Maryland
Howard County studies suggest ways to protect walkers and bicyclists in Elkridge
Howard County leaders are figuring out how to make Elkridge, Maryland, safer for everyone on the road, particularly for those walking or riding their bicycles.
The county recently released the results of two studies: the Elkridge Bicycle & Pedestrian Priority Area (BPPA) Plan and the Montgomery Road Multimodal Improvements Feasibility Study.
This work has been a priority for county leaders for years, with some projects already finished or in the works.
What the studies recommend
William Webb walks up and down Old Washington Road a lot, which includes a stretch without sidewalks. He said he hasn’t had any close calls, but there are a lot of drivers who press his luck.
“There are a lot of people out here racing and stuff like that, speeding, it’s too much of that,” Webb said.
He’s among several neighbors who said Elkridge could be more walker-friendly.
It’s why the results of the BPPA Plan are so important.
The county conducted the study in partnership with the State Highway Administration, focusing on major roads, including Route 1, Old Washington Road, and Montgomery Road.
The study suggests short-term fixes like adding raised crosswalks and a stop bar, while also looking at long-term solutions like high-visibility crosswalk markings.
The study also took into account future impacts, such as the expected extra traffic that will come when the new community center opens, which is set for the fall of 2027.
The study focusing on a stretch of Montgomery Road has four recommendations that include buffered bike lanes and a shared-use path, which is where walkers and bicyclists can use it simultaneously.
Howard County staff will come up with plans based on the recommendations and will bring them to the public for review when developed.
You can see the studies in full here and here.
What’s been done
Improving pedestrian and bicyclist safety has been a longtime priority for county leaders.
The fruit of that labor can be seen at Doctor Patel Drive and Route 1, where a traffic light and crosswalk system was installed.
County leaders broke ground on the project last summer.
Multiple people were hit and killed trying to cross this intersection in the past few years.
The intersection of Route 1 and Rowanberry Drive is another intersection getting upgrades, an inactive crosswalk system could be seen there Thursday.
Part of the upgrades there include building out a new sidewalk.
“Projects like these help us realize our shared vision of transforming Route 1 from a high-speed corridor with a history of pedestrian injuries, into a safer, more accessible and more pedestrian-friendly connection for all,” Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said during the Doctor Patel Drive project’s groundbreaking in June 2025.
Maryland
Your Voice Your Future | Town Hall
Baltimore Sun co-owner Armstrong Williams held a town hall to discuss juvenile justice in Maryland.
Williams was joined by a panel featuring DJS Chair Betsy Tolentino, City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates, and Todd Scott, the founder of ‘We Rise.’
There was also a studio audience of teen “success stories.”
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You can watch the full Town Hall above.
Maryland
GOP Panel Picks Replacement For Vacant 3rd District Seat
BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — Maryland State Del. Nino Mangione was picked over the weekend to serve as the County Council’s newest member.
The move came Saturday, when the two-person Baltimore County Republican Central Committee held a public hearing and a vote at the Holiday Inn Timonium.
Mangione was one of seven candidates vying to fill the 3rd District seat left vacant in May by Councilman Wade Kach, who resigned due to health issues after serving on the County Council for more than 11 years.
Other candidates who competed for the 3rd District seat included Todd Huff, Lynne Jones, Tim Braue, Eric Rockel, Gerard Wittstadt, and E.J. McNulty.
Mangione was the only figure who simultaneously ran for a council seat in this year’s election bid. He is also running as a 5th District candidate, which includes most of the current 3rd District.
The county is operating under a new redistricting map that was approved for the 2026 election cycle last year. The map was passed in a 5-2 vote.
Baltimore County will hold its primary election on June 23.
Maryland
Maryland Lt. Gov. responds to ballot error saying ‘It happens almost in every election’
MARYLAND (WBFF) — Starting Monday, June 1st, marks the first day mail-in ballots across the state will be canvassed for the 2026 primary elections, as local boards of election officials can begin the process of opening, reviewing, and counting the mail-in ballots already received.
Just last week, the Maryland State Board of Elections began sending out replacement mail-in ballots after an error assigned hundreds of thousands of residents to the wrong political party.
ALSO READ | Maryland State Board of Elections starts sending out corrected mail-in ballots after error
The Board of Elections has pointed the finger at its vendor, Taylor Print and Visual Impressions, Inc., for this error, but members of Congress and political analysts say more answers are needed on how this happened.
“A mail-in ballot error like this only leads to people getting into more conspiracy theories, election rigging, back to the 2020 talk all over again,” said Political analyst John Dedie.
Just a few days ago, FOX News Digital posted an interview with Maryland’s Lieutenant Governor, asking for a response to President Donald Trump’s calls for the Department of Justice to investigate the state’s mail-in ballots.
ALSO READ | Maryland Freedom Caucus calls mail-in ballot error a crisis, urges federal audit of rolls
“The administration is a separate body from the board of elections,” said Maryland Lt. Governor Aruna Miller. “It happens, sometimes Ballots get mailed the wrong way. It happens almost in every election. So we’ll see what the investigation shows…I don’t think it was in malice, in any bad way that this happened. I think it was just error by the vendor.”
Meanwhile, at the latest Maryland State Board of Elections meeting, Maryland State Board of Elections Administrator Jared DeMarinis answered questions from board members if an outer investigation will take place following the election.
“We always do a lessons learned after every election,” said DeMarinis. “And this will be a part of our lessons learned, and we will, of course, be working with you know and getting more you know information about how to prevent this in the future, with it.”
DeMarinis adding…”we’ve been open and transparent about it. I don’t necessarily know what more of an investigation would shed light on.”
According to the Board, more than 500,000 voters requested mail-in ballots.
Without being able to identify who received the wrong party ballot, the board says all mail-in voters were sent replacements.
The Board is urging all voters to vote with the replacement ballot, adding safe guards are in place to ensure voting will not happen.
Since this error, a Congressional committee has reached out to the Board requesting a response by June 9th.
ALSO READ | Congressional committee members want answers about Maryland’s mail-in ballot mistake
FOX45 spoke with Republican Congressman Morgan Griffith of Virginia. Griffith said, “We will be keeping an eye on it because we have concerns we want to make sure that the federal elections, state folks can do whatever in the state or local elections, but in the federal elections it’s our job to make sure that voters are getting an opportunity to vote that they’re not being disenfranchised by some accident or intentional act.”
Political analysts also tell FOX45 that more answers are needed to ensure voter confidence.
“There needs to be more answers and possibly a hearing on this,” said Dedie. “Not wait till next year when they’re back in Annapolis after the election.
For now, anyone who has questions on this error and the next steps, the Board is urging you to contact them or go to their website.
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