(5/14) The Emmitsburg Council approved the generation of a letter to the State Highway Administration (SHA) requesting the agency conduct a new traffic-study to re-evaluate traffic issues relating to the Town Square intersection.

The town will be seeking SHA's approval to implement a new traffic light sequence at the square that would allow each direction of traffic to proceed through the intersection in turn. A fifth cycle of the light would be solely for pedestrian crossings.

This proposal would change the traffic light sequence so that only one direction can move at a time each way on Main Street, preventing one vehicle blocking the whole lane while it attempted to turn left onto Seton Avenue. In most cases, the turning vehicle only achieves its goal when the light changes, thereby delaying all the cars behind it until the next light change.

Efforts to seek a solution to the traffic congestion at the Town Square intersection date back to 2003, when the town’s Transportation Committee recommended to the commissioners that a new timing sequence to the traffic-light at the square during peak hours be considered, in order to alleviate the left-turn congestion.

In 2004, SHA representatives did present such a proposal, which recommended that the traffic-signal phasing could be changed to allow north and south-bound traffic to move separately and proposed the installation of pedestrian crossing-buttons. While the SHA opted to not implement the concept in 2004, they did implement it in the redesign of the Square in 2017 to alleviate issues with traffic headed to Fairfield and Ski Liberty.

The idea to have a new study done was floated by Commissioner Joseph Ritz at the council’s May 4 meeting, "I would like that (Town Square traffic issue) revisited, even though we have been told, 'No,' and probably have been told so on multiple occasions," Ritz said, "but we just haven’t solved the problem."

Commissioners expressed other concerns, other than stalled and backed-up traffic flow, such as pedestrian safety for those using the crosswalks (where they could be struck by vehicles trying to get around those trying to make a left), and vehicular accidents that seem to pick up during times of congestion at the square, as motorists seek a way around, by using alleys and side-streets.

The general consensus of the board was that, under no circumstances, would they pursue an alternate traffic-flow solution which would entail the loss of any additional parking spaces, such as the 2017 Town Square overhaul, which sacrificed four of the square's parking spaces.