Path for school children in Linthicum needs to change
Just a reminder as your children are headed back to school next month, all students within one mile of elementary schools and within 1.5 miles of middle schools are designated walkers. What this means is that the safety of your child, until they reach school grounds, is up to you.
You see, the safety policy at Anne Arundel County Public Schools with regard to transportation, only covers bus riders. Walking paths are provided by, deemed a suitablewalkway by, and follow policy and regulation of,
AACPS.
What this means is that if your child lives in Linthicum, he or she may have to cross the light rail tracks. The deemed suitablewalkway, if you live near say, thewater tower in Linthicum— I will use this as it is a known landmark— is as follows:
“Your student will walk toward Camp Meade Road, once at Camp Meade and Benton, there will be a crossing guardwaiting there between 7:35-8:05 a.m. and again 3-3:20 p.m. Student will cross Camp Meade Road with help from the Guard. Student will walk down to the light rail. A crossing guard is stationed there from 7:35-8:05 a.m. and again from 2:55-3:20 a.m. The student will cross the light rail with help from the Guard. From there, the student will walk the BWI trail to Music Lane which will then lead the student to S. Hammonds Ferry Road. From there, the student willwalk S. Hammonds FerryRoad to Andover Road where there are two crossing guards waiting between 7:45-8:15 a.m. and again 2:55-3:15 p.m. Student will cross Andover Road with the help of the guards and followthe sidewalk to the school.”
From the water tower, this is approximately 1.1 miles, uphill most of the way. According to Les Douglas, supervisor of transportation for AACPS, Sandra Jordan from his office has walked this route four times during the 2017-2018 school year and it has “not taken her any longer than 15 minutes walking at a normal pace.”
Douglas went on to say, in a recent inquiry response letter, “the amount of time it takes them towalk is not a factor.”
I have never met Jordan, I can only surmise she is in top physical condition as, although walking speeds can vary greatly depending on many factors, the average human walking speed is about 3.1mph.
So, it would take roughly 20-21 minutes on average for an adult towalk a mile.
If you will read the suitable walkway route provided, please note the times the guards are stationed. Your child has exactly 30 minutes to walk the suitable pathway fromthe first guard to the last, or risk crossing a major intersection with no crossing guard.
I ask you to review the path designated as a suitable walkway above. If you are familiar with the Linthicum area I invite you to follow the walkway.
CrossoverCampMeadeRoad, walk past the Exxon andRoyal Farms stores— you will have to ignore the various panhandlers you may encounter aswell as various persons urinating in public as both have been documented. I would also suggest you not let your childwalk without an adult as the Royal Farms store has been the victim of several armed robberies.
Continuing on down the suitable walkway towardtheLinthicumlight rail stop— ignoring any trash, used needles, used condoms, again individuals relieving themselves, and the occasional sex act, again all of which has been witnessed and documented — cross over the tracks and up a path toward awooded area.
For decades parents and students have requested alternate suitable walkways and transportation. For decades the Department of Transportation has seemingly brushed off these requests as nothingmore than complaining parents.
I ask you, what is it going to take to get them to listen? Please provide an alternate suitable walkway and, if you cannot, please provide transportation.