Dear Roland Park Civic League members and residents,

As many of you may already be aware, Baltimore City Department of Transportation (DOT) has  announced a Public Meeting about a proposed “road diet” test on Roland Avenue. Their required public meeting will take place Monday, April 1^st from 6:00-7:30PM at the Roland Park Elementary/Middle School, 5207 Roland Avenue. A flyer from DOT explaining the particulars of their plan is starting to circulate today, so I thought it important to provide you with a brief summary of how the Roland Avenue situation has evolved up to this point, and what my thoughts are regarding the proposed “road diet.”

I was appointed to a task force last July in my role as Roland Park Civic League (RPCL) President to be your representative before the Baltimore Department of Transportation (DOT) who is charged with determining next steps for Roland Avenue (press release). You may recall, this was following a poll RPCL sponsored, the results of which have guided my advocacy on your behalf. I have consistently demanded only data driven and evidence based best practices be considered to bring us to a context sensitive solution where all street users will be safe. My updates during the last 6 months at monthly RPCL Board meetings are captured in our minutes and summarized in the most recent issue of Roland Park News. Despite hiring a consultant last fall (WRA), no feasibility studies were performed as the Community requested: neither a comprehensive engineering survey recommended nor a traffic circulation study. Still, in the last two months task force discussions quickly shifted to pursuing a “pilot” or test this spring.

Last Thursday, the DOT called a meeting of local stakeholders including the fire department, schools, and businesses to present their proposal of a pilot “Road Diet”, which would test the lane reduction concept rejected last summer. Every local stakeholder present and those unavailable to attend expressed serious safety concerns about this proposal. Still DOT plans to proceed with their plans.

My position, consistently communicated at task force meetings, is that this pilot and the road diet concept is an inappropriate treatment here because it’s experimental, not based on best practices or data. Neither will solve our existing problems (poor sight lines at side streets and crosswalks, pedestrian vulnerability entering/exiting vehicles of all types, cyclists avoiding the route, longstanding issues at the public school drop off area) but will heighten those unsafe conditions and create more (like cut-through traffic on side streets).

The fire marshal’s office is currently reviewing the plans and has yet to provide an official opinion on the potential for reduced emergency response times due to the pilot’s large orange drums (2×3 feet) which cannot be quickly moved en masse to allow firetrucks and ambulances to pass. Recall that Roland Park’s Truck 25 was relocated to Hampden (3724 Roland Avenue) within the last year based on the existing roadway configuration. Currently only Medic team 19 remains at Fire Company 44, 2 Upland Road.

I continue to be committed to safety for all those who use Roland Avenue, and look forward to seeing many of you on April 1^st. In the interim please direct questions and concerns to your plat representatives, Councilwoman Sharon Green Middleton, and the DOT.

Bob Connors
President, Roland Park Civic League

For those interested, federal road diet guidelines have been shared with the task force.
Link to full background history.  Link to DOT Flyer-Roland-Ave-Lane-Reduction-Pilot

The trees planted along the verge and other areas of public green space in Roland Park are Baltimore City property and
maintained by the City Department of Forestry. Residents are encouraged to water and care for trees planted in front of
their homes in the verge area. When a resident notices a dead tree in the verge area, call the City 311 system and
report the tree, using the address of the closest house. The caller will be given a confirmation number which the
homeowner should record. A staff member from the Department of Forestry will inspect the tree and make one of
several available decisions. Do nothing, believing the tree is in good or fair condition; schedule pruning if tree is in fair
condition with just a couple dead or broken limbs; post a removal notice if the tree is dead or declining beyond the point
of return or poses a risk or hazard. The City division that handles tree removals is overworked, the same department
also handles tree emergencies due to weather, storms and traffic accidents. Removal or pruning will take at least thirty
days and possibly months. Once the tree is removed, it will be several months before the stump grinding team returns
to remove the stump.

Residents who have a dead tree in their verge area and feel a sense of urgency can speed up the process by assuming
the cost of the tree removal themselves. First the tree must be reported to 311 and be given a confirmation number.
You can then contact the Department of Forestry and ask for an inspection and permit to remove. If and only if the
inspector approves the tree removal, a written permit will be sent directly to the licensed tree removal company of your
choice. The tree can only be removed after the permit has been received. The cost of removal and stump grinding is the
responsibility of the homeowner. You will not be reimbursed by the City.

The Roland Park Community Foundation Landscape Committee is available to help resident’s obtain free trees for
planting in the verge or on personal property. The committee will provide guidance on selecting the tree and identifying
the proper spot for planting. The homeowner assumes responsibility for care, including deep watering each week for
the first two years, keeping the root ball mulched and free of trash. Protecting the tree from deer damage if necessary.
Once established, the tree should provide years of beauty, shade and hospitality to birds, beneficial insects and wild life.
Residents can contact the Community Foundation Landscape Committee by email with requests for a free tree.

• Those residents who pay full Roland Park Roads & Maintenance fees (10X basic) and are current with Civic
  League dues can have one (1) tree per year planted at no cost either on the verge (between the curb and
  sidewalk) or on their property.
• Residents who continue to regularly pay full fees can request a free tree each year they pay full fees.
• Those residents who pay the basic fee may have a free tree delivered and make their own arrangements for
  planting.
• The trees are obtained through a program with Baltimore City Department of Forestry and two (2) orders are
  placed per year, each spring and fall. Requests for trees can be emailed to the committee any time of the year
  and will be ordered on the following planting order.
• Several varieties of trees, both large shade trees and smaller flowering or fruit ornamentals, will be available to
  residents this spring through the Roland Park Tree Program. Selections include maples, oaks, elms, dogwoods,
  flowering cherry and other native species.
• Tree availability will be announced via Roland Park list-serve and Roland Park website www.rolandpark.org later
  this spring once trees arrive. Inquiries can be made to landscape@rolandpark.org or Kate Culotta krculotta@msn.com
• Roughly 50 new trees are planted with this program in Roland Park every year.

Residents can also request a free tree to be planted by Baltimore City in the verge area around their house. Please refer
to the Baltimore City website  for the link to download the form that needs to be completed. This program is only for trees planted in the verge. Once the completed form is received, it goes into a queue and will be fulfilled during the next planting season. It is possible that you may wait several months for the City to plant the requested tree. Free tree saplings that are easy for homeowners to plant are available through the City’s TreeBaltimore program. Information can be found by using the link on the website listed above or by googling
http://treebaltimore.org .

Update from Robert Connors, President of the Roland Park Civic League:

‘Just heard from Major Rich Gibson (Northern District Commander, Baltimore City Police) that 4 of 7 suspects thought to be responsible for the recent crimes in several neighborhoods, including Roland Park, have been arrested. Stay vigilant, recheck locks on homes and vehicles, consider an alarm system and improved lighting with security cameras, and place key fobs with an auto entry feature in tin foil or a metal box (all these hints were described at our most recent Civic League meeting).’

Residents of Roland Park and nearby communities – please consider attending a Meet & Greet with Baltimore Police Commissioner Designate Michael S. Harrison at Poly on Thursday, Feb. 21 at 7PM.