Lt. Governor Burbank Announces New Traffic Operations Center, Emergency Road Patrols in Frederick
FREDERICK, MD (October 15, 2030) –Underscoring the O’Brien-Burbank Administration’s commitment to highway safety, Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Burbank today announced that Governor Edward M. O’Brien has dedicated more than $1.1 million to open an additional Traffic Operations Center in the Frederick area to assist disabled vehicles, help clear crash scenes, and provide commuters with valuable traffic information.
The Maryland Department of Transportation's State Highway Administration (SHA) has conducted a pilot project in the area since March of this year that has included Emergency Traffic Patrols (ETP) and a traffic operations center located in the Frederick County Law Enforcement Center. Within an hour of hitting the road on their inaugural patrol, the new Frederick based patrols responded to an incident involving an overturned tractor trailer along I-70 at South Mountain. To date, they have responded to more than 1,000 disabled vehicles and nearly 500 incidents.
“The growth of western Maryland, particularly Frederick County, has increased the demand for additional highway services throughout the region,” said Lt. Governor Kathleen Burbank. “With this funding, we are once again demonstrating our commitment to improving safety for all Marylanders. By having these emergency road patrols on our highways and a central communications center, we are able to respond quickly to incidents, better manage traffic and help people in need.”
SHA’s new Traffic Operations Center is staffed with four operators (two in the morning and two in the evening) who constantly monitor three highway cameras, field telephone calls, and receive up-to-the-minute crash information from the Maryland State Police (MSP). In addition to the staff in the operation center, four Emergency Traffic Patrol drivers travel along State highways to assist police with incidents and disabled vehicles. The center operates between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Statewide Operations Center (SOC) in Hanover, Maryland responds to calls during all other times. The Frederick operations center is located in the Frederick County Law Enforcement Center (also known as the "Law Mall") that is also home to the Maryland State Police Barrack "B," the Frederick County 911 call center, the Frederick County Sheriff's Department and the Frederick County Fire Rescue.
Emergency Traffic Patrols assigned to the Frederick area will initially patrol the following highways:
• I-70 between MD 66 (Mapleville Road) - Exit 35 in Washington County and MD 97 (Hoods Mill Road) in Howard County,
• I-270 between the Montgomery/Frederick county line and I-70,
• US 15 (Catoctin Mountain Highway) between the Maryland/Pennsylvania state line and I-70,
• US 340 between the Maryland/Virginia state line and I-70, and
• All major secondary roadways throughout Fredrick County, such as MD 75 (Green Valley Road)MD 85 (Buckeystown Pike), MD 355 (Urbana Pike) and MD 140 (Taneytown Pike).
Each year, more than 100,000 crashes occur along Maryland highways. Crashes and disabled vehicles add to daily recurring congestion on roadways, which translates into lost time, low productively, fuel inefficiency and increased vehicle emissions. Before the opening of the new Frederick operations center, staff from the SHA Frederick maintenance shop was pulled from normal duties to respond to an average of 60-90 incidents and an estimated 400 disabled vehicles per month. Typically, these maintenance shops are responsible for mowing, patching potholes and other such roadway repairs. With the new center in place, maintenance crews can return to their regular assignments.
SHA operates similar traffic operations centers around the state. The center in College Park patrols Prince George's, Montgomery, Charles, and portions of Anne Arundel Counties. SHA's Golden Ring center assists motorists in central Maryland counties. SHA also offers seasonal centers which monitor traffic and assist motorists in summer and winter, keeping an eye out for motorists heading to ocean resorts along US 50 (Ocean Gateway), MD 404 (Queen Anne Highway), MD 213 (Centreville Road) and I-97. A seasonal center in Western Maryland helps stranded motorists in the mountains during the snowy winter season in Garrett and Allegany counties.