ICYMI: Odenton Residents Sound Off on Safety Issues

ODENTON, MD– Sunday morning in Baltimore, a cruise ship crashed into a gangway, causing the gangway to fall and damage three cars underneath, according to a statement by Carnival to WBAL editor Mia Rosas.

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While worrying about death by rogue cruise ship isn’t something to lose sleep over, there are other possible dangers that affect Odenton residents.

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We asked Patch Readers what they thought the biggest safety issues were in their town. Here’s a list of the most pressing problems, from break-ins to traffic jams:

• "Rt 170 by far"
• "Traffic light from Odenton Rd turning left into place on piney turning left towards 175 not time correct"
• "Speeding and road rage. People using the side of the road or turning lanes to cut around you for going the speed limit or even a few miles over. There are pedestrians, bicycles, and kids to watch out for but so many people fly through the neighborhoods with no patience and no regard for others. I've experienced it on Waugh Chapel and 170 many times and I'm no turtle."
• "Speeding on roads where kids walk to school behind a white line instead of on a sidewalk"
• "With all the construction going on (they've built several whole developments, seemingly overnight, while they move at a snail's pace on widening 175!) we need better timing of all of the lights on the perimeter of Ft. Meade that treat all directions more even-handedly, instead of privileging the base at all hours. There needs to be a turning lane on Reece Road at Pioneer City, where the water tower and elementary school are (because people heading south and turning east--toward Ft. Meade, and turning left--take forever, so through traffic is stuck behind them--or forced to ride on the shoulder near the school to pass them)."
• "Potholes and generally crappy bike lanes."
• "Biggest safety issue? PEOPLE and their road rage. We need more officers to write citations for reckless driving. There is NO passing on a solid yellow line. NEVER EVER ANYWHERE is the speed 40 in a residential!! And if your car doesn't fit in the median to wait to turn, DON'T GO OUT THERE."
• "People speeding in a school zone!! Four way stop Will be coming in front of Piney Orchard Elementary school because of a safety issue."
• "People's inability to correctly function around a roundabout is a big problem, and Odenton has a couple of those where people lose their minds when they approach it."
• "No sidewalks and speeding. Not enough stop signs along major roads that have residential neighborhoods."

According to HealthGrove, a medical news site, dying by assault is more common in Maryland than many other states. There are 6.7 deaths per 100,000 in the state from assault, compared to 3.2 deaths per 100,000 for the country.

And it’s not just assault. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 442 traffic fatalities in 2014, thankfully down from 614 deaths almost a decade earlier.

But it’s not all bad in Maryland!

From lucky moms winning the lottery to animal success stories, plenty of good happens in your neighborhood.

Just last week, a humpback whale was spotted breaching in the Chesapeake Bay. Humpback whales may soon be moving off the endangered species list, where they’ve been since 1970, after an increase in population.

Each week, Patch works to bring Odenton residents the latest news from their area. Some good, some bad and some delicious.

Is there an problem that wasn’t mentioned? Share it with us in the comments below or on our Odenton Patch Facebook page.