The 501

Issue date: 5/12/08 Section: News

Picture yourself strolling pass a vast array of stores, boutiques, and restaurants. There's beautiful scenery, elaborate landscaping and these attractions are all centered around a traffic circle. This by no means is any-old roundabout. Here pedestrians are allowed to safely share the road with motorists, thus creating an atmosphere where footing-it to and from is encouraged.

If London's Piccadilly Circus comes to mind then think more local-local as in the newly improved Towson Circle.

Boarded by Joppa, York, Dulaney Valley Roads and Allegheny Avenue, the Towson circle's new pedestrian friendly improvements are only the beginning of renovations around Towson.

The Office of Planning, the Office of Community Conservation and the Department of Public Works from Baltimore County have teamed with organizations in the Greater Towson area to aid in bringing out Towson's ample social potential. Since January 2006 they've worked together to give a facelift to such city attractions as: Towson Town Center, York Road (Main Street), and the Towson circle.

The once four lane roundabout has been reduced to two lanes with both fewer exit and entrances. Speed was another concern with the Towson circle.

"Traffic had to be slowed to make The Circle more safe for pedestrians," said Baltimore County's Department of Public Works official, David Fidler.

With speed and lane reductions, it is the hope of Baltimore County Officials that motorists stray from using Towson as a detour for their destinations.

"We want to discourage motorists from using the center of Towson as a cut through to the Beltway," added Fidler.

In addition to these changes, most of the landscaping in the center of the circle will be reconfigured, and by fall, concrete barriers will replace temporary medians.

Evolving foot traffic in Towson not only gives the city a boost socially, but also economically. Retailers in the Towson circle plaza can definitely expect higher volume with the increase of pedestrians.

"After five in the evening, it's usually dead for most businesses in [this] area but higher foot traffic will alter that" explains Fidler.

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