Wednesday, March 20, 2013
MCDOT continues to invest in engineering improvements to enhance pedestrian safety – particularly in high crash areas where collision data shows more pedestrians are being struck.
* In Takoma Park, on Piney Branch Road between Flower Avenue and the County line, pedestrians are safer because of new street lights, wider sidewalks, new pedestrian signals, and soon a new crosswalk with pedestrian-activated warning lights.
* In Wheaton, at Reedie Drive between Veirs Mill Road and Georgia Avenue, a major safety project included refurbished crosswalks, new pedestrian refuge islands, and clearer lane markings.
* On Randolph Road at Veirs Mill, new sidewalks and streetscaping have been installed.
* On Georgia Avenue in downtown Silver Spring, Community Affairs is installing streetscape improvements in Fenton Village.
* And in Rockville and Bethesda, segments of MD355 have received new pedestrian signals.
These investments are part of County Executive Leggett’s Pedestrian Safety Initiative. For more information, go to MCDOT's revamped pedestrian safety website.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
The extension of the Metropolitan Branch Trail at the Silver Spring Metro Station to Ripley Street is now open. Last month, a portion of the trail opened to enhance accessibility around the Transit Center. Read More
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
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
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Improved bus stop with curb access, new shelter - Photo: Stacy Coletta
Transit Services’ Bus Stop Improvement Program is in its seventh year of operation, completing upgrades to two-thirds of Ride On’s 5000 bus stops. The program systematically evaluates bus stops by asking a series of questions, such as, “Can passengers wait at the stop without being in danger?” “Is the stop reasonably close to a safe street crossing and can that crossing be made safer?” and “Can passengers get to the stop along an accessible path?”
In planning improvements, staff look beyond the bus stop to consider the walking routes patrons will take to destinations and housing. To date, close to seven million dollars in infrastructure enhancements have been made. The bus stop program often partners with other MCDOT projects to bring about innovative and attractive upgrades. These include the sidewalk construction program, ADA improvements, and traffic calming projects.
For more information, go to Ride On's website. Or call 311 (TTY, call 301-251-4850 ), Monday through Friday, 7:00 am to 7:00 pm
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Several new construction projects by the Division of Transportation Engineering will provide improvements to the pedestrian or bicycle infrastructure and increase walkability in Montgomery County.
Dale Drive Sidewalk from Mansfield Road to Hartford Avenue
The purpose of this project is to design and construct a new sidewalk with curb and gutter. Construction started in the fall of 2012 and contractors have recently finished relocating utilities. The projected completion date is the fall of 2013.
Greentree Road Sidewalk
The purpose of this project is to construct approximately 64,000 linear feet of concrete sidewalk with curb and gutter, residential sidewalk ramps, and extend the existing storm drain system along the north side of Greentree Road. Construction started in the fall of 2012. The projected completion date is the fall of 2013.
MacArthur Boulevard Bikeway Improvement – Segment 2
The purpose of this project is to develop final construction plans for improvements along 13,800 linear feet of MacArthur Boulevard from I-495 to Oberlin Avenue. Construction is scheduled to begin in late February 2013. The projected completion date is the fall of 2014.
Montrose Trail
The purpose of this project is to design and construct a hiker-biker trail in the former Rockville Facility from Tildenwood Drive to Old Farm Creek. This will connect to the hiker-biker trail constructed in association with the Montrose Parkway West project. Construction ended in the fall of 2012.
Shady Grove Metro Access Bike Path
The purpose of this project is to provide a new bikepath from Shady Grove Road along the east side of the WMATA Metro Access Road, a bikeway ramp from the new path to the existing bikeway at Crabbs Branch Way, and a signalized at-grade pedestrian/bikeway crossing on the WMATA Metro Access. Construction began in the spring of 2012. The projected completion date is the spring of 2013.
For more information on road, sidewalk, bikeway, or storm drainage projects throughout the county, visit the Division of Transportation Engineering's website or call 240.777.7223
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
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.
For articles about the event, please click below:
WJLA
The Gazette
WTOP
Bethesda Now
Thursday, November 29, 2012
In November 2011, MCDOT led a team of transportation and enforcement professionals from Montgomery County, the Maryland State Highway Administration (MDSHA), and the Maryland Highway Safety Office in a two-day pedestrian road safety audit along Colesville Road in the “heart” of the Silver Spring Central Business District (CBD). This segment of Colesville Road was particularly notable because of the density of unique “traffic generators”, including entertainment (i.e., Fillmore Music Hall, movie theater), dining, and shopping, bisected by a major regional corridor 
The study area is an approximately 0.3-mile segment of Colesville Road located in a relatively densely developed, urban corridor between Fenton Street and North Noyes Drive. This stretch of Colesville Road was identified as one of Montgomery County’s High Incidence Areas (HIA) for pedestrian collisions. Based on collision data provided by Montgomery County and the Maryland State Highway Administration, 29 pedestrian collisions occurred in the study area from January 2004 through February 2011.
The audit team noted the role of the existing character of Colesville Road, vehicle speeds, the unsignalized mid-block crosswalk, and the reversible lane configurations, as potentially contributing to pedestrian safety issues. Based on the team’s field observations and an examination of available data, the team developed various suggestions to address these issues. Moving forward, there will be an ongoing vetting of the audit suggestions with collaboration among agencies and stakeholders to implement short and intermediate-term recommendations and assess the feasibility and constructability of long-term projects.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
The County has released the Pedestrian Road Safety Audit (PRSA) report for the Connecticut Avenue High Incidence Area (HIA). HIAs are areas of the County that have been identified through crash data analysis to have the highest densities of pedestrian collisions. The report summarizes crash data, field observations, and suggested safety improvements along segments of Connecticut Avenue (MD Route 185) between Independence Street and Georgia Avenue (MD Route 97). It is the eighth PRSA report to be published, and has undergone review and approval by MCDOT and MDSHA. It can be viewed by clicking the link below. Read More about these Pedestrian Road Safety Audits and how they are used to improve pedestrian safety.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Over the past several months, the Department of Transportation (MCDOT) and Police Department (MCPD), in coordination with the M aryland Highway Safety Office (MHSO), have been working with several members of the Wheaton community who are interested in participating in pedestrian safety outreach efforts.
The community members represent neighborhood civic associations (Connecticut Avenue Estates, Montclair Manor, Rock Creek Palisades), as well as representatives from the Hispanic/Latino community. The three neighborhood civic associations organized a public/press event on July 20 to commemorate activation of the new traffic signal at Veirs Mill Road and Claridge Road. In attendance were County Councilmembers Ervin, Navarro, and Floreen; State Delegates Carr and Gutierrez; as well as County Officials, Father Salah from St. Catherine Labouré Church, and members of the community. Click here to view news coverage of the event.
 The community members then took the opportunity to distribute pedestrian safety information to St. Catherine Labouré parishioners the weekend immediately following activation of the new signal. The outreach effort was initiated by the community groups, and is an indication of the potential for this group to successfully reach thousands of members of the walking and driving public in an effort to educate them about keeping pedestrians safe.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Press Releases:
Monday, February 07, 2011
The Montgomery County's Department of Transportation is engaged in a six-year project to render every bus stop in the County as pedestrian safe as feasible and accessible to every member of our community - in compliance with the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Bus stops are very important to pedestrian safety; transit passengers are pedestrians at both ends of their trip, coming and going. As of October 2012, over 2,350 bus stops have been modified and improved. Below are photos of some of the improvements made in the first two years of the program.
Click to see next before & after
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett announced the completion of pedestrian improvements on Hewitt Avenue in Silver Spring that will enhance safety for transit users and the entire community. The innovative pedestrian protection improvements installed have successfully been used by the MCDOT in other locations and have proven to be effective in reducing motorist speeds, calming traffic and enhancing safety. Read More
Sunday, October 31, 2010
The MCDOT Director and staff, with the Montgomery County Police Department, presented an overview of the County’s Pedestrian Safety Program to the County Council back in October 2010. This Pedestrian Safety Program Review was requested by Council as an update on the progress of the County Executive’s Pedestrian Safety Initiative.
Sunday, September 05, 2010
MCDOT has announced its plan of action for the Piney Branch High Incident Area. Click below to review this plan. For questions, contact Community Outreach at 240.777.7155.
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Montgomery County’s Department of Transportation’s (MCDOT) Traffic Engineering Division is testing a new type of pedestrian-oriented traffic signal on Gude Drive in Rockville in an area that has had eight pedestrian collisions in the past two years.
HAWK stands for High-intensity Activated crossWalK signal.
This new signal uses traditional traffic and pedestrian signal heads but in a different configuration
How it works: When not activated, the signal is dark, allowing drivers to freely pass through. It is activated when a pedestrian pushes the walk button. The HAWK signal begins flashing yellow to indicate to drivers someone will be using the crosswalk. It then goes to solid yellow like a typical traffic signal, advising drivers to prepare to stop. The signal then turns solid red, requiring drivers to stop at the crosswalk. Finally, the signal goes to flashing red, letting drivers know that after coming to a complete stop, they can proceed once the pedestrian has crossed safely. The signal then returns to the dark condition.
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett (left) talks about pedestrian safety improvements made to Arcola Avenue in Wheaton to slow traffic and make it safer to cross the street. Joining Leggett were the County’s Pedestrian Safety Coordinator Jeff Dunckel (middle) and Delegate Roger Manno (D-19), who represents the Wheaton area. See Press Release for more info.
|
|
