HOLLAND POINT, Md. — Tucked between North Beach and Rose Haven, Holland Point is a tiny section of Anne Arundel County stretching from Herrington Harbor to the North Beach line. For many in Calvert, the road is a scenic biking and driving route north, with a lookout point and waterfront homes.
But the residents of Holland Point tell a different story. The road that goes through their neighborhood is teeming with hazardous conditions — a fact they’ve been trying to solve for more than a decade. In August, the Holland Point Citizens Association (HPCA) sent letters to 15 government officials, including Gov. Wes Moore, former Secretary of Transportation Paul J. Wiedefeld, and state and county representatives. Last year, they met with members of the State Highway Administration (SHA) and have been waiting on a report.
The road, Route 261, has several features that make it risky for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. For one, it’s narrower than a road of its type should be, according to state regulations. It doesn’t have a shoulder and is windy; these conditions together create blind spots that make it difficult to see others coming. It also means there’s nowhere to bail out if you do have a close call, and cars have to cross over the double yellow line to avoid pedestrians and bikers who are forced to be on the road alongside vehicles instead of on biking or walking paths. Finally, its proximity to the bay and wetlands makes flooding a real concern during major weather events.
For Holland Point resident Laurie Bryan, the danger of these conditions was made clear when her wife was out walking their dog in the early morning and was clipped in the head by a passing car.
Laurie and her wife consider themselves lucky — the injury could have been much worse, given the conditions of the road. Larry Brown, president of the HPCA, added that larger vehicles, like Amazon delivery vans and trucks, often get hit by other cars on the road.
Holland Point is a neighborhood rather than an incorporated town. The road in question is a state-owned road, which complicates matters further.
“We’re on a Maryland scenic bike trail recommendation,” Brown said. “Which we love and we want people to bike here. We just want it to be safe for them to do it.”
Brown theorizes that the road was built on existing paths that were already there to minimize the building impact, which is why it’s so narrow and windy. Traffic of all kinds has also increased substantially since the road was first built in the 1960s.
Brown has been involved in this fight since the beginning, and the letter was only the latest in a long effort to get measures taken on the road. They’ve been attempting to get a solid plan in place since 2016.
The BayNet reached out to all 15 of the contacts to whom the HPCA sent their letter in August. We spoke to County Councilwoman Shannon Leadbetter, Resilience Authority Director Matthew Fleming, and representatives from the SHA.
SHA confirmed they came to Holland Point to talk with citizens in November 2024. At the time, widening the road wasn’t “the main portion of the conversation.” Instead, it was primarily to talk about usage and drainage concerns. SHA then began work on a report that they say is about evaluating the area and building out a document to guide them in future processes and funding requests. In August, HPCA had only heard that the report was still in the works. They did not receive a timeline.
Barry Kedrowski, chief of the SHA Project Management Division, said this was a high-level study where various improvements could come out of it, and that they were in the beginning of what the project development process would be. “It may not move forward as one project, but could provide a menu of options for improvements or even maintenance that could be done.” Smaller roadway improvements could be funded if the needs are demonstrated.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Programs Team Lead Molly Porter also said this issue was a good fit for “Quick Build” initiatives. Quick Builds are short-term, easily implementable projects that could address the concerns of the community, especially pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users. “We anticipate a Quick Build project being implemented this fall to address some of the ongoing concerns.” Those options could include lane separators or pavement markings for drivers to be more aware of pedestrian activity.
Councilwoman Leadbetter said she had contacted Brown and that they had a “good conversation.” She directed him to constituent services and said the issue had her support.
“Operationally, there’s not much we can do,” Leadbetter said. “Advocacy is really what is in my control. We can’t tell State Highway what to do, but we can advocate for citizens.”
Leadbetter said she was working with state delegate Seth Howard so he could advocate for Holland Point at the state level, and that she would continue to ask SHA for the timeline and status updates.
Fleming said he encouraged HPCA to bring the issue to SHA earlier in his career, and while it wasn’t his area of focus, “the Resilience Authority stands ready to support any needed coordination on flooding or drainage improvements.”
Office of the County Executive (Steuart Pittman) responded to the HPCA, as per a letter provided by Larry Brown. The response said Pittman’s office is working with SHA and MDOT and will continue to do so.
“We appreciate your continued advocacy on this issue. Please continue to be a strong voice for your community as we work to find a long-term solution with our partners at the state,” Pittman concluded.
Even when SHA releases its report, there’s no telling how much longer it will take for the state to make moves, budget the project and actually pay for it. It will require planning and coordination likely with both Anne Arundel and Calvert counties, regardless of what initiative SHA chooses. SHA itself said it is committed to improvements, but this report is still the very first step.
“I think they have their priorities,” Brown said. “I know people have needs everywhere and the money has to come from somewhere. But we just want everybody to be safe.”
Laws and regulations stacked on top of each other can slow infrastructure projects like this one down, especially when both county and state factors are involved. Since they don’t own any of the land themselves (or the road), Holland Point residents have few options other than to wait for outside agencies to call them back and utilize the communications channels provided to them.
For now, Holland Point residents will keep fighting and ask that everyone, please, enjoy the scenic view along Route 261 — and use caution.
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The biggest problem is that bicycles shouldn’t be allowed on roads with no shoulders, they impead the flow of traffic and cause dangerous conditions for both the cyclists and drivers