By Ally Lanasa, Staff Writer

(Nov. 26, 2020) The Berlin Planning Commission emphasized the need for sidewalks and bike paths in town when they met with Maryland State Highway Administration officials last Wednesday.

The Berlin Planning Commission met with district officials from the Maryland State Highway Administration last Wednesday to discuss accessibility goals in town.

Commission members also discussed goals and matters of accessibility with Brett Deane, assistant district engineer for construction, Dallas Baker, assistant district engineer for project development, Jana Potvin, assistant district engineer for traffic, and Dan Wilson, regional engineer for access management.

As for upcoming projects, Baker said Flower Street will be widened to add a lane.

“Part of that work includes relocating some of the underground utilities: water, sewer and some storm drain,” he said. “That work has been broken out into a separate project.”

Baker added that the SHA hopes to have bids for that project in the next 60 days and have work begin in the spring.

Asking about sidewalks, Commission member Pete Cosby said the area of Old Ocean City Boulevard between Atlantic General Hospital and Stephen Decatur High School lacks walkability on the south side after being widened.

“That could be a beautiful boulevard instead of the industrial wasteland it is now,” he said. “Whatever thought you all could put into … your plan, I know I’d appreciate it.”

Cosby alo said Berlin does not want shared use paths for bicyclists. He added that he believes sidewalks are adequate for bicyclists who do not want to ride in the street.

The SHA officials, however, said they are not allowed to build a standard five-foot wide pedestrian sidewalk and say bicyclists can ride there. A shared use path 10 feet wide is required for both pedestrians and bicyclists to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Baker added that it would be helpful if the town developed a master transportation plan to coordinate with contractors.

“Officials change,” he said. “A letter today does not mean the same thing as it does two years from now as opposed to having something that you all passed. Having something from you all at some point to say what it is you want on your roads helps us better coordinate with contractors.”

However, in the interim, Baker said the town could state in writing its priorities to the SHA when each development project arises so there is agreement.

“It provides a unified front from the town and State Highway to the developers,” he added.

Wilson agreed, telling Dave Engelhart, the town’s planning director, that they can communicate about basics for every project as well as specific aspects to particular projects when they are developed.

“We’re not opposed to going off-script if there’s something the town needs to see,” he said.

In addition, Potvin said a traffic signal is unlikely for the intersection of Route 818 and Route 50 because of the proximity to the Route 113 ramp and railroad tracks despite increased development in the area.

“We don’t want to stop traffic and have them back up onto 113,” she said.

However, a traffic signal will be installed on Route 818, at the intersection of Route 113 and Germantown Road, where the public has wanted one for some time.

“I don’t think [people] understand what your group has to do to verify that it’s needed and justify the expense, and the length of time that takes,” Engelhart said.

Potvin said the design for the signal has been approved.

“Funding has not been issued, but it has been approved,” she said.

The planning commission also brought up the topic of Route 589.

“Route 589 is quickly becoming a higher priority within the county and it’s something that at State Highway we’re looking at,” Deane said. “We’re not foolish enough to think that we’re going to get funding to dualize 589 from point to point.”

Instead, the SHA is working on segments of the road.

“I don’t believe we’re going to get the mega project quite simply with the bridge that we have there and all of the utilities,” Deane said. “Not to mention obviously the fact that 589 does not have access controls currently and there’s about a billion access points on there. I don’t see a widening project from point to point. You’re going to see these isolated things.”

Deane said the SHA recently met with Worcester County Commissioners about prioritizing inter-parcel connectors along Route 589. He added that it will be tricky to improve the road.

“Obviously Ocean Pines has heavy, heavy internal politics,” he said. “We had plans and actually had funding for a project at the north gate intersection, met with the locals there and there was enough dissension that we decided to pull back, punt and look again.”

Chris Denny, the chair of the planning commission, asked if the blinking light on Route 818 would remain as is. Potvin said it does not warrant a traffic signal and there is no crash history for that location.

SHA officials said roundabouts are very effective, with Deane adding that there has never been a fatality at a roundabout in Maryland.

“They don’t eliminate crashes, but they eliminate the severity of crashes,” he said.

When Engelhart and Town Administrator Jeff Fleetwood thanked the SHA officials for their willingness to work with the town, Deane replied, “They might be our roads but it’s your town. “That’s why we’re here.”