Roland Ave-Public Comments due July 12th (extension)

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Update June 21, 2018-The Roland Park Civic League has successfully advocated for our community and DOT has agreed to extend the feedback deadline for Roland Avenue Safety modifications to July 12, 2018.   Please send your comments to DOT ASAP. DOT-Public Comment-Form-BLANK

June 20, 2018 Agenda-Project Approval-Roland Avenue

The Baltimore City Department of Transportation (BCDoT) presented five options for correction of the current roadway design on Roland Avenue at their Thursday, June 14th Open House. Note-their deadline for individual public comment is now July 12th, extended from June 28th. A decision is expected by July 19th.

To begin implementing our project approval process, the Civic League will host a community meeting, Wednesday, June 20th at 7PM in the North Baltimore Mennonite Church, 4615 Roland Avenue (at Oakdale). Please share this news with neighbors; contact your Plat Rep. to discuss your concerns or questions (if needed, consult map for Plat boundaries).

More background

2018 Annual 4th of July Parade

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Come help us celebrate in our beloved Annual Roland Park 4th of July Parade now in its 21st year, from 10AM-12Noon on Wednesday, July 4. The parade will start in front of the library with a reading of the Declaration of Independence by Delegate Sandy Rosenberg and some words from our elected officials. Then we will parade down Roland Avenue behind the local fire truck to the intersection at Upland Road. There will be ice pops for everyone, and if history is a guide, the fire trucks might even hook up a hose to the hydrant to spray us all. The Roland Park Presbyterian Church will open its doors to offer us bathrooms, water and air conditioning for those who need to cool down. Please join us in your brightest and boldest red, white and blue regalia and be sure to decorate your bikes, strollers and pets!

This year, we also plan to have commemorative T-shirt’s for sale the week before and during the parade. 100% of the proceeds will go to funding the philanthropic giving of the Civic League!!

Afterwards, please send your favorite snapshots from the event to rpcommunication@rolandpark.org so we can commemorate the event here on our website.

Let’s go Roland Park!

Clarification-DoT Meeting Format June 14-Roland Avenue

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June 13, 2018

Dear Neighbors,

As promised in my communication from earlier today, after speaking with Director Pourciau, I have some updates and clarifications on the meeting format tomorrow evening on Roland Avenue Safety at RPEMS from 6-7:30PM.

After signing in, you will be provided with meeting instructions. It will be an open house format with six stations to circulate through.  Two stations will have all the information on the proposed modifications including one option that DoT believes strikes a balance between costs and meeting safety concerns, three stations with detailed scenarios to supply data on the pros and cons of the different proposals, and one station providing definitions of bicycle infrastructure.  They plan to have 2 to 3 DoT personnel at each station to answer your questions.  The Director also plans to circulate with some of her other staff fielding questions and providing answers.  At 6:45PM there will be time for remarks on the proposed options.  The meeting will conclude promptly at 7:30PM.

Since this is a public meeting, the DoT does give the standard option of sending in mail, email, and comment cards as feedback. Please also keep in mind that the Roland Park Civic League has a robust and open and transparent Policy Approval policy where we will plan to meet over the next few weeks and ultimately vote on how we would like the DoT to proceed, and communicate that directly to the Director and Councilwoman Middleton.  I am confident that if we tune out the external rhetoric and have an evidenced-based, data-driven discourse we can find consensus as a community and gain the support of Councilwoman Middleton in delivering our message to the DoT.  We are not actually that far off from gaining consensus; a safer Roland Avenue for all users has always been our primary objective.  And it remains so.

See you tomorrow night!

Bob

Robert Connors
President, Roland Park Civic League

Important Update-June 14 DoT Meeting on Roland Avenue

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June 13, 2018

Dear fellow Roland Park residents,

Thursday evening June 14th there is an important meeting for our community with DOT regarding the safety and design of Roland Avenue. I encourage all concerned residents to attend, listen intently, and ask questions.

DOT has provided a brief format and agenda which includes a time for open discussion while circulating through stations to see the options up close and review the pros and cons with a DOT official. This agenda format was only provided to us late Wednesday afternoon, and we have several questions about it that we plan to address with the Director of the DOT today, and will forward updates as soon as we get them.

In preparation for this meeting, I would encourage everyone to go to our website and review the extensive work done by the Civic League and its numerous volunteer residents who have spent the last 2 years compiling and reviewing data and national best practices. This has obviously been an emotional time for our community, but a solution cannot come from opinion alone.  So, it’s time to harness that passion and energy into asking the difficult questions that will certainly come up tomorrow night.  I think the best way to ask those questions is to be prepared with data that supports that energy and passion so we can maintain a civil discourse.  Shouting down speakers and interrupting presentations does not allow for residents to hear the information being presented and ask their questions.  It also runs the very real risk that this public meeting will be shut down abruptly before we have had a chance to hear the information we need to move forward.

Tomorrow night’s meeting will not be the end of this discussion. I have been assured by Director Pourciau and Councilwoman Middleton that The Roland Park Civic League and its entire membership will be given an opportunity to consider the proposals by using our new Project Approval process after tomorrow night’s meeting. Roland Park has always met its challenges together.  In any consensus building, it is understood that not everyone gets everything they want.  But we can be assured that if we work together as neighbors we can find a solution that we can be proud of.  We have done it numerous times before, because we take our role as stewards of this beautifully designed neighborhood very seriously.  Let’s meet this latest challenge as we have in the past, with civility and common purpose, and create a safer Roland Avenue for generations to come.

See you tomorrow evening,

Bob

Robert Connors
President, Roland Park Civic League

DoT Public Meeting -Roland Avenue Cycle Track – June 14

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The Baltimore City Department of Transportation has announced a new Public Meeting on the Roland Avenue Cycle Track to take place on Thursday, June 14th from 6-7:30 at Roland Park Elementary/Middle School, 5207 Roland Avenue.

https://transportation.baltimorecity.gov/events/roland-avenue-cycle-track-community-meeting

Civic League meeting June 6th – revised start time

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The June meeting of the Roland Park Civic League will be held on Wednesday, June 6th at the North Baltimore Mennonite Church, 4615 Roland Avenue.  The meeting time has been changed to a 7:30PM start due to a conflict with a Roland Park Community Foundation event.

Annual Meeting May 22, 2018-Agenda, Minutes, Policies, Proxies, Slate of Nominees (revised)

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Announcement of Civic League Annual Meeting
Election of Directors and Officers

April 18, 2018

Dear Roland Park Civic League Members and Residents:

I am pleased to announce the annual meeting of the general membership of the Roland Park Civic League will take place on Tuesday, May 22, 2018 beginning promptly at 7:00 p.m. in the multi- purpose room at the Roland Park Elementary/Middle School. Doors will open at 6:30p for check-in, refreshments and a little live music. In the spirit of participative democracy, all Civic League members are encouraged to attend, and all interested Roland Park residents are invited. Among our responsibilities at this meeting will be the election of officers and plat representatives for the 2018-2019 term. A slate of officers and directors proposed by our nominating committee is enclosed with this letter. Additional nominations may be made from the floor.

Following introductions, we will conduct the election of officers and plat representatives. We will then hear a few words from our elected officials in attendance.

The Board of the Civic League will report on their significant activities for the past year and goals for the coming year. The Treasurer will provide a financial update and we’ll hear from the Roland Park Community Foundation, the Maintenance Committee, the newly formed Events Committee and we’ll present the current status of the Greater Roland Park Master Plan.

At last year’s annual meeting, we told you that committees had been formed to work on a project approval process, a communications policy and an ethics policy. All three are complete and we will provide detail on the finished products. We will also give you an update on the proposed development at Falls Road and Northern Parkway—the Overlook at Roland Park.

The evening will culminate with a follow up to the April 12th DOT meeting concerning safety on Roland Avenue and the RPCL request for the restoration of curbside parking with wider, safer bike lanes. Michelle Pourciau, the Director of the Department of Transportation, will be present to offer updated thoughts. Unlike the meeting at St. David’s, this is not an opportunity for us to voice opinions. We will, however, give you specific guidance on whom to contact with issues or concerns.

Those general members of the Roland Park Civic League whose dues are current are entitled to vote on Board nominations and any other business addressed at our annual meeting. If you have not paid your Civic League dues you will have the opportunity to pay by cash or check at the meeting. We look forward to seeing you on May 22nd.

Sincerely,

Hap Cooper
President, Roland Park Civic League

Agenda
Minutes of 2017 Annual Meeting (posted 5/15/18)
Standing Policies
Proxies
Slate of Nominees (revised)
Standing Rules

Roland Ave Traffic Incident Reporting online

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At the monthly board meeting of Roland Park Civic League on March 7, 2018 it was agreed to launch online traffic incident reporting for Roland Avenue. Please participate in this effort and share the link with others to facilitate aggregate data collection of past and future traffic incidents, which will be shared with Baltimore City Department of Transportation (BCDOT).

Roland Ave Traffic Incident Report
jotform 73096601282152

 

Save the Date-May 22, 2018 Annual Membership Meeting

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Mark your calendars and plan to attend the annual membership meeting of the Roland Park Civic League on Tuesday evening May 22, 2018 from 7-9PM in the auditorium of the Roland Park Elementary/Middle School, 5207 Roland Avenue. All residents are welcome to attend. Dues paying members are entitled to vote on our nominees for Officers and Plat Reps. Watch your mail in the next week for an official invitation that will include a slate of nominated candidates. Please remind your neighbors, too! (Note- this date has been changed from the earlier notice of May 16th)

April 12, 2018 BCDOT Presentation on Roland Avenue

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The Baltimore City Department of Transportation’s presentation materials on Roland Avenue from the April 12, 2018 public meeting are now available. Additional follow-up is expected at the Annual Membership Meeting on May 22nd.

BCDOT-Update-Presentation-4_12_18

BCDOT-Update-Display Boards-4_12_18

For background details see: Roland Avenue Update-BCDoT Letter 1/23/18,
Cycle Track Committee