Stony Run/Linkwood Rd

Oct/Nov 2023 Update

Item: Lower Stony Run Strategic Plan Description: For the purpose of adopting the Lower Stony Run Strategic Plan a community-driven master planning effort to provide a long-term vision to protect and enhance the beloved Stony Run Walking Path, the Stony Run stream valley, and its associated park spaces. Growing from the successful Upper Stony Run Strategic Plan, completed in 2019, this targeted plan is looking to identify improvements from Overhill Road to the north to 29th Street and the Jones Falls Trailhead/Druid Hill Park at Wyman Park Drive to the south. The Lower Stony Run Strategic Plan is a follow up to the Upper Stony Run Strategic Plan, which was initiated in 2014 and was completed and approved by the Planning Commission in 2018. The Upper Stony Run Strategic Plan grew out of the Greater Roland Park Master Plan, which called for a group to address Stony Run in particular. The Greater Roland Park Master Plan was approved by the Planning Commission in 2011. Lower Stony Run Plan website LSR Public Engagement LSR Partners & Steering Committee

May 2023 Naming the Stony Run Pedestrian Bridge

April 2022 Walking Path update

The State of Maryland has approved the plan for lower Stony Run (number 1 on the plan) and agreed to provide MD Capital Funds  to create the walking path connecting the  bridges.

See presentation to the Baltimore Planning Commission 2/9/2023

This is the final phase of the Tuscany Canterbury section of the plan to provide a continuous walking path along Stony Run from Northern Parkway down to Wyman Park

Nov 2021: Final Vote at TCNA Board Meeting

Nov 2021 Linkwood Road Improvements: Unanimous Approval

Following discussions with neighboring residents, at their November meeting the TCNA Board unanimously approved the Linkwood Road concept plan that was summarized in the October 2021 newsletter.  Next steps: TCNA is working with Friends of Stony Run, Baltimore City Department of Transportation, and Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks to finalize the design and develop a cost estimate. The Linkwood Road improvements are part of a broader package of related trail and park improvements along Lower Stony Run that has the backing of our city and state representatives. For more information, see https://lowerstonyrun.weebly.com/

A walking path connecting the Two Bridges

After nearly three years of discussion and outreach to adjacent residents and the broader Tuscany-Canterbury neighborhood, a group of volunteers developed a Concept Plan for a new walking path on the stream side of Linkwood Road between the two bridges.  The existing path in the grass will be maintained along the stream from Ridgemede Road to the north of the Ridgemede Road alley. However, from the entrance to the Ridgemede Road alley down to Stoney Ford Road, the path needs to run in Linkwood Road and will require a reallocation of street space to prioritize safety for people walking.

To accommodate the path and maintain two-way traffic along Linkwood Road, the motor vehicle travel lanes need to be shifted to the east side of Linkwood Road, away from the stream. Parking would be prohibited from Stoney Ford Road to the entrance driveway to the Linkwood Apartments to ensure adequate street width for cars, trucks, and emergency vehicles to pass in two-way traffic. To address concerns raised by residents of the Ridgewood and Ridgemede buildings, the project was modified to retain as much parking as possible north of the Ridgemede Road alley.

Traffic calming measures and ADA-compliant design features have also been incorporated into the design. Three sets of modified speed humps (“speed cushions”) along this stretch of Linkwood Road would slow cars and trucks, but they would have gaps to allow emergency vehicles to travel unimpeded. Street lights and signs would be relocated as needed to clear obstacles from the existing sidewalk, and portions of the existing sidewalk would be reconstructed to be ADA-compliant. Improved crosswalks at Stoney Ford Road and Ridgemede Road will make it safer to access the bridges across Stony Run.

Finally, responding to concerns raised about the quality of materials used in recent traffic calming projects in and around our neighborhood, the proposed design calls for more permanent, durable, and aesthetically-pleasing materials to be used to fit in with the historical character of our community.

The entire capital project for lower Stony Run can be found here

For information about the Linkwood Road improvements or the TCNA Streets Committee, contact TCNA Streets Committee Chair Brian ten Siethoff at btensiethoff@gmail.com.

October 2021

Connecting the Two Bridges

The TCNA Streets Committee is working on the finishing touches of a plan to complete a missing link in the Stony Run Walking Path and make Linkwood Road in Tuscany-Canterbury a safer place for the community to walk, bike, and spend time outdoors. The proposed plan will be discussed at the TCNA Streets Committee’s Fall Meeting on October [date TBD] and presented to the TCNA General Membership at the upcoming November 1 meeting. Then the final Concept Plan will be voted on at the November 3 TCNA Board meeting.

The 2017 “Upper Stony Run Strategic Plan”, published by the Roland Park Community Foundation in partnership with Friends of Stony Run, proposed installation of a new walking path to connect the two bridges. The Strategic Plan states that: “The stretch of Upper Stony Run between Stoneyford Road and Ridgemede Road is the narrowest section of the stream corridor and is constrained by private parking lots on the west side and Linkwood Road on the east side. Consequently, there is very little space to accommodate the walking path. Several concepts for the walking path and its alignment through this area have been explored and should continue to be explored with the adjacent Tuscany-Canterbury Community and adjacent property owners.”

After nearly three years of discussion and outreach to adjacent residents and the broader Tuscany-Canterbury neighborhood, a group of volunteers has developed a Concept Plan that envisions a new walking path on the stream side of Linkwood Road between the two bridges.  The existing path in the grass will be maintained along the stream from Ridgemede Road to the north of the Ridgemede Road alley. However, from the entrance to the Ridgemede Road alley down to Stoney Ford Road, the path would need to run in Linkwood Road and would require a reallocation of street space to prioritize safety for people walking.

To accommodate the path and maintain two-way traffic along Linkwood Road, the motor vehicle travel lanes would need to be shifted to the east side of Linkwood Road, away from the stream. Parking would be prohibited from Stoney Ford Road to the entrance driveway to the Linkwood Apartments to ensure adequate street width for cars, trucks, and emergency vehicles to pass in two-way traffic. To address concerns raised by residents of the Ridgewood and Ridgemede buildings, the project was modified to retain as much parking as possible north of the Ridgemede Road alley.

Traffic calming measures and ADA-compliant design features also have been incorporated into the proposed design. Three sets of modified speed humps (“speed cushions”) along this stretch of Linkwood Road would slow cars and trucks, but they would have gaps to allow emergency vehicles to travel unimpeded. Street lights and signs would be relocated as needed to clear obstacles from the existing sidewalk, and portions of the existing sidewalk would be reconstructed to be ADA-compliant. Improved crosswalks at Stoney Ford Road and Ridgemede Road will make it safer to access the bridges across Stony Run.

Finally, responding to concerns raised about the quality of materials used in recent traffic calming projects in and around our neighborhood, the proposed design calls for more permanent, durable, and aesthetically-pleasing materials to be used to fit in with the historical character of our community.

Details about the plan will be presented at the TCNA Streets Committee Fall Meeting on October [date TBD] and at the TCNA General Membership Meeting on November 1. For information about the Linkwood Road improvements or the TCNA Streets Committee, contact TCNA Streets Committee Chair Brian ten Siethoff at btensiethoff@gmail.com.

2017 -The Stony Run Bridges - A Little History

On October 7, 2017 the Friends of Stony Run, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks hosted a joyous ribbon- cutting event to celebrate the formal opening of the two new bridges over Stony Run.

Only a few Tuscany–Canterbury residents remember when the Maryland & Pennsylvania Railroad, affectionately known as The Ma & Pa, went out of business in the 1950s. Residents living in communities along the abandoned railroad right of way gradually created a walking path from Remington and Stone Hill to Northern Parkway. Most of the pathway was on City parkland, but in numerous places the informal path either crossed stretches of private property and busy public streets or the Stony Run in a manner that was hazardous for all and impossible for some. This was especially true in Tuscany-Canterbury where the stream runs between Linkwood Road on one side and apartment complexes on the other. For years crossing the stream near Stoneyford Road involved a treacherous leap or balancing on a log.

With a continuous path as a goal, neighborhood volunteers began what became a decades long quest

About 15 years ago TCNA President Peter Molan mused and dreamed about a bridge over the stream near the intersection of Stoneyford and Linkwood Roads. Soon after Kirsten Day Held, who lives on Tuscany Road, formed an organization that worked with the City for several years to build a bridge on the site. At Kirsten’s urging the Department of Recreation and Parks even hired an engineering firm to design a bridge on the site. Several years passed, though, and still no bridge. Next up was TCNA President A.J. O’Brien, who because of his interest in the neighborhood and the Ma and Pa Railroad’s history, wanted to figure out how to consolidate the walking path and the old railroad right of way. A.J. worked with lawyers at the Community Law Center to determine whether or not the right of way still existed after the parking lots of the Linkwood Apartments and The Carlyle were constructed

By this time others became interested in the dream of a continuous path along Stony Run and with the necessity of easing the walk to and from Wyman Park. For three years a small group of Tuscany-Canterbury residents met at Choclatea every Tuesday morning to plot and plan. The group included A.J., Anne Perkins, Sue Talbott, Ralph Kurtz, and Bill Eberhart. Soon they were joined by Sandy Sparks from Charles Village, Matt Greenwood from Remington, landscape designer Matt Fitzsimmons from Hord Koplan Macht and an intern from Greater Homewood. The Choclatea group determined that the first step would be for all the neighborhoods along Stony Run from Northern Parkway to Remington and Stone Hill to agree on an alignment for the walking path. This involved raising money – about $20,000 – to hire a landscape architect to design the path and provide maps to use in discussions with neighborhood leaders. The money was raised from individuals, foundations, and Johns Hopkins University. TCNA contributed $1,000 from its treasury. During the spring and summer of 2012 the Choclatea group held meetings with residents in all the communities along Stony Run and eventually got agreement to the proposed alignment.

Next came the need for construction money and lots of it. Our neighbor, Delegate Maggie McIntosh was/is in a key leadership position in the Maryland House of Delegates and was able to persuade Governor Martin O’Malley and then Secretary of Natural Resources John Griffin to appropriate $1.2 million dollars in two budget years for the Linkwood Road bridges and a number of other projects along the path from Northern Parkway to University Parkway. Construction projects seem to take forever – engineering and landscape design, procurement and bidding contracts, construction and storms meetings with the Rec and Parks folks etc. Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke had to come to the rescue numerous times as the bridges neared completion. Finally it all came to a joyous finale on October 7.

Never forget, though, that it happened in great part because of the time, effort and perseverance of volunteers and elected officials from Tuscany Canterbury sticking with it over the years.

Uncompleted projects include:

• Planting and caring for new trees on hillside by University Parkway and Linkwood
• Maintaining the TCNA garden by large bridge on Linkwood
• Replacing aging benches
• Raising money for additional plantings and maintenance in the park

Fall 2011

“Friends of Stony Run” Comes to Life

More than a year ago a group of volunteers from Tuscany-Canterbury, Remington, and Charles Village began working to build community consensus for developing a walking path along stony run. The aim was to align it, where possible, with the original Ma & Pa Railroad bed. Seven communities south of Cold Spring Lane have supported such an alignment, recom-mended by landscape architects Carol Macht and Matthew Fitzsimmons.

Members of this pilot group were T-C
residents A.J. O’Brien, Bill Eberhart, Ralph
Kurtz, Anne Perkins, and Sue Talbott. Join-
ing with them were Matt Greenwood, from Remington, and Sandy Sparks, from Charles Village.

Fortunately, the alignment effort coincided with the completion of the massive Baltimore City sewer reconstruction project parallel to Stony Run along Linkwood Road south of Cold Spring Lane to Wyman Park Drive and Sisson Street. The group negotiated with the City’s departments of Public Works and Recreation & Parks to route the walking path under the Wyman Park Drive stone bridge near to where Stony Run flows through underground tunnels, then up to the south side of Wyman Park Drive. For several years, while the sewer project was under way, contractors used the City’s baseball and soccer fields for construction headquarters.

With the contractors gone, restoration of the playing fields allows for the Stony Run Walking Path to pass safely along Wyman Park Drive. New fences and bollards define the space for the path. Trees will be planted along the pathway, which will continue across Sisson Street in front of the Boy Scout headquarters, then connect with the Jones Falls Trail at the Steiff building trailhead.

The University Parkway bridge over Stony Run will be a major passageway for the newly developed walking path will take many years and the work of many volunteers to restore the walking path. (www.stonyrun.org)

As champions for building the Stony Run walking path, the original group of volunteers, recognizing that the path and surrounding parkland will require tremendous community-based volunteer support, has embarked on the formation of an organization called the Friends of Stony Run, which became a Maryland non-stock corporation on July 22, 2011. It is described officially as “a volunteer-based organization incorporated to support and sustain the quality of life and long-term stewardship of the Stony Run stream valley in Baltimore City.” The Stony Run organization is modeled on the highly successful Friends of Wyman Park Dell. Greater Homewood Community Corporation serves as its 501(c)(3) fiscal agent.

The website for Friends of stony run is www.stonyrun.org. 

Editor’s note: Sandy Sparks serves as facilitator of the organizing committee for the Friends of Stony Run. She has 30 years of experience advocating for parks and helping found friends groups for parks. Contact her at srsparks@verizon.net.

Fall 2010

Planning Under Way for Stony Run South Trail

Residents of Tuscany-Canterbury and of other neighborhoods adjacent to stony run have met to explore the feasibility of building a trail along the stream that would extend from Cold Spring Lane south to the vicinity of Wyman Park. It would follow and enhance the footpath that already runs through the greenway. The vision for the trail draws upon the work of T-C’s Kirsten Day and the Friends of Stony Run.

A Steering Committee to guide the exploration of the trail-building project was organized by A. J. O’Brien, with assistance from the Greater Homewood Community Corporation. Other Tuscany-Canterbury members of the Steering Committee include Anne Perkins, Sue Talbott, and Ralph Kurtz. Karen DeCamp and George Shardlow, from GHCC, are contributing to the feasibility study.

Representatives from six neighborhoods met on March 6, 2010 to exchange ideas for the Stony Run South Trail. They came from Guilford, Keswick, Tuscany-Canterbury, Wyman Park, Hampden, and Remington and were joined by representatives from the Johns Hopkins University and from Parks and People.

At this gathering the group identified uses for a Stony Run South Trail, such
as walking, running, and bicycling, as well as connections to bike lanes on University Parkway, the Jones Falls Trail, and neighborhood streets. Also discussed were the protection of vegetation, erosion control, stream and habitat restoration, and sanitary sewer lines. There was agreement that the trail’s history be recognized as a segment of the old Ma & Pa Railroad right-of-way between Baltimore and York, Pennsylvania.

Given the enthusiasm expressed at the March meeting, the Steering Committee has identified consulting firms qualified to develop a concept plan, which would encompass neighborhood input, working with government agencies, and fund- raising for the project. Members of the Steering Committee have already begun soliciting funds to pay for the concept plan and to define its scope. The committee will work with the Roland Park Civic League to ensure that, at

its northern end, the Stony Run South Trail is incorporated into the open space streamside planning north of Cold Spring Lane. Steering Committee members met on April 1 with officials of Baltimore’s Department of Public Works and their consulting engineers to review progress on the stream restoration under way. A planning firm was to have been selected by mid-April, with review of the proposed plan by neighborhood representatives to follow. Please look for news of further developments in the TCNA newsletter, e-mail alerts, and in other publications.