First Stop: Lawyers Hill / Rowanberry Intersection

We will begin our walk audit at the west end of the corridor where Montgomery Road intersects Rowanberry Drive and Lawyers Hill Road. This is the only intersection on our walk audit with a traffic signal, so we’ll be discussing pedestrian features at a signalized intersection. Take a look through the photos and Google Street View and respond to the questions below. When you’re done, click on ‘Next’ to go to the next stop.

Use the arrows to flip through more photos. To see larger images, hit "Pop Out". For Google Street View, you can tap and drag to move around within Street View.

Note: Google Street View may be outdated at these locations.

Lawyers Hill / Rowanberry Intersection

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Stop 1b: End of Sidewalk

From Stop 1, we’ll head east. Pretty soon, the sidewalk we are walking on ends. The sidewalk ends here because sidewalks are usually built and maintained by property owners. The next property does not have a sidewalk, creating disconnected pedestrian network. In contrast, most roads are built and maintained by the county or state.

Take a look through the photos and Google Street View and respond to the questions below. When you’re done, click on ‘Next’ to go to the next stop.

Sidewalk Ending

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Stop 2: Bus Stop at Steepridge Drive

As we continue east on Montgomery Road, we arrive at a bus stop for Route 409. The bus stop has a sign and a resting area.

There is a short sidewalk from the entrance of Montgomery Woods, but there are no sidewalks for pedestrians traveling from elsewhere. Safe sidewalks and crossings are essential for transit users to access the bus stop.

Take a look through the photos and Google Street View and respond to the questions below. When you’re done, click on ‘Next’ to go to the next stop.

Note: Google Street View may be outdated at these locations.

Steepridge Dr Bus stop

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Stop 3: Timberlee Rd Intersection

Let’s keep walking down Montgomery Road to the Timberlee Road intersection. The road curves and becomes steeper. The road becomes wider with the addition of turn lanes and merge lanes to accommodate traffic entering and exiting the school campuses. Heavy traffic often occurs at this intersection during arrival and dismissal, but these lanes are generally empty the rest of the day.

There are no sidewalks along this section. In addition, there is no dedicated location for pedestrians to cross Montgomery Road. While this is the entrance for vehicles to the elementary and middle schools, students living in the neighborhood south of Montgomery Road do not have easy walking access to their school.

Take a look through the photos and Google Street View and respond to the questions below. When you’re done, click on ‘Next’ to go to the next stop.

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Stop 4: Pinch Point on Montgomery Rd

Continuing east from Timberlee Road, Montgomery Road becomes a two-lane road again. A pinch point is created by a retaining wall on the east side of the road, and because the road is so narrow here, it is difficult to see oncoming traffic in both directions.

Currently, this pinch point forces pedestrians to cross to the other side of the road to avoid walking in the travel lane. In the future, this pinch point also creates a design challenge and could force unnecessary crossings if pedestrians want to stay on the sidewalk. Due to the speed and volume of traffic on Montgomery Road, sidewalks should be built on both sides.

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No questions here, but check out the video (be sure to pan around) to better understand what it looks and sounds like to walk along this section. When you’re done, click on ‘Next’ to go to the next stop.

Stop 5a: School access from Elkridge Crossing

Next, we're going to take a look at sidewalk design. At this stop, sidewalks exist on both sides of Montgomery Road. These sidewalks were built alongside its adjacent development, rather than being built for the whole road network. The differences in these sidewalks show they were built at different times and reflect changing county standards.

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Stop 5b: School Access from Lawyers Hill Apartments and Elkridge Crossing

Here we will discuss pedestrian access to Elkridge Elementary and Elkridge Landing Middle Schools. Students who live in the Lawyers Hill Apartments might be able to walk to school through the Elkridge Crossing complex on the other side of Montgomery Road. This is a quiet neighborhood with sidewalks. Students can use the staircase from Daniel John Drive to a path that leads to the middle school basketball courts.

For students to access this neighborhood, they must navigate a large intersection with no traffic signals, stop signs, or crosswalks.

Take a look through the photos and Google Street View and respond to the questions below. When you’re done, click on ‘Next’ to go to the next stop.

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Stop 6: Site Design

Finally, we will end our journey by taking a look at the site design of Elkridge Elementary and Middle Schools. School site design can influence travel choices and safety. For students and families walking or biking to school, sidewalks, pathways and separation from motor vehicles are essential for safe travel.

You did it!

You have completed Howard County’s first virtual walk audit! If you would like to stay up to date on this project, please add your contact information here.

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Thanks for participating in the virtual walk audit on Montgomery Road!