail would be part of a network of trails originating at Penn Train Station in Baltimore. It would provide access to the proposed Meadowood Regional Park north of the Beltway (see Issue #8).