Crosswalks

BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. - Drivers traveling on U.S. 522 in the Town of Bath are being reminded to stay alert and watch for people at crosswalks who want to get across the highway. They also are being asked to be aware of jaywalkers. "Drivers need to be extremely cautious while driving through town," Bath Police Chief James Minton said Thursday. Vehicle traffic on U.S. 522, the main thoroughfare through the Town of Bath, increases in the summer months with more people walking around town.

Northeast Ave. issue back to committee WAYNESBORO, PA. - About a dozen people who live near the intersection of Northeast Avenue and East Main Street attended a Waynesboro Borough Council meeting on Wednesday and expressed support for installing a traffic light there. They were divided on whether Northeast Avenue should be made a one-way street with northbound traffic. Many of the residents spoke about vehicles speeding in the area, making it dangerous to cross East Main Street to access the Waynesboro Mall.

Washington County Public Schools crossing guard Linda Corderman braves the cold, windy weather Wednesday afternoon as she helps Bester Elementary School students cross Maryland Avenue.

HANCOCK - Work is progressing on a high-tech Maryland State Highway Administration crosswalk on Md. 144 in downtown Hancock. "This type of crosswalk is very new," said George Small, assistant district engineer - traffic. A test crosswalk has been in operation in Hanover, Md., and there may be one other in Silver Springs, Md., Small said from his office in Cumberland, Md. Similar to the alarm systems in stores that alert personnel to customers who leave without paying, the crosswalk system consists of two poles, on either side of the street, that emit a signal when a pedestrian breaks the light beam.

Future is bright for Hagerstown To the editor: In Boonsboro resident Charles Miller's June 15 letter to the editor, he listed several questions he wished to have answered regarding the U.S. 40 "Streetscape" improvements in Hagerstown. 1. The City of Hagerstown did not fund this project. Absolutely no city tax funds were used. The project was funded in full by the Maryland State Highway Administration's (MDSHA) "Neighborhood Conservation Program. " Similar projects were completed by MDSHA on state routes in Hancock, Clear Spring, Boonsboro, Sharpsburg and other communities statewide.

scottb@herald-mail.com Some merchants in downtown Hagerstown said Monday that traffic congestion and delays resulting from state construction projects are hurting their businesses. "I do not want to give customers one more reason not to come downtown. And this certainly is not helping," said Tom Newcomer, president of R. Bruce Carson Jewelers on Public Square. "It has definitely affected our business. " Jim Baker, owner of Hoffman Clothiers Inc. at 15 N. Potomac St., said customers call to ask, "Can I get in and out quickly?"

scottb@herald-mail.com As part of the Maryland Highway Administration's U.S. 40 Streetscape project, scheduled for completion in June or July, contractors are replacing eight crosswalks from an earlier phase of Streetscape, Maryland Highway Administration spokeswoman Lori Rakowski said Friday. During the $1.7 million second phase of the state-funded project the contractor is scheduled to remove two crosswalks at Cannon Avenue and Washington Street, two at Cannon and Franklin Street and four at Potomac Street and Franklin, she said.

waynesboro@herald-mail.com Twenty years ago, Pennsylvania passed a law requiring motorists to stop for pedestrians at all intersections and crosswalks, marked or unmarked. Borough officials in Greencastle think drivers who are new to the area and even those who were around when the law was passed may either not know about the law or have forgotten how important it is for pedestrian safety, said Borough Councilwoman Sydnae Vanner. Vanner, Councilwoman Jean Oliver, Borough Manager Kenneth Myers and Police Chief Terry Sanders held a press conference Friday aimed at reminding drivers of the law. There are signs at the four main entrances to the borough telling drivers the law says they must stop for pedestrians, Sanders said.

Maryland State Highway Administration officials might have to curb part of their plans to renovate downtown Hagerstown's streetscape next spring. City officials told them Tuesday that plans to expand curbs and sidewalks into the street at several intersections could create traffic jams because tractor trailers might no longer have room to turn. Bill Park, the state's project engineer, said he was looking for that kind of feedback from city officials and the public. Each intersection will be reviewed to ensure there is room for turning trucks, Park said.

Streetscape project to improve downtown Downtown Hagerstown pedestrians and drivers will face a major renovation of roads and sidewalks next year, according to a Maryland State Highway Administration official. The state is expected to embark on a $1 million urban streetscape reconstruction downtown in May 1999 and have it completed by that winter, said Bill Park, engineering systems team manager in LaVale, Md. The project will be paid for with state and federal funds. Gov. Parris N. Glendening will be in Hagerstown on Monday to promote the project, which is part of his anti-sprawl Smart Growth initiative.