Traffic, traffic, traffic
- Liz Filter
- Apr 3
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 4
It's not July. And it's already gridlock. Our roads are failing us now — and the answers don't require a new study. They require new leadership.
Another day, Another traffic jam
I sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic on Route 18 by the Safeway today — not on Route 50 (which was completely gridlocked), but on a road that was never meant to absorb this kind of volume. If we're seeing this in the off-season, we have a structural problem, not a seasonal inconvenience. And it's one that fresh thinking — and a Commissioner willing to push for real solutions — can start to fix.
What I Bring to the Problem
Analytical thinking: My engineering background means I'm always trying to identify where a system is failing, and propose solutions — not just talking points.
No developer entanglements: I accept no PAC money and no developer contributions. My traffic positions aren't negotiated around who is building what where.
Local credibility: I've lived this. Over 35 years on Kent Island, I know these roads in every season. I'm not arriving with a clipboard — I'm here with lived experience.
Energy to push: Traffic management often stalls because it sits between county and state jurisdiction — and because no one has made it a clear ask to the right people. I'll do the work to convene QAC, SHA, and Sheriff Hofmann's office at the same table, with respect for what each brings, and keep pushing until we see results.
Where I Would Start in Real Time
Block-the-Box Enforcement
The Queen Anne's County Sheriff's Department is a professional, dedicated force — and traffic enforcement at critical intersections is exactly the kind of high-visibility, community-impact work they could do. As Commissioner, I will work with Sheriff Gary Hofmann to prioritize intersection presence during peak hours. Blocking intersections traps traffic in every direction at once.
Shoulder & Center Lane Discipline
When drivers use travel shoulders or the shared center turn lane as through-lanes, they create dangerous conflicts and turn a slow situation into a dangerous one. County leadership can make it a stated priority and provide the coordination and resources to address it during these stressful situations. That's what a Commissioner is for.
Adaptive Signal Timing
Traffic signal timing on Kent Island's key corridors is overdue for optimization. QAC should partner with SHA to audit and re-time signals based on current volume patterns — not the patterns of a decade ago. The technology exists. We just need the will to use it.
Accountability to PlanQAC
QAC's own 2022 Comprehensive Plan called for traffic management improvements along the Route 50 corridor. Commissioners approved that plan. Let's hold the Commission accountable to commitments already made.
Final Thought
Obviously this is a much bigger issue than traffic jams on a Friday afternoon. The Bay Bridge project is coming - but not starting until 2032. That's a whole different discussion!! But for now I'm focused on what impacts our lives NOW, and finding solutions (not talking points) that can be applied NOW.
Kent Island's traffic problem isn't unsolvable. It's unaddressed. The tools are available — enforcement coordination, signal optimization, lane discipline, and a Commissioner who will hold every agency accountable. . . that Commissioner is me.
QAC Connected
QAC Connected is a theme you will see threaded through my posts, my speeches and my actions. We are a vibrant community with young families, retirees, watermen and farmers - each with a personal story...but those stories connect us. We are also connected by the issues we face: traffic, cost of living, healthcare, land use, utilities...it's a long list.
So let's work together, let's CONNECT...to preserve what makes us great, and to prepare for the future.
Join me to make a difference.
Let's put traffic in our rear view mirror!
