St. Mary's commissioners hear Transportation Plan update; set Dec. 9 hearing on as‑built Preston Court–Morgan Road intersection

Acting Department of Public Works and Transportation Director Donald Mills presented a high‑level overview of the Transportation Plan Update 2025, an update to the county's 2006 plan that emphasizes multimodal mobility, reliability, sustainability, and equity. Mills said the update reviews roadway classifications, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, transit, airport access, emergency evacuation routes and an electric‑vehicle infrastructure plan, and uses traffic‑demand forecasting to identify future capacity needs.

Mills described operational strategies in the draft including traffic‑incident and work‑zone management, active traffic management and smart traffic signals as lower‑cost ways to preserve system performance. He said project priorities were developed from capital improvement programs, the Calvert‑St. Mary's MPO long‑range plan and local transportation studies, and noted a typographical error in the draft (page 52 should read “Bay Ridge Road”). "Growth is really the reason why the transportation plan needs to be reviewed and updated," Mills said.

No members of the public signed up to speak at the hearing; County Administrator David Weiskopf explained the public comment period will remain open through 11/25/2025 and comments can be emailed to csmc@stmaryscountymd.gov or mailed to the county's PO Box.

On a related agenda item, Mills described an intersection in the Broyhill subdivision where the developer built an alignment that differs from the commissioners' 2012 approval. Mills said staff inspected the roadway and identified a short punch list for the road surface, and that a 2023 traffic analysis supported placing a yield sign in the field to raise driver awareness of the change. Commissioners and staff discussed safety and signage; one commissioner asked whether accident records existed (Mills said he had not found any in the sheriff's office records to his knowledge).

Commissioner Mike Alderson moved to hold a public hearing on the Preston Court–Morgan Road realignment on Dec. 9, 2025, at 9:30 a.m.; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. If the commissioners ultimately approve the configuration, Preston Court would later be considered for acceptance into the county road maintenance system, which would include setting a speed limit and formalizing signage and stop control.