Latest news with #BaltimoreCityDOT
CBS News
08-08-2025
- Automotive
- CBS News
1,100 traffic lights in Baltimore City are being retimed. Here's what to know
1,100 Baltimore City traffic signals are being retimed, according to the Baltimore City Department of Transportation (DOT). The signals being retimed span across all regions of the city. According to the city, the project, which started in April 2023, will be fully completed in 2026. Traffic signal retiming is the process of synchronizing traffic lights so that cars, people, bikes, and other vehicles move as safely as possible. The synchronization impacts how long each light remains at stop, slow down, or go before changing. The city says the retiming needs to be done to improve pedestrian safety, improve connectivity, reduce speeding, and reduce traffic delays. Traffic congestion has negatively impacted Baltimore drivers, according to INRIX, a company that analyzes traffic data. The INRIX 2024 Global Traffic Scorecard says that Baltimore City ranked 13th among the most congested U.S. urban areas in 2024. In 2024, the average driver in Baltimore lost 48 hours to traffic congestion, an increase from 44 hours in 2023. The cost of this lost time amounted to $859 per driver, totaling $1 billion for the city, due to congestion. INRIX calculated the money lost per driver by multiplying the number of hours lost in congestion by a standard "value of time" figure, according to the report. During the morning peak travel hours, the average downtown driving speed was 14 miles per hour. The INRIX U.S. Signals Scorecard, most recently updated in 2022, says that cumulatively, an average traffic signal accounts for nearly 82 hours of delay per day. That report uses connected vehicle GPS data to analyze vehicle movement through traffic signals.
CBS News
18-04-2025
- General
- CBS News
Construction underway to boost pedestrian safety at Baltimore's Inner Harbor
Baltimore is increasing pedestrian safety downtown by improving parts of the Inner Harbor, according to Baltimore City DOT. The initiative is focused on upgrading pedestrian infrastructure while making the area easier to navigate for walkers, runners, and bicyclists. Construction is set to start in May and is expected to last about nine months as BCDOT works on Pratt Street at the intersections of Light, Calvert, and President Streets. Improvements to those intersections include: The improvements will not alter or change the existing footprint as they are designed to enhance and modify the current structure while maintaining its original scale and layout. Baltimore DOT said construction work will be done at night from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. However, temporary lane closures are to be expected. Though the number of affected lanes depends on the phase of construction workers are in. City officials said engagement liaisons will work with the community to inform residents and businesses in the area. They will host a meeting with impacted stakeholders before construction begins. A meeting is slated for April 29. The rush of cars, large groups of people, and zooming bicycles can stop you in your tracks along the Inner Harbor. "This intersection is pretty cool," Baltimore resident Derick Ausby said. "It could be better." Shaka Pitts, the founder of the group Do the Bike Thing, has biked around this area several times and understands the busy traffic flow. "There's not an intentional biking space," he said. "So, you have to sort of understand that you're part of traffic and ride accordingly." Even visitors like Wes Wooten had a little trouble understanding pedestrian signs and signals around the Inner Harbor. "The lights that illuminate the stop and the walk sign, they seem a little difficult to see as your crossing the street," Wooten said. Pitts calls this project a win and looks forward to clearer signage in the area. "You have people walking," he said. "You have people riding bikes. You have a lot going on in one space. So, if there's intentional signage saying, 'Hey, ... don't do this here. Walk this way, ride this way. Slow down. Things of that nature to make people aware. I think that's a win."
