At 8 a.m. on April 4, I left for work, only to get caught in a massive traffic jam on Arundel on the Bay Road. After an hour of little progress, I, like so many drivers stuck in this mess, turned around and went home.

The new county 311 operator said she knew nothing about the traffic problem. She told me to call 911 and I said it wasn’t an emergency — yet! I hung up thinking this new 311 service isn’t all it was advertised to be.

As the city has approved and has pending so many more developments along Forest Drive and Bay Ridge Road, traffic will only worsen. These developments include: 48 assisted living units at Bay Village near the CVS across from the Giant, 152 new homes at Parkside Preserve on Forest Drive near Quiet Waters Park and nearly 400 new homes at Crystal Spring, in addition to 68 assisted living units.

This latter development includes only 48 of the acres at Crystal Spring, which leaves another 66 acres open to development with another 200 or more homes.

All of these city developments generate more traffic through already-failing intersections and into Annapolis Neck.

If closing one lane on Bay Ridge could create a two-and-a-half hour traffic jam for hundreds of vehicles, just imagine what might happen if Annapolis Neck had to be evacuated in an emergency.

Our public safety, jobs and quality of life are being impacted. Let’s make this year’s city elections a referendum on those who have supported this rampant development.

MARILYNN KATATSKY, ANNAPOLIS

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