Signal Improvements, Turn Lanes, Bike Lane Coming to Rolling Road

A traffic study is calling for improvements to Rolling Road to accommodate a larger volume of traffic as a result of development, but Brightview Senior Living has committed to paying for the upgrades.

According to a traffic study conducted by the Traffic Group, traffic is expected to increase along Rolling Road as a result of the 5.5-acre independent living senior facility that will be constructed on the property.

Brightview Senior Living is a division of the private development company, the Shelter Group. It currently has another assisted living building at 912 South Rolling Road; just south of the Catonsville Y.

The new building will be three stories, have 90 independent living apartments and up to 50 assisted living beds.

Councilman Tom Quirk, Y and Brightview officials have said the project will bring less traffic than the .

According to the traffic study, traffic peaked in 2005 along that stretch of Rollng Road. The study estimated traffic would increase out of the Y's driveway and the future Brightview driveway by a total of 207 trips. Current driveway counted 313 total trips in and out in the morning and evening hours.

Most of that increase is predicted to come from a projected 50 percent increase in membership from the Y, which is using some of the funds from selling the land for .

As a result, the following improvements will be added to Rolling Road:

• Northbound left turn lane on Rolling Road
• Southbound right turn deceleration turn lane on Rolling Road
• Soutbound acceleration lane on Rolling Road
• Restriping of the right northbound turn lane on Rolling Road to a share right turn through lane
• Modifying the traffic signal at Rolling Road and Wilkens Avenue to provide westbound right turn overlap
• A bike lane also will be added to Rolling Road from the Y property south to Wilkens Avenue.

Brightview Senior Development Director Andrew Teeters said the company was committed to making the intersection improvements and road upgrades.

"We are doing everything in the study," he said.

The project is expected to break ground in the spring.

For more news and updates, follow Catonsville Patch on Facebook or sign up for our daily newsletter.