Bridges Make Better Neighbors

It feels like a good time to talk about building a bridge.

Actually, the bridge is already there, but the improvements have been long in coming. Readers of this blog know I am a long-time fan of the Bridge Columbia initiative. Recently the County held a presentation on options to upgrade the Route 29 bridge.

From Oakland Mills Village:

Check out design options to improve the Pedestrian Bridge over Route 29 from Stevens Forest to Lake Kittamaquandi! Howard County's Office of Transportation has unveiled a project that will greatly improve the current bridge with a new design, security camera improvements, enhanced and increased lighting and architectural features to make the bridge an iconic crossing.

As of now, the bridge is still being considered for use solely by pedestrians and bicyclists. The original Bridge Columbia concept included public transit. I'd love to see that incorporated as well. I understand that the transit folks are still thinking about that. I think the success of Columbia, especially Downtown will depend on improved transit. I hope they find a way to fit this in to future plans, sooner rather than later.

The County is asking for public input on the proposed designs. Take a look here and let them know. Please send your comments on the option you support to dcookson@howardcountymd.gov. Deadline for comments is November 14th. My choice is Alternate 2, Geodesic Tube with spiral. It feels extremely Columbia to me.

Speaking of which, is there room to put "Columbia" in big letters on the bridge, so people passing through know where they are? I know we leave a lot to the joy of discovery here, but I'd love to see us put our name on this.

A huge shout-out to the Bridge Columbia advocates who have kept the faith on this. It's gratifying to see the County moving forward and begin to believe something tangible will happen. We are finally going to turn something which has become creepy and unappealing into a valuable link for our community.

It's been a rough week. The best way I know to close it out is with a bridge.

Comments

Teacher Gifts

Today is the last day of school before the Winter Break. It’s a good time to remember the far-reaching nature of our public school system. You may not have children. You may have sent your children to independent schools. It matters not. You will be impacted one way or another. Yesterday I read a long thread on Facebook about several waves of illness in the schools right now. There’s influenza A and norovirus, I believe. And of course there’s COVID. Apparently in some individual schools the rate of illness is high enough for school admin to notify parents. When I was little the acceptable holiday gift for a teacher was one of those lovely floral handkerchief squares. (I don’t know what it was for male teachers. They were rare in my elementary years.) These days the range of teacher gifts is wider and I have fond memories of Target gift cards which I have written about before. I think it’s safe to say that giving one’s teacher Influenza, norovirus, or COVID is not the ideal holiday...

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else. Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday. Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018. 2018 . But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest. In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...

Village Green/Town²

Search This Blog