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Mission Statement
Conserve, steward, and advocate for the unique rural landscape of the Eastern Shore.

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town projects Tag

Oxford starts stormwater management fund

"OXFORD — With support from residents in Oxford, commissioners unanimously passed ordinances creating a fund for stormwater management and shoreline protection, after a public hearing held at the Tuesday, May 13 town meeting. The residents who spoke at the meeting supported the ordinances." - in the Tuesday, May 20, 2014 edition of The Star Democrat. Read more at stardem.com.

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Complete Streets

Last week we posted about neckdowns (or “sneckdowns” in the snow), but that's just one part of the “complete streets” concept. Complete streets are those that provide a range of benefits, both to the environment and the surrounding community. Specifically, complete streets often incorporate green infrastructure elements such as bioretention islands, permeable pavements, street trees, and vegetated swales (just to name a few!). These features effectively capture stormwater runoff and prevent it from reaching and thus polluting the Bay. As if that’s not exciting enough, they also add beautiful aesthetics to an otherwise boring street! Complete streets also revolve around the idea of reclaiming more road space for pedestrians instead of cars. Often times, streets are dominated by automobiles, making it dangerous for people to cross and a hindrance for neighbors that want to get to know each other and build a sense of community. Many complete streets include bike lanes and traffic-calming devices (such as curb bumpouts), so that residents feel more encouraged to bike and less inclined to drive, and also so that cars travel through more slowly. A shining example of a complete street is in Edmonston, MD where, through the help of grants and EPA funds, the community turned a derelict street into a thriving neighborhood asset. Read the full story. Are there any streets in your neighborhood that you think could use a complete street makeover? Design your own street using www.streetmix.net and share your creation with ESLC using the hashtag #eslccompletestreets on Facebook or Twitter. Or leave a comment below and let us know your thoughts! - Kara Nave

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Friendship Park

In partnership with the small town of East New Market and with funding from the Dorchester Heart of the Chesapeake Heritage Authority, ESLC led a community conversation to help create a plan for an 8-acre property at risk of a residential development incongruent with the look and feel of the existing town. The property at the town center is historically important to the community. Residents recognized a natural recreational opportunity at the site. With help from university design students, a vision for a park was so strong, it inspired the town’s first general obligation bond to purchase the property.  This land now is held in permanent protection by the Maryland Environmental Trust’s first urban conservation easement (co-held with ESLC), and the town is exploring options for new bike and walking paths, as well as a community garden.

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Bicycles welcome on Cambridge’s Maryland Ave.

CAMBRIDGE - Bike sharrows have been installed on Maryland Avenue as part of the Cambridge Gateways project, an effort of the City of Cambridge and Eastern Shore Land Conservancy to improve the entry into the City and encourage travelers to discover the vibrant Cambridge downtown. Cambridge residents involved in the Cambridge Gateways project noted a desire to see better bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure at the gateway. Eastern Shore Land Conservancy approached the Cambridge City Council to approve the temporary installation of bike sharrows pavement markers for 120 days to allow staff to measure the rider frequency on Maryland Avenue. The temporary bike sharrows also help educate all road users on bicycle safety. The bike sharrows were installed on April 9 as part of the Cambridge Gateways design phase. Cambridge Department of Public Works staff members, Sarah Abel from the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, and Jeff M. Duthie, a traffic safety representative from 3M were all on hand to install the bike sharrow pavement markings. 3M provided the bike sharrows and installation training to meet Maryland State Highway guidelines for bicycle safety designations. Bike sharrows are pavement markings that indicate cyclists are allowed in the road lane. Cyclists should ride on the right side of the lane, heading the same direction as cars. The temporary bike sharrows should only be used heading from U.S. Route 50 in to downtown, to obey directional traffic. Drivers should pay attention for cyclists, as should cyclists for drivers. All should obey traffic signals and signs. Maryland law requires drivers give cyclists three feet on roadways. For more information on sharing the road with cyclists, visit: http://www.choosesafetyforlife.com/pdfs/Bicycle_Booklet.pdf The sharrows will be in place until August 8 to measure the number of bicycle infrastructure users at the peak season in Cambridge. Please email any comments or pictures of bike sharrow users to Eastern Shore Land

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Cambridge Gateways

ESLC Center for Towns invites you to be involved in our Cambridge Gateways project. We are working to make street design and public access improvements on the Maryland Avenue gateway for Cambridge residents and visitors. Please join the Center for Towns to make Cambridge a better place. How to get involved:

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