PARKVILLE, Md. — After 76 traffic incidents over three years, some folks in Parkville have had enough.
A group of neighbors there are asking for a traffic light outside a senior living community where thousands of older Marylanders live.
Keith Derrickson, a six-year resident of the Oak Crest senior community, said a light should be placed on Walther Boulevard on Parkville at the community's entrance, "so that people can make a left-hand turn out of here without taking their life in their hands."
Not only for the safety of the older folks who live there but also for the newly licensed young drivers who work there.
"I mean, anybody that would have a fatality out here is a tragedy. But to have a kid lose their life would be a catastrophe. So we want to make sure we're protecting everybody for safety," Derrickson told WMAR.
Folks in the community are pushing for a signal, attending a county budget town hall last week at Perry Hall High School, holding signs reading 'Oak Crest Traffic Light.'
"We talked about, the fact that there's been [in] the last 3 years, 2021 to 2024, there's been 76 traffic incidents right out here in front of our community," Derrickson added.
A letter this month from Maryland Delegates Kathy Szeliga (R) and Ryan Nawrocki (R) said the safety for everyone who enters and exits is of 'increasing concern,' asking for a 'thorough' study of the traffic, confident it would justify the need for a traffic signal.
"Putting a traffic light here will help mobility in and out of the community," explained David Marks, a member of the Baltimore County Council. Marks' district encompasses the senior living community.
Marks is in favor of a light on Walther Blvd and a safer way to get to Belmont Park across the street.
Marks described potential roadblocks to the proposal.
"Engineering analysis, that's always an issue. Secondly, limited money. I mean there's a lot of communities that want traffic lights and speed bumps. Thirdly, I think there's a lot of residents who might resist this idea. People like getting from point A to point B, and traffic lights obviously stop that. And we're just asking them to be considerate of everyone who uses the roads," Marks said.
The Dept. of Public Works would have to evaluate the traffic, and the County Executive would have to approve funds in the budget - typically a few hundred thousand dollars, Marks described.
“Oak Crest’s highest priority is the safety and well-being of those who live and work in our community," Mark Roussey, Oak Crests' executive director, told WMAR, "We support further study to identify the best means of reducing traffic-related incidents on Walther Blvd.”
The office of County Executive Johnny Olszewski did not immediately return a request for a comment.
