Safety improvements planned for Pikesville road after mass-casualty MTA bus crash
More than two months after a mass-casualty crash involving an MTA bus on Reisterstown Road in Pikesville, the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) is considering ways to make the stretch of roadway safer.
Drivers and business owners along the busy roadway say that even after the massive crash, drivers continue to speed and drive recklessly.
"The drivers, they still drive crazy," said Neha Gupta, owner of Neha Threading Salon and Spa.
Lauren Gordon, a Baltimore County resident, said she sees drivers speeding daily.
"People are always speeding down this road. Sometimes it makes me nervous."
SHA planning traffic safety improvements
Both Gupta and Gordon said more needs to be done to slow drivers down and prevent crashes.
"The speed should be a little less, and they need to definitely put more cameras on the roads," Gupta said.
Gupta was working in July when an MTA bus barreled through traffic, striking multiple vehicles before crashing into a FedEx store. More than three dozen people were injured.
Now, the Maryland State Highway Administration is working on several traffic safety improvements along the corridor.
In a statement to WJZ, SHA said its plan includes maintaining left-lane restrictions, adding additional 30-mph speed limit signs and installing optical speed bars along southbound MD 140 approaching Old Court Road to encourage drivers to slow down.
White edge lines are also being installed to narrow the lanes and further reduce speeds along MD 140 inside the Beltway.
SHA also has a safety and resurfacing project in the design phase that would modernize traffic signals along MD 140, upgrade ADA facilities and pave and restripe the roadway. The project would also improve lane markings with fresh striping.
New law takes effect on Oct. 1
SHA also pointed to a new law taking effect Oct. 1.
"On October 1, the Vulnerable Road User Protection Act takes effect," SHA said. "The law authorizes SHA to use speed monitoring in safety corridors identified as high-risk for vulnerable road users and provides a framework for local jurisdictions to do the same."
The MD 140 Reisterstown Road corridor has been identified as high-risk for vulnerable road users and will be eligible for automated speed enforcement.
"SHA will continue working closely with our partners at the Baltimore County Police Department for targeted speed enforcement to strengthen safety in the area," the agency said.
There is currently no timeline for when all of the safety measures will be implemented. State officials said they are working to move the project forward as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, the cause of the MTA bus crash remains under investigation.
