August 21, 2019
Media Contact: Mark Miller, Administrator, Office of Public Information Office, 410-313-2022
COLUMBIA – On Thursday, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball will cut the ribbon on the new Howard Community College (HCC) Connector as part of his “Complete Streets” vision for transportation. The event will also feature Ball’s announcement of new “Complete Streets” policy to ensure safe accommodation for all street users, whether walking, biking, taking transit, or driving.
“Over 3,000 people commute to work and school at Howard Community College, and they all deserve a safe, inclusive, and convenient way to get there,” said Ball. “The future of transportation in Howard County will include everyone, regardless of income or ability, through our Complete Streets vision. Our HCC Connector project will make it easier to bike or walk between Downtown Columbia and the community college campus.”
The HCC Connector project, which received a majority of its funding through a Maryland Bikeways Grant from the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), includes:
- A shared use pathway through the HCC campus from Hickory Ridge Road to Little Patuxent Parkway
- Bike lanes on each side of Hickory Ridge Road from Martin Road to Charter Drive
- A new, marked crosswalk across Hickory Ridge Road with a pedestrian refuge island and rapid flashing beacon
WHAT: The opening of a new pathway through HCC and “Complete Streets” improvements to Hickory Ridge Road
WHEN: Thursday, August 22nd at 11:30 AM
WHERE: Athletic Field Drive, Columbia, MD (at HCC, off Hickory Ridge Road)
WHO: Calvin Ball, Howard County Executive
Kate Hetherington, Howard Community College President
Deb Jung, Howard County Council member