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I-83 Parking
I-83 Parking
Every day, tens of thousands of motorists travel down Interstate 83 on their way to and through Baltimore. But as Mike Schuh reports, some neighbors say there are accidents waiting to happen parked right along the roadway.
Neighbors say it goes something like this: welcome to Maryland and park wherever you want.
"Someone's going to die, and it's going to be real sad when that's a family. Then what's going to happen? They're going to start handing out tickets," said Tim Hall, who lives near I-83.
Without a Maryland rest stop, the trucks wait to go into the city or industrial parks. There's little room on the block for a motorist to maneuver in an emergency.When the trucks get back on the road, there's an unsafe mix of high and low speed traffic.
"Everybody is in danger because of this. When they pull out, not enough room is left into the lane," said Hall. Despite signs saying emergency parking only, I-83 is a one-lane rest area every day. Unless it's a breakdown or medical issue, the law says it's illegal to stay parked there.
A number of letters went to the state, and some opposers have contacted transportation, environment and police officials. Police have been writing tickets and warnings in the area. "We are trying to improve the situation there because we are aware of the problem," said Sgt. Arthur Betts with the Maryland State Police.
"The true answer is going to be when there's a tragedy there because of these trucks pulling out. That's when the answer is going to come and action is going to be taken," said Hall. In previous years, the state has tried to build a rest stop in the Parkton area, but protests from residents forced cancellation of those plans.
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