Transportation on the US 1 Corridor

Introduction & Overview

The Route 1 Corridor, also known as Washington Boulevard, spans the entire 10.9 miles of Route 1 in Howard County. The Route 1 Corridor also includes the land east of Route 1, to Anne Arundel County, and the land west of Route 1, to Interstate 95. The Corridor features a wide mix of land uses and functions, including residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, and lodging. Residential and industrial uses dominate the Corridor, with residential uses concentrated west of Route 1 and industrial uses concentrated east of Route 1. The Route 1 Corridor is bisected by major arterials (Routes 32, 175, and 100) that—together with industrial and commercial land uses—result in a transportation network primarily comprised of commercial vehicles and freight movements. Route 1 serves both regional and local transportation needs by providing access for residents’ day-to-day travel, while also serving as a linkage between other regional transportation corridors.

Enhanced safety and connectivity are long-standing goals in the Route 1 Corridor, and based on these goals, the County has undertaken multiple planning, design, and transportation infrastructure projects in the corridor.  

• In 2009, the County updated the Route 1 Manual to include specific recommendations to increase safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, and to enhance accessibility and connectivity in the Corridor.   

• In 2017, in response to increases in pedestrian-related crashes and fatalities along Route 1, the Howard County Office of Transportation initiated a study of bicyclist and pedestrian safety, focusing on traffic hazard conflicts for pedestrians and bicyclists. Additionally, The Safety Evaluation identified four focus areas based on historical crash trends and needs for improvement. The final report and appendices, completed in 2019, can be found below in the US 1 Planning Section. Howard County funded the design of four intersection improvements, based on the previously identified focus areas, between FY 2019 and FY 2023.  The State Highway Administration (SHA) is constructing these intersection improvements. As of September 2023, the intersection at US 1 at Guilford Road is complete and US 1 at Brewers Court is underway. The intersections at US 1 at Rowanberry Drive and US 1 at Doctor Patel Drive are scheduled for completion in calendar year 2024. Click here for additional information on SHA's US 1 intersection improvements.

• In 2020, Howard County, in partnership with the Maryland Transit Administration developed the US 1 Corridor Small Area Plan to advance the recommendations from the Regional Transit Plan and develop a blueprint for transit service improvement in the corridor.  

• In 2022, the County developed a Sidewalk Prioritization Study to assist delivery of sidewalk project on the corridor. The Recommendations for Prioritization and Delivery of Sidewalk and Safety Protocols in the US 1 Corridor study developed a metric-driven implementation strategy to prioritize sidewalk.  

For more detail and information on planning efforts, please see the US 1 Planning section below. 

Current Projects Along US 1 Corridor

These County and regional planning projects, along with the County’s general, bicycle, and pedestrian master plans, guide the development of transportation projects in the Corridor. Projects that are committed, currently in design, in construction, or recently completed are shown in the interactive map and include information on project status, purpose, and projected delivery dates. The map represents the current known status of projects and will change with new information. The project information in the map can also be viewed in the project chart, linked here. 

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