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Pedestrian Safety Subscribe to RSS Feed Promote Safety of Pedestrian in Montgomery County
Wednesday, May 22, 2013 Montgomery County Police to Focus Enforcement Efforts on Pedestrian Safety During the months of April and May, the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) will be focusing enforcement efforts on pedestrian safety. MCPD will be conducting a number of operations at locations with marked crosswalks and areas that have been identified as pedestrian High Incidence Areas (HIAs) -- areas with more pedestrian collisions. Police will be issuing citations to both drivers and pedestrians who are breaking the law. Particular attention will be paid to the following HIAs: · Connecticut Avenue between Independence Street and Georgia Avenue (Aspen Hill) · Randolph Road between Selfridge Road and Colie Drive (Wheaton) · Four Corners (Silver Spring) · Rockville Pike between Halpine Drive and Hubbard Road (Rockville) · Piney Branch Road between Flower Avenue and New Hampshire Avenue (Silver Spring) In addition to these HIAs, MCPD will focus pedestrian enforcement actions on other crosswalk locations around the County where driver compliance with pedestrian safety laws has been an issue, including: · Veirs Mill Road at Turkey Branch Parkway (Aspen Hill) · Bel Pre Road between Georgia Avenue and Layhill Road (Aspen Hill) · Democracy Boulevard between Old Georgetown Road and Bells Mill Road (Bethesda) · Arlington Road between Elm Street and Old Georgetown Road (Bethesda) · Muddy Branch Road between Suffield Drive and Diamondback Drive (Gaithersburg) · Aircraft Drive between Century Boulevard and Germantown Road at the Germantown Transit Center (Germantown) · Middlebrook Road at Great Seneca Highway (Germantown) · Lost Knife Road between Odendhal Ave and Contour Rd at the Lake Forest Transit Center (Montgomery Village) · Wooton Parkway near Wooton High School (Rockville) · Spring Street at First Avenue (Silver Spring) · University Boulevard at Reedie Drive (Wheaton - Glenmont) · Randolph Road at Livingston Street (Wheaton – Glenmont) · Randolph Road at Bluhill Road (Wheaton – Glenmont) In Montgomery County, more than 400 pedestrians are struck by vehicles each year. Many of these collisions could be avoided if drivers and pedestrians obeyed the law and were more aware. The Montgomery County Police Department takes a proactive approach to ensuring the safety of pedestrians. The department’s Traffic Unit routinely conducts pedestrian safety operations throughout the County to enforce traffic laws. The SafeSpeed and red light camera programs serve to improve the safety of pedestrians by slowing down traffic and reducing the number of vehicles running red lights. Drivers and pedestrians have equal responsibilities in reducing pedestrian-involved collisions. Drivers should take extra caution when approaching crosswalks. Look for pedestrians near the crosswalk and prepare to yield when they enter the crosswalk. When driving in a residential area, or near a school zone, scan ahead for pedestrian traffic, especially for children, who may suddenly run out into the roadway. Extra caution should apply in the evening hours. Pedestrians should always use designated crosswalks when crossing a busy roadway. Assume that drivers can’t see you until you have made eye contact. Once in the crosswalk continue to scan for traffic in each lane of traffic. When in doubt, yield to vehicle traffic -- pedestrians are the ones who are injured in a collision. To see press articles on the pedestrian enforcement efforts, click below: Wheaton Patch, Article 1 Wheaton Patch, Article 2 Bethesda-Chevy Chase Patch To see more pedestrian and driver Safety Tips, visit MCDOT's Pedestrian Safety website. CATEGORIES: Enforcement POSTED: 5:13:00 PM \| Thursday, April 11, 2013 Pedestrian Safety Education and Enforcement Efforts Kick-Off at Seneca Valley High School Jeff Dunckel (MCDOT) and Captain Thomas Didone (MCPD) address students at Seneca Valley High School about pedestrian safety The morning of April 11 marked the beginning of a pedestrian safety education and enforcement campaign at Seneca Valley High School in Germantown. The campaign kicked off with a student assembly featuring Seneca Valley High School Principal Marc Cohen, Montgomery County Police Captain Thomas Didone, and Montgomery County Department of Transportation's Pedestrian Safety Coordinator Jeff Dunckel. Mrs. Gwendolyn Ward, mother of Christina Morris-Ward, a 15-year old Seneca Valley student who was tragically killed crossing Germantown Road this past Halloween morning, also spoke to the crowd of more than 1,200 high school students about the potentially life-threatening consequences of not obeying pedestrian safety laws. The assembly also featured a 10-minute Public Safety Announcement produced by students at the high school, which highlighted the importance of being a safe pedestrian and driver. Over the next week and a half a team of pedestrian safety Champions, comprised of parents and members of the community, as well as representatives from Montgomery County Fire and Rescue, will be out on the streets talking to the high school students about crossing safely and handing out reflective materials. The Champions will remind pedestrians to practice the following safe behaviors: · Cross the street at marked crosswalks and intersections · Look left, right, left, and over their shoulder for turning vehicles when crossing the street · Begin crossing the street on the "walk" signal · Stay visible after dark · Make eye contact with drivers · Stop texting and talking on the cell and remove earphones If you would like to partcipate as a Champion in this campaign, please contact Joana Conklin: Joana.Conklin@montgomerycountymd.gov. Following the education campaign, police will be out on the streets around the high school issuing citations to pedestrians and drivers who do not obey the law. Pedestrians will be fined $50 for crossing outside of a crosswalk if both adjacent intersections have traffic signals, or starting to cross at a signalized intersection if the pedestrian signal is red or flashing red. Drivers will be fined $80 for not yielding to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. The purpose of the education and enforcement campaign is to inform the students about crossing safely so that future tragedies can be avoided. The campaign will encourage students to BE SAFE, BE SEEN, and BE STREET SMART. Read aticles on the Seneca Valley HS Pedestrian Safety Campaign: WJLA Germantown Patch Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Station 22 Distributing Pedestrian Safety Materials to Seneca Valley High School Students Seneca Valley High School Principal Marc Cohen with Derrick Gilliam (MCPS Security) and pedestrian safety Champions Ellyn Terry and Ruthanne Stoltzfus CATEGORIES: Education , Enforcement , Events , Safe Routes to School POSTED: 3:49:00 PM \| Tuesday, February 26, 2013 Safe Routes to School Program completes third grant cycle MCDOT’s Safe Routes to School program just wrapped up one of its two-year grants from the Maryland Highway Safety Office. It promotes the 3 E’s – Engineering, Education, and Enforcement – at schools. Read More CATEGORIES: Bicycle Safety , Education , Enforcement , Engineering , Programs , Safe Routes to School POSTED: 11:02:00 AM \| Wednesday, December 19, 2012 Leggett Celebrates Five-Year Anniversary of His Pedestrian Safety Initiative; Efforts are Reducing Collisions and Saving Lives On December 17, Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett celebrated the five-year anniversary of his December 2007 Pedestrian Safety Initiative, which for the first time provided a blueprint for action to improve pedestrian safety based on measurable strategies. Since 2009, pedestrian collisions have decreased 12 percent and the most severe collisions, those where pedestrians are incapacitated or killed, has declined 21 percent. “In 2007, we charted a course to dramatically improve pedestrian safety and accessibility in Montgomery County – a course that is proving to be successful,” said Leggett. “We are seeing significant reductions in pedestrian collisions in areas where we have taken a comprehensive and targeted approach. Every resident deserves a truly walkable community where pedestrians can safely cross the street. Our challenge in the future is to continually reassess what we are doing, keep what’s working well and find new and creative ways to significantly expand our pedestrian safety efforts.” The Initiative outlined an approach to pedestrian and traffic safety that focused on three essential components: education, engineering and enforcement. The Initiative significantly enhanced the County’s investment in educating motorists and pedestrians, keeping enforcement efforts visible and intensive and aggressively applying the most innovative and pedestrian-friendly road engineering designs. To fulfill Leggett’s vision for increased pedestrian mobility and safety, the Initiative established goals to: • Reduce pedestrian-related crashes, injuries, fatalities, and their associated social and economic costs; and • Ensure that all areas of the County provide safe and convenient travel options for pedestrians. Some of the achievements of the Initiative include: • Reducing pedestrian fatalities from a high of 19 fatalities in 2008 to 11 last year and six so far this year. • Reducing pedestrian collisions 12 percent since 2009. • Reducing the most severe collisions that incapacitate or kill pedestrians 21 percent since 2009. • Reducing collisions 35 percent in areas where traffic calming measures have been installed. • Reducing collisions by 45 percent In High Incidence Areas (HIAs), locations with the highest concentrations of collisions. • Reducing collisions by 72 percent within a quarter mile of schools targeted for engineering, education and enforcement activities under the Safe Routes to Schools program. Mr. Leggett was joined at the event by County Councilmember Valerie Ervin, County Councilmember Hans Riemer, Department of Transportation Director Arthur Holmes, Police Chief Thomas Manger, Fire & Rescue Assistant Chief Scott Graham, and PBTSAC Chair Erwin Mack. Click here for the press release, including additional statistics on the results of the initiative. Click here to view the Transportation Update on the event. For articles about the event, please click below: WJLA The Gazette WTOP Bethesda Now CATEGORIES: Enforcement , Events , Program Overview , Education , Engineering , Safe Routes to School , Safety Audits , Signals&Intersections , Traffic Calming POSTED: 2:30:00 PM \|	Blog Home Website Home Categories Bicycle Safety (5) Bus Stops (1) CountyStat (2) Driving Safety (1) Education (22) Enforcement (4) Engineering (17) Events (19) Program Overview (6) Programs (10) Safe Routes to School (5) Safety Audits (8) Signals&Intersections (4) Traffic Calming (4) Archive May 2013 (3) April 2013 (4) March 2013 (4) February 2013 (4) January 2013 (2) December 2012 (1) November 2012 (4) October 2012 (2) September 2012 (1) July 2012 (1) May 2012 (4) October 2011 (2) May 2011 (1) February 2011 (2) November 2010 (1) October 2010 (1) September 2010 (2) August 2010 (1) March 2010 (1) December 2009 (1) November 2009 (1) September 2008 (1)