General Growth Properties' announced plan to put 5,500 dwellings in downtown Columbia over the next 30 years deserves every bit of the skepticism that's greeted it, but the firm's ideas about new roadways connecting Town Center with Oakland Mills and other points make a lot of sense.

Even if GGP never gets close to fulfilling its ambitious housing plans, any significant revitalization of downtown -- particularly one that includes an infusion of new housing -- will require a revamping of the road system that includes new entry and exit points.

Columbia's peculiar looping, branching street network has created some rush-hour choke points in Town Center, a situation that will only get worse without an overhaul that gives motorists some new ways to get in and out.

The GGP road plan for Town Center also has the potential to direct some traffic toward the village center in Oakland Mills, which has struggled for years, in part because it's tucked away in a part of the village where not even much local traffic seems to go.

We'll reserve the right to some skepticism on this road plan, but at first glance we like what we see.

user comments (1)

user howardcountywatchdog says...

You obviously were not present at the GGP traffic presentation, or you don't have the foggiest idea of what transportation engineering/design is all about. The proposal to put a bridge over Lake Kittamaqundi and connect into Route 29 would be a COLOSSAL mistake. Although this route would become the more desirable route to quickly get off Route 29 and into Town Center, and although it would "relieve" the other current congestion spots, this route itself would become choked and traffic would back up onto Route 29. How big of a disasterous and DANGEROUS situation would that be? If you don't think it's possible, just look at how traffic backs up from Broken Land Parkway onto Route 29 in the afternoons.

All this proposal is doing is taking a current bad traffic situation and making it 10 times worse.

Posted 10:59 AM, 05.20.08

• Permalink