Harford Road in Carney is getting a major safety upgrade after a deadly crash that rattled the neighborhood. A pedestrian hybrid beacon is slated for the intersection at Harford Road and 5th Avenue, where a 72-year-old man was struck and killed while trying to cross the busy state route. The signal is intended to give people walking and rolling a safer, clearly marked way to reach nearby spots like the Parkville‑Carney library and local shops.
The Maryland State Highway Administration has agreed to install the beacon at the intersection, local officials said. Councilman David Marks called the device a way to really improve safety and said the added signalization will help people reach the library and commercial area. Local leaders told WMAR-2 News they hope the system will be in place within the next year.
How the beacon works
A pedestrian hybrid beacon stays dark until someone presses the call button. Once activated, it shifts from flashing yellow to steady red, requiring drivers to stop and giving pedestrians a protected WALK phase across the roadway. According to the Federal Highway Administration, PHBs are a proven safety countermeasure for busy, higher-speed corridors where a full traffic signal is not warranted.
The new signal follows a fatal collision that authorities say happened in late February, when 72‑year‑old Peter Ruy was struck while crossing Harford Road and later died at a hospital. Officers responded to the scene near 5th Avenue at about 8:05 p.m., according to reporting by WMAR-2 News.
Community push and statewide effort
Neighbors, advocacy groups and elected officials pushed hard for changes after the crash, pressing the State Highway Administration for engineering fixes and meetings. The move in Carney also fits into Maryland's Pedestrian Safety Action Plan and recent SHA projects that prioritize beacons and crosswalk upgrades, as outlined by the MDOT State Highway Administration, and was reported locally by NottinghamMD.
Officials say design work and scheduling will come first, followed by installation once crews are ready to go. Neighbors are encouraged to watch for updates from their elected offices and SHA about construction impacts. For now, local leaders are casting the beacon as a targeted fix aimed at making Harford Road easier and safer to cross for people on foot.
