In a meeting with Baltimore City Department of Transportation last week, Bikemore received an update on the 2.6 mile Maryland Ave Cycle Track. Current construction timelines estimate the project to begin construction in the Spring of 2016.
Here are some important milestones for the project we are watching to ensure the project does not experience any further delays.
Toole Design is currently putting together the PSE (plans, specifics, and estimates).
Baltimore Department of Transportation will advertise the project by 9/9.
Timeline for advertising is four weeks.
This means it will be mid November when the contract is awarded.
Given construction schedules it is unlikely whichever company is awarded the contract will begin construction before winter.
This means a Spring 2016 construction start.
The project is estimated to take 90 days for construction.
Included in the contract is the work to implement the Downtown Bicycle Network. This will include conventional bike lanes on Preston and Biddle and protected cycle tracks on Centre, Monument and Madison.
Additionally Bikemore has been communicating with Baltimore City DOT our recommendations for creating better connection to the Maryland Ave cycle track. BCDOT is already at work to improve signaling at Maryland and 29th st, and listening to input to improve safety and wayfinding from all routes feeding into the cycle track.
And while we are all frustrated with the delays, BCDOT deserves credit for ensuring that the plans didn’t languish in State Highway Administration final review. This is a priority of ours and theirs, and we appreciate them doing all they can within a less than perfect system to get the cycle track installed.
Despite perceptions, construction of the Roland Ave cycle track did not contribute to the delay.
Our hope is that as more of these projects get underway, the more comfortable State Highway Administration gets in quickly approving plans and empowering BCDOT to build the connected bicycle network we deserve.