Howard County seeks funds for road projects, sidewalks and traffic-calming; Guilford multiuse path and Santa Road among priorities

The Department of Public Works outlined proposed FY26 investments in road construction, resurfacing, bridges, sidewalks and traffic safety. Staff described a portfolio of projects at various stages of design and permitting and answered council questions about timing, right-of-way, developer contributions and how the department schedules work to avoid conflicts with other capital projects.

Notable project updates and staff comments: - Santa Road improvements: DPW is working on design; resurfacing added bike lanes where pavement width allowed and the department is now studying a shared-use path option. Design funds have been spent; construction funding has not been requested in FY26 pending final concept and right-of-way decisions. Council members noted likely property-acquisition challenges along Santa Road. - Guilford Road multiuse path: the project is split into phases (phase 1 from US 1 toward Winterbrook, phase 2 the Volmerhausen intersection improvements, and phase 3 toward Oakland Mills). DPW said revised designs tied to the updated Complete Streets manual should reduce property acquisitions; phase 3 is progressing toward 60% design and construction is targeted in FY26or early FY27 for some segments. - Clarksville streetscape (J7108): design will continue; construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in FY27 and run through FY29. DPW said the project is complex and will likely be phased to address different sides of the corridor. - Sidewalks and school-route projects: DPW confirmed that many sidewalk requests are designed to serve nearby schools; the department said revised school-walk-zone policies reduce some long-distance obligations but that projects immediately adjacent to schools remain a priority. - Bridges: DPW reported multiple bridge and culvert projects in repair design; cost-share arrangements vary. The Brighton Dam bridge project will be a three-way cost-share (including WSSC) and was described as more complex than a typical small-bridge repair. DPW said some state-county intersection projects are on hold pending state partnership or funding. - Traffic calming (T70089): council heard that since the county revised its residential speed-calming policy, DPW has received 260+ traffic-calming requests in a single intake period. Staff said they will prioritize requests, consider consultant support for delivery and consolidate public outreach where feasible. Where communities were united, DPW said projects such as speed humps could be completed quickly; where votes were previously required, the new process allows DPW to proceed when traffic data and policy criteria support action.

Funding and programmatic notes: developer contributions frequently fund new subdivision street lights and associated conduits; DPW holds developer-paid street-light monies and releases them to BGE when conditions are met. DPW said PAYGO, bond proceeds and grants are used in combination depending on project type. Council members flagged multi-year projects that have had no recent spend-down and asked staff to review whether lingering appropriations should remain active in the capital book.

Why it matters: the projects cover safety, multimodal access and neighborhood livability. Council members emphasized pedestrian safety and the need to pair pavement work with green-streets and right-sizing initiatives to avoid widening roads unnecessarily.

Council follow-up requests and next steps: DPW will supply more up-to-date lists of pending projects and funding status, will continue coordinating right-of-way needs with council offices, and will provide greater detail on schedule and acquisition needs for Santa Road, Guilford Road and Clarksville.

No formal votes were cast on road, sidewalk, bridge or traffic projects during the session.