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.

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 vehicles and a maximum of 4000 vehicles 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, but no more than 45 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 6% 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.
Log Chain Road is categorized as a local road with a posted regulatory speed limit of 25 MPH. The roadway is approximately 1600 feet long between Mellenbrook Road and Thunder Hill Road. Per traffic study from December 5th to December 8th, 2017, traffic volume on Log Chain Road near Winterfield Lane was 557 vehicles per day, 85th% speed was 28.6 MPH. Although the data was a few years old, we do not expect the traffic volume would increase to 1200 VPD today. Therefore Log Chain Road would not qualify for 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.HCPD is accepting the reporting of non-emergency traffic complaints via online reporting at the following link: https://www.howardcountymd.gov/police/report-traffic-complaints . Complaints are being accepted in three categories, Isolated Traffic Incidents, Recurring Traffic Incidents, and Parking Complaints. The internet portal is what is used by HCPD to determine and schedule enforcement.

Since 2017, the new Howard County Courthouse was constructed and the new interchange at 175/29N was completed. This has increased the traffic on Log Chain Rd, particularly during the workweek.

Additionally, and as my neighbor has pointed out, this road is used by young children/students and residents commuting to and from the elementary school adjacent to Log Chain Rd. Log Chain Rd is also used for several bus stops for the middle and high schools. In other words, children are constantly walking on this road. Between the low visibility crosswalk, the cars parking on Log Chain Rd, and the increase in traffic, this is a disaster waiting to happen.

Please reconsider before it's too late.

Please call our office at 410-313-2430 with SCF#14592952 to discuss your concerns. Thanks,

The speed study on Log Chain Road from March 19th to 20th, 2024 indicated that the 85th% speed is 31mph (Westbound) and 30 mph (Eastbound). The average daily traffic volume is 476 VPD.