Greater Olney Civic Organization Proposes Sidewalk Along MD-108

By Tyler Ruth ’16

The Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) recently created a plan to install a sidewalk that extends from MD-650 (New Hampshire Ave) westward to Brooke Road next to the Sandy Spring Post Office to comply with requirements set in place by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Greater Olney Civic Association (GOCA) has recently sent a resolution to the SHA which slightly revises the original plan and hopes for a westward extension to Dr. Bird Road, which would allow the connection of Olney and Sandy Spring and make it easier and safer for walkers to commute to and from school.

Olney and Sandy Spring are two towns that are home to many Sherwood students. Currently, there is no way to commute from one town to the other without driving or walking along dirt paths, made from the footsteps of hundreds of students over the years.

The current plan by the SHA would leave no connection to Sherwood Elementary School and thus no connection to the sidewalk that starts to the east of Sherwood Elementary and extends to Marden Lane (.4 miles west of Dr. Bird Road). The GOCA argues that the current plan does not account for requirements put in place by the Americans with Disabilities Act as there is no connection for walkers and people in wheelchairs to make their ways across, and the whole point of the original plan by the SHA is to account for ADA requirements.

To add to the plan, the GOCA also argues that the short trail that extends from Sherwood Elementary to Marden Lane should be extended an extra 2,000 feet to connect to Dr. Bird. They assert that “this section of road is narrow, winding and without any safety shoulder” and that it is in the best interest of all people, drivers and walkers, to extend the sidewalk through this area.

The current proposed plan has the sidewalk as a “shared-use path,” which entails a 10-foot wide sidewalk separated from the street. Shared-use paths are used by bikers and walkers alike, which will also ensure safety of not both students and drivers, as one will not need to pass bikers on the left and put themselves at risk of being hit by oncoming traffic. The current plan for the sidewalk is to be built on the north side of 108, across from Sherwood.