Mission Statement
Conserve, steward, and advocate for the unique rural landscape of the Eastern Shore.
Mission Statement
Conserve, steward, and advocate for the unique rural landscape of the Eastern Shore.
"Sneckdown" is a portmanteau of the words “snow” and “neckdown.”If you’re unfamiliar with exactly what a neckdown is, it’s simply an extension of the curb (also called a “bumpout”) around corners where cars are turning. Neckdowns often are used as a traffic-calming feature and to provide more space for pedestrians on the sidewalk. These areas can be landscaped (vegetated curb extensions) and serve as a stormwater management tool to capture runoff. For more information on green infrastructure practices, check out this useful fact sheet: EPA Green Streets. After a bout of winter weather (that the Eastern Shore has been all too familiar with this year!) and when streets are covered in snow, it’s easy to spot areas of the road that cars don’t use—and you’d be surprised at how much space that is! Untouched snow surrounding a corner curb or in the middle of the street displays to transportation officials and planners a perfect illustration of unused road space. And instead of keeping that wasted extra footage, sneckdowns show the ideal spot for more pedestrian-friendly development. Photo courtesy of This Old City As the Eastern Shore braces for yet another winter storm, ESLC wants to see where you are spotting sneckdowns in your town. How much road space could be reclaimed for pedestrian use? So once the snow starts falling, be sure to send us your photos via Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, with the hashtag #shoresneckdowns and tell us what town is shown. Or if you’d rather e-mail us your pictures, send it to info@eslc.org with the subject line “Shore Sneckdowns.” Stay warm and be sure to spot those sneckdowns!
ANNAPOLIS — Today, Eastern Shore Land Conservancy released its 2014 State Legislative Agenda calling for major investments in rural Maryland, robust land conservation funding, and continued support for locally produced renewable energy projects. Some of the items in the agenda include support for continued conservation program funding, support for the Rural Maryland Prosperity Investment Fund, support for a Cross-Bay Travel Alternatives Study bill, and support for the 2014 Community Renewable Energy Generation bill. ESLC’s agenda points out that conservation monies support much more than farms and scenic landscapes and that these funds help support hunting grounds, parks, bike paths, public access sites and more. “We need to support our farms and resource-based industries here on the Shore, and we can do that through the support for Rural Legacy, Program Open Space, and Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation funding”, said ESLC Policy Manager Josh Hastings. In addition to support for expansion of Maryland Wildlands, the agenda calls for the Maryland General Assembly to pass a Cross-Bay Travel Alternatives study bill which its says could help alleviate Bay Bridge traffic congestion while evaluating options for private investment in cross bay travel. ESLC’s white paper on transportation is available under Public Policy Resources at eslc.org. “How we travel in our rural region is a critical piece of our quality of life,” said ESLC Deputy Director Amy Owsley. “We hope to help focus attention on how best to make the most of our infrastructure through investments in transit and transportation policy innovations. Creativity and partnerships would go a long way to easing some of our most pressing transportation challenges.” ESLC also supports the 2014 Community Renewable Energy bill, which is said to allow Maryland farms and other rural businesses to install renewable-energy-generating devices such as solar panels or a wind turbine and share the energy credits among neighboring subscribers. These
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