Hagerstown High School Safety Study
WBCM conducted a site inventory, road safety/walkability audit, and field observations of vehicular, school bus, and pedestrian behavior along MD 635 fronting Hagerstown High School. Intersection turning movement and corridor volume, classification, speed, pedestrian, and bicycle data were collected. The project entailed interviewing the school to verify concerns, reviewing crash data, assessing lighting, and identifying key origins and destinations for pedestrian activity such as a local shopping center and residential neighborhood. The project scope further required developing innovative mitigation options, including signing/marking designs for positive pedestrian guidance; adding pedestrian phases to adjacent signals; safety lighting upgrades; a new Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant sidewalk to address missing links; road diet along MD 635 to provide pedestrian and bicycle compatibility; traffic calming measures such as a raised median island, rumble strips, narrow lanes, and landscaping; and educating students on pedestrian safety through eliminating off-site parking and unsafe crossing of MD 635. Highway engineering reviews were conducted for sidewalk and geometric designs.
- Client
- MDOT SHA District 6
- Service(s) Provided
- Traffic Planning, Highway Engineering, Traffic Engineering
- Location
- Washington County, MD