Community Voices Needed: Urge Officials to Address Phelps Luck Drive Safety
Action Needed: Our community needs your help! Please reach out to county officials to demand additional traffic calming measures on Phelps Luck Drive.
-------------------------------------------------
Dear Neighbors and Supporters,
Thank you so much for signing and supporting the petition for additional traffic calming measures on Phelps Luck Drive. Your recognition of this problem and your willingness to speak up has already made a difference.
Because of our collective efforts, the Howard County Police Department recently placed temporary speed panels to promote driver awareness and compliance with the posted 25 mph speed limit. The HCPD conducted a speed survey on Phelps Luck Drive at Halflight Garth between 9/3 and 9/6, which showed an 85th percentile speed of 33–34 mph in a 25 mph zone. The 85th percentile speed means that 15% of drivers are going even faster than 34 mph, while most are already well above the speed limit. This level of speeding puts families, children, and seniors at serious risk, especially since a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling at 35 mph has a 50% chance of dying. The police have responded by increasing their presence on Phelps Luck Drive, and in 90 minutes this past Tuesday (even after the speed panels were deployed), I personally witnessed an officer pull over at least 10 drivers for speeding. Both the speed survey data and the number of drivers pulled over highlight the urgent need for traffic calming and enforcement before a tragedy occurs.
While police presence is a step forward, research clearly shows that lasting safety improvements come from infrastructure changes such as raised crosswalks, rectangular rapid-flashing beacons (RRFBs), and stop signs. I have shared this research—as well as documentation on why the outdated 85th percentile metric should not guide residential safety decisions—with the Department of Public Works, County Council, County Executive, Highways Department, and Department of Transportation. Unfortunately, I have yet to receive a response.
That’s why I’m asking for your continued support. We need to raise our collective voices and urge decision-makers, listed below and linked here, to act.
Below I have provided a template letter that you can use (linked here), but I encourage you to personalize your message. Share your concerns, near-miss experiences, or observations about dangerous driving. Firsthand accounts are powerful and show the urgency of this issue.
Specifically, we are asking for raised crosswalks, RRFBs, and stop signs—particularly at the intersections of Phelps Luck Drive and Billow Row and/or Phelps Luck Drive and Halflight Garth, where multiple collisions with parked cars, trees, and pedestrian near-misses have already occurred.
Together, we can keep pushing until real, permanent safety measures are implemented. Thank you again for your commitment to protecting our families, children, and neighbors.
With appreciation,
Leanne Brech
ldellibovi@gmail.com
Phelps Luck Drive Resident, Mother of Two, Phelps Luck Elementary School Teacher
----------------------
How You Can to Take Action:
1. Contact the following representatives and departments:
Calvin Ball (County Executive) - cball@howardcountymd.gov
Opel Jones (District 2 County Council Representative) - ojones@howardcountymd.gov
Ashly Alston (Community Engagement Specialist for Opel Jones) - aalston@howardcountymd.gov
Howard County Police Department Traffic Unit - hcpdtraffic@howardcountymd.gov
Highways Department - highways@howardcountymd.gov
Marcus Harris (County Sheriff) - maharris@howardcountymd.gov
Michael Harris (Howard County Gov’t Chief of Staff) - mrharris@howardcountymd.gov
Howard County Department of Public Works (DPW) Traffic Engineering Division - traffic@howardcountymd.gov
Howard County Department of Public Works (our particular traffic calming plan is Capital Project T-7089) - publicworks@howardcountymd.gov
Howard County Office of Transportation - transportation@howardcountymd.gov
Natasha Aidoo (DPW Engineering Specialist) - naidoo@howardcountymd.gov
Jennifer Woo (Chief, Traffic and Engineering Division) - jwoo@howardcountymd.gov
Long Reach Community Association Board - info@longreach.org
2. Include your personal story: Mention any dangerous incidents, near-misses, or concerns you have witnessed. This makes your message more compelling.
3. Use the template letter as a starting point, but feel free to modify it to include your own voice and experiences.
Letter Template
Dear ____________________,
As a concerned member of the Long Reach community, I am deeply alarmed by the high speeds, lack of safe crossings, and frequent near-misses on Phelps Luck Drive, which pose serious risks to residents, children, and anyone walking along or crossing this road. The County’s current plans for traffic calming at Phelps Luck Drive, specifically at the intersections of Billow Road and Halflight Garth, do not go far enough to protect pedestrians or ensure safety.
Research is clear: raised crosswalks slow vehicles at the point of crossing and make pedestrians more visible, significantly reducing the likelihood of severe injury. Stop signs are one of the most effective and low-cost tools to calm traffic, encourage drivers to watch for pedestrians, and reduce speeding. Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) have been shown to increase driver yield rates dramatically—up to 96% in some studies—making them a proven, lifesaving tool where pedestrians need to cross busy roads.
Phelps Luck Drive is not a highway—it is a residential street lined with homes, schools, a daycare, playgrounds, and both public and school bus stops. Families should not have to fear crossing their own street or sending their children to school. Yet cars regularly travel at unsafe speeds, creating unacceptable risks for everyone who lives here.
Howard County’s own Complete Streets Policy guidance on speed management emphasizes that safety must take priority over vehicle speed, traffic flow, or driver convenience, particularly for the most vulnerable users—including pedestrians, children, seniors, and people with additional accessibility needs. Streets where vulnerable users are present should be designed to reduce excessive vehicle speeds, creating a net benefit for the community.
Based on the County’s existing Traffic Calming Initiative, the proposed addition of a crosswalk across Phelps Luck Drive at the intersection with Halflight Garth—without accompanying measures such as raised crosswalks, stop signs, or RRFBs—could increase risk to pedestrians. Cars tend to accelerate while traveling downhill from the existing stop sign at Thurso Court and the proposed intersection speed table at Luckpenny Place (each approximately 0.25 miles from Halflight Garth). Vehicles traveling downhill from Billow Row have been observed to exceed speeds of 45 mph. Since Halflight Garth is at the bottom of the hill in both directions, the danger will be even greater for anyone crossing at this intersection. Slowing cars at Billow Row and at Halflight Garth could ensure safe crossing and prevent a potential tragedy.
The County has a responsibility to prioritize safety over convenience, as its own guidance clearly directs. Implementing stronger measures like raised crosswalks, additional stop signs, and RRFBs is not optional—it is essential to preventing injuries and saving lives. Half measures are simply not enough.
I urge you to act swiftly and decisively by installing meaningful traffic-calming and pedestrian-safety infrastructure on Phelps Luck Drive. The community deserves streets where children, seniors, and all residents can walk safely—anything less fails to uphold Howard County’s commitment to protecting its residents.
Protect our children. Protect our neighbors. Protect our community. Act now.