County Kicks Off Pedestrian Safety Campaign at Piney Branch



Safety Promotion Team member speaks with a pedestrian about walking safely



Montgomery County kicked off a pedestrian safety campaign on November 7 at the Piney Branch High Incidence Area (HIA). The portion of Piney Branch Road (MD 320) between Flower Avenue (MD 787) and University Boulevard (MD 193) in Silver Spring has historically been the area with the highest number of pedestrian collisions in the county. In October 2008, a Pedestrian Road Safety Audit (PRSA) of this area was conducted in order to identify the major issues for pedestrians and potential engineering treatments to address those issues. The Piney Branch Road PRSA team identified a number of pedestrian safety issues in the study area, the most significant of which was uncontrolled mid-block crossings, which were prevalent and identified as one of the primary contributing factors to pedestrian collisions. Since completion of the PRSA in 2008, MCDOT and MDSHA have been working jointly in the implementation of safety-related engineering improvements within the Piney Branch HIA.

Curb Markers on Piney Branch Road north of University Boulevard

The pedestrian safety campaign that began on November 7 ran through mid-December and included both education and enforcement efforts. The first step of the initiative was the installation of curb markers , which discourage pedestrians from crossing at unmarked locations and direct them to the crosswalks. These messages were reinforced by Safety Promotion Teams speaking with pedestrians on the street about safe pedestrian behavior (click here for information on how to be a safe pedestrian). The team members distributed pedestrian safety informational materials and visible neon green bags that included a safety message. Following the Safety Promotion Team effort, police began a targeted enforcement campaign in the area, focused on ticketing pedestrians and drivers who break the law.

                      

The Piney Branch pedestrian safety initiative was also featured on November 14 during the StreetSmart 2011 kick-off event. The event highlighted the coordinated efforts of the County and State in improving the pedestrian environment in the area. Click here to see the press release from the event. For more information about the StreetSmart regional pedestrian safety campaign, please click here.

Maryland State Highway Administration Approves Pedestrian Road Safety Audits for High Incidence Areas

The State has now studied and approved Pedestrian Road Safety Audits that identify needed safety improvements on roadways with the highest number of pedestrian collisons - called High Incidence Areas. Six reports have now been approved and may be viewed by clicking the links below:

• Piney Branch Road between Flower Avenue and the Montgomery County/Prince George's County Line (October 2008)
• Wisconsin Avenue between Leland Street and Montgomery Avenue (December 2008)
• Georgia Avenue between Sligo Avenue and Sprint Street (March 2009)
• Rockville Pike between Hubbard Drive and Halpine Drive (June 2009)
• Four Corners - Intersections of University Boulevard and Colesville Road (January 2010)
• Reedie Drive between Georgia Avenue and Veirs Mill Road (April 2010)

Bike to Work Day 2011

Bike to Work Day was held on May 20, 2011. Thousands of area commuters celebrated bicycling as a clean, fun and healthy way to get to work!

• Washington Area Bicyclist Association website
• Tips to Ease into Bicycle Commuting
• Biking Resources, Maps & Benefits

Bus Stop Improvement Program

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

Pedestrian Safety at the Maryland Municipal League (MML) Annual Convention

The MML (Maryland Municipal League) Conference provided another chance to tell others about the County's Pedestrian Safety Programs. Jeff Dunckel, Pedestrian Safety Coordinator, and Tom Pogue, Community Outreach Manager were among the hundreds of city and town officials from throughout Maryland who gathered at the Convention Center in Ocean City, Maryland to learn about and discuss municipal issues. They spoke with over 400 fellow city and town officials, discussing pedestrian safety in Montgomery County.