Rush hour on Gwynns Falls Parkway has become a daily struggle for drivers heading west. “Almost every day I travel this way, it’s very frustrating,” one driver said.
The redesign of the road two years ago, which reduced two westbound lanes to one and added a new row of parking, has exacerbated the situation. “It doesn’t make sense, right? Because more traffic more lanes… not more traffic less lanes,” another driver remarked.
The narrowed lanes have led to dangerous driving behaviors, with some motorists creating their own paths through traffic, often resulting in damage.
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“I’ve had at least twelve sideswipes to my car… my husband’s mirror was knocked off. They don’t care,” said Linda Batts, President of the O’Hanlon Improvement Association. Emergency vehicles also face challenges, as they struggle to navigate the congested road. “If they get stuck in this traffic, they have no way to weave around,” noted Batts.
Wednesday afternoon, community leaders led a protest along Gwynns Falls Parkway after failing to convince city leaders to take action. “They just implemented these aggressive traffic calming measures without the community being consulted,” Batts said.
“We have been neglected here.” The protest drew the attention of State’s Attorney Ivan Bates, who stated, “It’s not a criminal justice problem, but sometimes we wanna partner with the communities because the communities don’t believe they have a voice.”
In a statement, city transportation officials assured residents they are listening. “The Department of Transportation takes community concerns seriously and carefully evaluates them as part of our ongoing efforts to improve our transportation infrastructure and keep communities safe,” officials wrote in a statement.
However, for those caught in the daily gridlock, the frustration continues. “These people coming home from a hard day’s work… don’t need to be held up in traffic because of people in office who are entrusted to do the right thing and they don’t do it,” said Batts.