DPW HWYS Ricky F assigned this issue to DPW HWYS Traffic

Thank you for submitting your request to the Howard County Department of Public Works\Traffic Engineering Divison. Our staff will investigate this issue and respond.

Please call our office 410-313-2430 with the ticket number 13283755 to discuss your concerns. Thank you,

Mr. Schultheis
Speed Humps are designed to provide an elongated pavement rise that is designed to allow vehicles to travel over them safely at or below the posted speed. To qualify for consideration of the community speed hump program, there are initial criteria and conditions which must be satisfied:

a. There must be a minimum of 1200 vehicle per day on the road. This includes all traffic in both directions during the 24-hour period.

b. The 85th percentile speed measured must be equal to or greater than 10 MPH over the posted speed limit of 25 MPH or 30 MPH. The 85th percentile speed (operating speed) is the speed that 85% of the drivers are traveling at or below.

c. A road must have more than 50% residential frontage (direct driveway access) and be classified as a local street or minor collector.

d. The roadway section under consideration must be equal to or greater than 1200 feet in length and must not exceed a 7% grade.

e. The roadway shall NOT fall within an Automated Speed Enforcement School Zone.

Should the roadway meet conditions (c), (d), and (e), data will be collected and assessed for traffic volumes and speed. If all the above criteria are met, the community may move forward with forming a Traffic Action Committee (TAC) to work with a DPW Traffic Engineer in the development of a layout plan for TAC presentation at a community meeting for community vote. Typically, the households that must drive over a proposed calming device to enter or exit their residence would be included on the voting list, with one vote per household by property owner. There must be a 2/3 vote in favor of the calming plan for installation of traffic calming.

Hardy Road is categorized as a local road with a posted regulatory speed limit of 30 MPH. As we just spoke on the phone, you are willing to take the lead on forming a TAC in your community and our office will use your email as an official request to order a speed study for Hard Road near 17221 Hardy Road.
As speeding is an enforcement issue, I encourage you and other residents to contact the Howard County Police to request enforcement - it would aid them if you can provide them with a typical time of day you notice speeding the most. An alternate option is to request the HCPD deploy a radar speed feedback sign; this device is temporarily installed on a rotating basis. Both requests can be made through the HCPD non-emergency number, (410) 313-2929.
Should you have any further questions, please feel free to contact our office at 410-313-2430.

A speed study was performed on Hardy Road from September 13th to September 14th, 2022 near 17221 Hardy Road. The average daily traffic volume is 527 vpd, 85th% speed is 40 mph along Eastbound Hardy Road, and 39 mph along Westbound Hardy Road. Since neither traffic volumes nor the speed on Hardy Road meet the condition (a) and (b) mentioned above, Hardy Road does not qualify for the speed hump program.
As speeding is an enforcement issue, I encourage you and other residents to contact the Howard County Police to request enforcement - it would aid them if you can provide them with a typical time of day you notice speeding the most. An alternate option is to request the HCPD deploy a radar speed feedback sign; this device is temporarily installed on a rotating basis. Both requests can be made through the HCPD non-emergency number, (410) 313-2929.
Should you have any further questions, please feel free to contact our office at 410-313-2430.

@0830 10/11/2022 A grey/black ford escape, driver white hair, came barreling down hardy road. My children and I had just pulled out of our home near the hill blind spot, I was going 20mph, and the ford escape came up on me so close I thought a crash was imminent. I could see the driver behind me; arms were up and mouth was cussing, he didn't know I just pulled out. I sped up to 30mph, and the ford escape then tried to pass me. An oncoming school bus had to stop, and so did the ford escape. I got out of my car to try to talk with the nut bag, but he reversed and turned.

Two warning signs on top of the two blind spots on the road, speed bumps, speed radar signs, and/or some traffic calming needs to happen. I have witnessed other dangerous driving here too - drivers think that because it is a long straight road, it is ok to speed. Residents that live on the central part of Hardy road are dodging dangerous drivers while getting in and out of their homes; walkers/joggers/bicyclists are diving into lawns at the hill top blind spots. This issue shouldn't be about how many cars; it is a dangerous road at the blind spots and something needs to happen to protect residents better.