11/14/2007

Manklin Creek sidewalk nixed by commissioners
By Bob Lassahn

In what may be the final round in the ongoing battle to construct a sidewalk along Manklin Creek Road to facilitate a pedestrian crosswalk at the intersection of Manklin Creek and Route 589, on November 6 the Worcester County Commissioners voted unanimously to reject  the recent letter of request on the subject from Ocean Pines Association (OPA).

The controversy about whether the crosswalk is necessary and who would be responsible to build a sidewalk on the south side of Manklin Creek road ended with the commissioners' validation of a position not to encourage pedestrian traffic at the location unless a pedestrian signal is installed. However, according to the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) a signal would require a twelve hour traffic count producing a minimum of 100 pedestrian crossings in four of the twelve hours, or 190 pedestrian crossings in a single hour.

he debate was set in motion when the intersection was noted as dangerous by Commissioner Judy Boggs during a discussion of route 589 with SHA officials. SHA explained the requirement for sidewalks on both sides of the intersection before they would mark the crosswalk (a sidewalk already exists on the west side of the intersection on Pennington property) and OPA was designated as the entity responsible for the sidewalk on the east side of Route 589.

It was determined that OPA did not hold property on the southeast side of the intersection of county and state roads and OPA deferred responsibility back to the county. Subsequently the issue of a crosswalk encouraging pedestrians to negotiate the dangerous intersection because a crosswalk existed was interjected into the discussion.

At a recent OPA Board of Directors meeting, following the revelation that at least three accidents involving pedestrians have occurred at the location, the OPA Board determined to ask the county to construct the sidewalk, affirmed that the property owner would grant the necessary easement and requested the crosswalk to be marked.

There was no representative of OPA present when the matter was discussed during the regular meeting of the commissioners. As the matter was reviewed with Public Works Director John Tustin, Ms. Boggs interjected that the existing crosswalk at Cathell Road and Route 589 has been improved, but expressed continued objection to the addition of the Pennington crosswalk. The commissioners' vote will generate a letter of refusal to OPA.