Leggett Seeks Applicants for Pedestrian, Bicycle, and Traffic Safety Advisory Committee

County Executive Isiah Leggett is seeking applicants to fill four public member vacancies, including one member who represents people with disabilities, on the Pedestrian, Bicycle, and Traffic Safety Advisory Committee. The incumbent representing people with disabilities is eligible to apply for reappointment.

The 17-member Advisory Committee includes six government representatives, one public school representative, one Maryland Municipal League representative, and nine general public members who represent various regions of Montgomery County, including one member representing advocates of bicycling, and one member representing people with disabilities.

This Committee provides advice to the County Executive, County Council, and elected officials on implementation of the County’s Pedestrian Safety Initiative, priorities and needs in the area of pedestrian and bicycle safety and access, gathers information on pedestrian and bicycle safety, and identifies any new issues that may emerge.

Members serve three-year terms without compensation, but are eligible for reimbursement for travel and dependent care for meetings attended. Meetings generally are held every other month on weekday evenings. All members are also expected to serve on various sub-committees, and these meetings will be held as needed. For more information, please see the County Website Page for the Committee:

http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dot-pedsafety/index.html

Application Process

County Executive Isiah Leggett is committed to representation on all of the County’s boards, committees, and commissions that is reflective of, and responsive to, our County’s residents. Public participation contributes to the work of County government and provides an important service to the community when a variety of issues, concerns, and viewpoints are presented. 

Applicants of diverse backgrounds, professions, gender, geography, disability and ethnicity are encouraged to apply. An application, consisting of a brief cover letter and resume, should be sent by mail to County Executive Isiah Leggett, 101 Monroe Street, 2nd Floor, Rockville, MD  20850, or by email to countyexecutive.boards@montgomerycountymd.gov. Home and employment addresses, as well as contact phone numbers and email addresses should be included. If appropriate, applicants should indicate the position for which they are applying.  The application deadline is July 11, 2014. 

Members of County boards, committees and commissions may not serve on more than one such group at a time. Members of these boards are eligible for reimbursement for travel and dependent care for meetings attended. Leggett’s appointments are generally subject to confirmation by the County Council. Applications of individuals selected for appointment to groups that are confirmed by the Council are made public as part of the confirmation process.

Street Smart Safety Zone Events to be Held in Montgomery County

Street Smart is launching their spring safety campaign to remind area drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists to be alert and obey traffic safety laws. To make sure they do, area police will be stepping up enforcement and will ticket and fine violators – whether on foot, a bike, or behind the wheel. 

As part of the campaign, there will be a street team providing on-the-ground pedestrian safety education in downtown Bethesda (along Wisconsin Avenue) on Tuesday, April 29, from 4-7pm. Bethesda Transportation Solutions and the Montgomery County Department of Transportation will also have a tent set up outside of the Bethesda Metro station on Tuesday where you can come and pick up information and some swag!  There will also be a Safety Zone event held in downtown Silver Spring on Tuesday, May 6 from 4-7pm.

Street Smart reminds everyone to share the road and look out for each other. 

• If you’re driving, watch for people in crosswalks and stop for walkers and cyclists. 

• If you’re biking, ride in the direction of traffic and stop at red lights. 

• And if you’re walking, cross in the crosswalk and wait for the "walk" signal. 

Learn more about the campaign at BeStreetSmart.net or www.montgomerycountymd.gov/walk

Warmer Weather Prompts Increased Outdoor Activity and Safety Enforcement

"Street Smart" Campaign Urges Drivers, Bicyclists and Pedestrians to Exercise Caution

Safety Zones will feature street teams
highlighting key campaign messages

En Español

CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ABOUT MONTGOMERY COUNTY SAFETY ZONE EVENTS!

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, VA — After a long, cold winter, Washington-area residents are
ready to get outside and enjoy spring weather. With more people walking and biking, transportation officials from the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia are urging drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists, to take extra care and watch for each other when traveling around the region. To make sure they do, law enforcement agencies will be on the lookout for anyone not following traffic safety laws and will ticket and fine violators – whether on foot, a bike, or behind the wheel.

These increased efforts are all part of the spring Street Smart public awareness and enforcement campaign. From April 14 through May 11, officers in the District of Columbia, suburban Maryland, and Northern Virginia will be stepping up enforcement, watching for drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists who violate traffic safety laws. Drivers who fail to yield for people in crosswalks, for example, and pedestrians who jaywalk will face tickets and fines ranging from $40 to $500. Additionally, law-breaking drivers are subject to getting points on their driver records.

Gas Station Pump Toppers Remind
Motorists to Watch for Pedestrians

"This has been a particularly harsh winter, so we expect that, as spring unfolds, more people will be out walking and biking. With so many of us sharing the roads, it is critical that we make safety a top priority," said Prince William County Supervisor Frank Principi, who serves on the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. "It's the duty of all drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians to work together, pay attention and follow traffic laws to make sure everyone arrives at their destinations safely."

Street Smart officials launched the spring initiative Thursday morning, April 17, at the Woodbridge, VA intersection where Sally Ann Okuly was killed last November. Okuly, a devoted wife and mother of two, was crossing with the light at the southeast corner of Opitz Boulevard at Montgomery Avenue when she was struck and killed by a car in the crosswalk. That morning was the first time she had taken a walk outside her home since surviving a motorcycle accident six months earlier.

In the wake of Okuly’s death, her friends, family and community leaders have successfully Street Smart officials hope to see similar improvements made at other treacherous intersections in the Washington region.

Bus Ads - Key Component of the
StreetSmart Campaign

advocated for engineering improvements to the intersection, including plans for crosswalk striping and the recent implementation of a Leading Pedestrian Interval (LPI) signal – a timing technique that allows pedestrians a few seconds headstart to begin crossing the street before cars get a green light. 

Street Smart aims to prevent pedestrian and bicyclist deaths like Okuly’s – let alone the countless injuries that occur each year –by urging people to pay more attention when they’re on the road and offering practical, easy-to-follow safety tips (see below). Drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians need to follow traffic laws, be aware of their surroundings, and avoid distractions such as cell phones. Street Smart reminds drivers to be alert and yield to anyone walking or biking at intersections, encourages those on foot to use crosswalks and wait for the walk signal, and urges people on bicycles to ride in the direction of traffic and stop at red lights.

While pedestrian fatalities in the DC metro area decreased from 2012 to 2013, bicyclist fatalities more than doubled, from three in 2012 to seven in 2013. In 2013, preliminary data indicate that 73 pedestrians and bicyclists were killed in crashes in the Washington metropolitan region. These deaths accounted for 27 percent of all traffic fatalities in the area.

Information on the Street Smart public education program may be found at www.bestreetsmart.net.

Press Articles about the Spring 2014 StreetSmart Launch:

NBC
WUSA9 (article 1)
WUSA9 (article 2)
Univision (article 1)
Univision (article 2)
CBS
Prince William Daily Monitor
InsideNOVA
Associated Press

About the Street Smart Campaign & the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB)
Sponsored by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) and the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB), the Street Smart public awareness and enforcement campaign is in its twelfth year. Its goal is to reduce pedestrian and cyclist injuries and deaths in the Washington metropolitan area. For more information about Street Smart, please visit www.bestreetsmart.net and twitter.com/COGStreetSmart. The TPB is the regional transportation planning organization for the Washington region. It includes local governments, state transportation agencies, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and members of the Maryland and Virginia General Assemblies.

El clima más cálido da a lugar a actividades al aire libre y al cumplimiento de las reglas de seguridad

La campaña “Street Smart” insta a los conductores, ciclistas y peatones a ser prudentes

Prince William County, VA– Después de un largo y frío invierno, los residentes del área de

Washington están listos para salir y disfrutar del clima de primavera. Con más personas caminando y en bicicleta, los funcionarios del transporte del Distrito de Columbia, Maryland y Virgina están pidiéndoles a los conductores, peatones y ciclistas que presten mayor atención y que estén pendientes los unos de los otros cuando se desplacen por la región. Para asegurarse de que así lo hagan, las agencias del orden público estarán vigilando a las personas que no estén cumpliendo las leyes de tránsito y multarán a los infractores, ya sea que vayan a pie, en bicicleta o detrás del volante.

Estos mayores esfuerzos forman parte de la campaña de concientización pública y cumplimiento de esta primavera Street Smart. Del 14 de abril al 11 de mayo, los policías del Distrito de Columbia, el área suburbana de Maryland y el norte de Virginia estarán reforzando las actividades de cumplimiento, estarán atentos a los conductores, peatones y ciclistas que violen las leyes de seguridad vial. Por ejemplo, los conductores que no les den paso a las personas en el cruce de peatones y los peatones que cruzan en rojo se enfrentarán a multas que van de $40 a $500. Por otra parte, los conductores que violen la ley estarán sujetos a recibir puntos en sus récords de manejo.

“Este ha sido un invierno particularmente duro, así que esperamos que, cuando se despliegue la primavera, muchas más personas comiencen a caminar y a montar bicicleta. Pero con tantos de nosotros compartiendo las calles, es crucial que mantengamos a la seguridad como una prioridad”, dijo el supervisor del condado de Prince William, Frank Principi, quien presta servicio en la Junta de Directores del Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. “Al tomar medidas sencillas como prestar atención y cumplir con las leyes de tránsito, cada quien puede ayudar a garantizar que las personas lleguen sanas y salvas a sus destinos”.

Los funcionarios de Street Smart introdujeron la iniciativa de primavera la mañana del jueves 17 de abril, en Woodbridge, VA, en la intersección donde murió Sally Ann Okuly en noviembre pasado. Okuly, madre dedicada de dos niños, estaba cruzando con el semáforo en la esquina sureste de Opitz Boulevard y Montgomery Avenue cuando fue atropellada por un auto en el cruce de peatones y murió. Esa mañana fue la primera vez que salía a caminar afuera de su casa luego de sobrevivir un choque en motocicleta seis meses antes.

A raíz de la muerte de Okuly, sus amigos, familiares y líderes de la comunidad han promovido con éxito varias mejoras de ingeniería en la intersección, incluyendo planes para el rayado del cruce de peatones y la puesta es práctica recientemente de una señal de Guía Peatonal por Intervalo (LPI, por sus siglas en inglés), una técnica de tiempo que les concede a los peatones algunos segundos de ventaja para comenzar a cruzar la calle antes de que los automóviles tengan la luz verde. Los funcionarios de Street Smart esperan ver mejoras similares en otras intersecciones traicioneras en la región de Washington.

El propósito de Street Smart es evitar más muertes de peatones y ciclistas como Okuly, sin contar las numerosas lesiones que ocurren cada año, instando a las personas a prestar más atención cuando estén en al calle y ofreciendo consejos de seguridad prácticos y fáciles de seguir (ver más abajo). Los conductores, ciclistas y peatones tienen que obedecer las leyes de tránsito, estar pendientes de lo que los rodea y evitar distraerse con cosas como sus teléfonos celulares. Street Smart les recuerda a los conductores que estén alertas y les den el paso a las personas que estén caminando o en bicicleta en las intersecciones, alienta a aquellos que vayan a pie a utilizar los cruces de peatones y esperar la señal de caminar, y les insta a los ciclistas a manejar en la dirección del tráfico y detenerse en los semáforos en rojo.

Si bien el número de muertes en el área metropolitana de DC disminuyó de 2012 a 2013, las muertes de ciclistas han aumentado más del doble, de tres en 2012 a siete en 2013.  En el 2013, los datos preliminares indican que 73 peatones y ciclistas murieron en choques en la región metropolitana de Washington. Estas muertes conforman el 27 por ciento de todas las muertes relacionadas con el tráfico en el área.

Puede encontrar información sobre el programa de educación pública Street Smart en www.bestreetsmart.net.

###

Información acerca de la campaña Street Smart y la National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB)

Patrocinada por el Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) y la National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB), la campaña pública de concientización y ejecución Street Smart está cumpliendo su décimo segundo año. Su meta es reducir las lesiones y muertes de peatones y ciclistas en el área metropolitana de Washington. Para más información sobre Street Smart, por favor visite www.bestreetsmart.net  y twitter.com/COGStreetSmart. La TPB es la organización de planificación de transporte regional para la región de Washington e incluye los gobiernos locales, las agencias de transporte del estado, la Autoridad de Tránsito del Área Metropolitana de Washington (WMATA, por sus siglas en inglés) y los miembros de  las Asambleas Generales de Maryland y Virginia.

Pedestrian Crosswalk Stings are Back

A sting operation at an often disregarded Wisconsin Avenue crosswalk last week led to 24 citations for drivers who didn’t stop for an undercover cop posing as a pedestrian.

Next week, Montgomery County will launch a spring Street Smart campaign managed by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. Jeff Dunckel, Montgomery County’s pedestrian safety coordinator, said part of that initiative will include a new wave of the undercover police crosswalk stings.

The sting last week was set up for two hours at the notorious intersection of Stanford Street and Wisconsin Avenue. Drivers there must stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk.

But with no traffic signal on the six-lane road, pedestrians say that rarely happens.

Last June, police nabbed 22 drivers for failing to stop with a pedestrian in the crosswalk. Last April, as county officials and police began an aggressive spring pedestrian safety initiative, a motorist mowed down one of the pedestrian signs at the crosswalk.

Esther Bowring, a county government spokesperson, said police do regular enforcement of pedestrian safety laws. The effort that will begin next week is a more concentrated effort to raise awareness with more and more pedestrians taking advantage of warmer weather.

The decoy pedestrian police stings started last year.  Officials began putting the enforcement focus on drivers who were violating the law, not just pedestrians jaywalking or crossing without the walk signal.

Source: Bethesda Now, April 11, 2014

To see a video about crosswalk stings, click here.
To hear an audio clip on the stings, click here.

Heads Up in Parking Lots: Don’t run over people. Don’t get run over.

In 2012, there were 423 reported pedestrian collisions in Montgomery County. Of these collisions, 125, or about 30 percent, occurred in parking lots and garages – a 39 percent increase in one year and the third consecutive year that collisions in parking lots increased. What’s worse, nearly 20 percent of these collisions resulted in devastating injuries - about the same as occurred in countywide road collisions.

What Are We Doing About It?

Montgomery County is getting the word out to the public about pedestrian collisions in parking lots. Most people are very surprised to learn just how widespread these collisions are and how many of them cause severe injuries. We hope that educating both drivers and pedestrians can help change their attitudes and behaviors in parking lots.

How You Can Help

• Practice safe walking and driving in parking lots and garages – Safety Tips (English - pdf | Español - pdf).
• Use social media and ask your friends to join the conversation about ways to stay safe.
• Spread the word to your civic association, business group, school community, religious organization, etc.

To see more resources on parking lot safety, visit the Heads Up webpage.

As Seasonal Time Change Approaches, Drivers and Pedestrians Urged to Look Out for Each Other

The months of October, November and December are the scariest time of the year for pedestrians in Montgomery County because pedestrian collisions have typically spiked during these months by nearly 40 percent. With the end of daylight savings time on November 3, less daylight hours contribute to the problem. According to federal safety officials, 70 percent of pedestrian fatalities happen during the night time hours.

“Montgomery County is committed to pedestrian safety, and over the past few years, we have engaged in an aggressive program to reduce collisions through engineering efforts and enhanced enforcement and education,” said Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett. “But, we cannot do it all alone. We need drivers to slow down, pay attention and look out for pedestrians. We need pedestrians to be vigilant, on guard and undistracted. We need everyone to be engaged to make sure that crossing the street is not a death defying act.”

This week, the regional Street Smart Campaign launched its fall campaign to raise awareness in drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists. Last year in the Washington region, 72 pedestrians and bicyclists died in traffic collisions. Montgomery County averages more than 400 pedestrian collisions a year.

In 2007, Leggett introduced an aggressive pedestrian safety initiative that is investing millions of dollars in safety improvements – and these improvements are making a difference. The County is also working in partnership with the Maryland State Highway Administration to address collisions on State roads (roads in the County that are numbered), which are the busiest corridors in the County.

Drivers are urged to help improve pedestrian safety and keep in mind the following:

• Pedestrians can be nearly invisible in the dark and in bad weather.
• Pedestrians may be unpredictable. Be aware and be prepared to stop.
• Slow down and obey the posted speed limits.
• Don’t drive distracted – when in the car, focus only on driving.
• Be patient, especially when young children, seniors or persons with disabilities are present.

Pedestrians are urged to do their part by practicing the following safety tips:

• Remain vigilant when crossing the street.
• Cross the street at signals, marked crosswalks and intersections. Don’t step off the curb without looking left, right and then left again.
• Be alert for drivers who aren’t paying attention. Doing everything right – crossing with a walk signal and in the crosswalk – is not enough to guarantee safety.
• Don’t count on drivers to see you or react in time.
• Get off the cell phone and stop texting – don’t walk when distracted.
• Stay visible after dark and in bad weather.

More safety information is available on the County’s pedestrian safety website.

To view a press release from AAA on this issue, please click here.  

Local Officials Urge Drivers, Pedestrians, and Cyclists To Look Out for Each Other

Montgomery County Pedestrian Safety
Coordinator, Jeff Dunckel, introduced the
Fall 2013 StreetSmart campaign

Street Smart Campaign Aims to Reduce Injuries and Deaths During Dark Fall Months

With Daylight Savings Time ending on November 3, school back in session, and Halloween around the corner, regional safety officials came together today to remind drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists to pay extra attention to one another on area roadways.  

An hour less of daylight during evening commutes means reduced visibility, which typically leads to an increase in crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists during the darker autumn months. To reduce pedestrian and cyclist injuries and fatalities, the annual Street Smart public education campaign is encouraging area residents to be more alert. Last year, in November and December there were more than 400 crashes involving pedestrians in the Washington metro region.

A lone trumpeter remains after
other members of the Roaring Bengal
Marching Band have left the park,
in recognition of the 72 pedestrians
killed in the region in 2012.

Representatives from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, as well as state and local officials from the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia, gathered today at Upper Senate Park in Washington, DC to kick off the fall Street Smart campaign. Special guest Gwendolyn Ward shared the story of her 15-year-old daughter, Christina Morris-Ward, who was struck by a car and killed one year ago this month while crossing the street in Germantown on her way to school in the dark. Also attending was the Roaring Bengal Marching Band from James Hubert Blake High School in Montgomery County, which played a mournful dirge in recognition of the 72 pedestrians and cyclists killed in the region last year.

Gwendolyn Ward shares the
story of her daughter, Christina, who
was killed while crossing Germantown
Road on Halloween morning, 2012.

As the band played, a bell tolled in recognition of each pedestrian killed in 2012. With each ringing of the bell, a single band member ceased playing his or her instrument and left the instrument on the ground. The song ended with a lone trumpeter playing amid a sea of abandoned instruments.

“We all have to work together to improve safety in our region particularly now that it’s getting dark by the time many people are making their evening commutes,” said Chuck Bean, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. “Drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians need to follow traffic laws, be aware of their surroundings, and avoid distractions, such as cell phones.” Among other safety tips, the Street Smart campaign reminds drivers to be alert and yield to those on foot or on bicycles at intersections, and encourages pedestrians and cyclists to wear light colors or reflective clothing to be more visible.

Bean announced that law enforcement in the District of Columbia, suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia will conduct increased enforcement October 28 through November 24, ticketing drivers, cyclists and pedestrians who violate traffic safety laws.

For Safety Tips and More Information on the StreetSmart campaign, visit bestreetsmart.net.  

Click on the links below for media coverage of the event:

Belvoir Eagle
Bethesda Now
FOX DC    
The Gazette (1)          The Gazette (2)
GO Montgomery!
Washington Hispanic
WJLA (1)          WJLA (2)  
WTOP (1)         WTOP (2)          WTOP (3)          WTOP (audio)

National Transportation Safety Board Uses Local Site to Promote Safety Tips

Recently National Transportation Safety Board Acting Chair Deborah Hersman joined County safety officials to highlight important rules of the road and safety tips for motorists, bikers, and walkers. Here’s a few to remember. 

For drivers, stay alert and slow down.  Eliminate any distractions inside your car so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings. It is against the law to text or hold your phone while driving. Looking away from the roadway for just two seconds doubles the chance of being involved in a crash. Scan between parked cars and other objects along the roadway for children and pedestrians. Take extra time when making a right turn on red, so you can be on the lookout for walkers and bicyclists.

For pedestrians, cross the street at corners, use traffic signals and crosswalks, and look left, right and left again before crossing.

If traveling by bike, obey the rules of the road and wear a helmet. Not only is it the smart thing to do, it’s the law in Maryland.

For more information, visit MCDOT's pedestrian and bicycle websites. For a video of this message, visit our blog.

Annual Maryland Driver Survey Now Available

The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration's (MVA's) Highway Safety Office is interested in getting public input on awareness of highway safety messages and personal driving related behavior.  Annually, the MVA conducts a survey of licensed drivers within the state.  This survey seeks to gain information regarding drivers' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors as it relates to highway safety practices.  The survey focuses on highway safety issues, including seat belts, pedestrian safety, impaired driving, speeding, motorcycles, and distracted driving.  Feedback provided by the survey will help to shape highway safety programs within the state.  If you are a licensed Maryland driver, we would be very grateful if you would take a few minutes to complete a short survey.  Please be assured that this survey is anonymous.  Click here to complete the survey.

Recent Research on the Dangers of Distracted Driving

Some recent studies on the dangers of distracted driving:
More adults text while driving
Source: USA Today, March 28, 2013
Forget teenagers. Adults are the biggest texting-while-driving problem in the U.S. What's worse — they know it's wrong. Almost half of all adults admit to texting while driving in a survey by AT&T compared with 43% of teenagers. More than 98% of adults — almost all of them — admit they know it's wrong. Six in 10 say they weren't doing it three years ago. This follows an extensive national campaign against distracted driving: 39 states and the District of Columbia ban texting while driving for all drivers, and an additional five states prohibit the practice for new drivers, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. The AT&T survey follows a study this month from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that found 31% of drivers in the U.S. reported texting or e-mailing while driving. To see the full article, go to: www.usatoday.com/.
Do texting bans really prevent fatal accidents?
Source: The Atlantic Cities, March 27, 2013
The psychological evidence is quite clear: using a cell phone while you're driving is distracting. Conversing with someone on the phone imposes a cognitive strain that makes it harder for the brain to concentrate on other tasks. Hands-free systems keep drivers eyes on the road, but they don't do much to reduce their level of distraction. No matter how you cut it, the case for banning drivers from using mobile phones is a strong one. What's less clear is whether or not these bans actually reduce collisions. Given that mobile technology is fairly new, the question hasn't received much empirical attention. One study to look at texting bans in four states, back in 2010, actually found that crashes increased in those states, compared to neighboring states without the bans — perhaps because drivers tried to hide their phones while texting, making the act even more dangerous. To see the full article, go to: www.theatlanticcities.com/.
Kids one of the worst distractions while driving, study suggests Source: 680 News (Canada), March 20, 2013
Distracted driving campaigns usually center around eating, texting and talking behind the wheel — but what about your young passengers? An Australian study says children may be taking your eyes off the road the most. Pulling squabbling siblings apart, calming fussy babies and even picking up dropped toys are taking parents' eyes away from the road, the study suggests. According to the study, children are 12 times more distracting to drivers than cellphones, with the average parent taking their eyes off the road for three minutes and 22 seconds during a 16-minute trip. The Canadian Automobile Association said statistics in Ontario show children are four times more distracting than cellphones. To see the full article, go to: www.680news.com/.
(Source for these abstracts: Network of Employers for Traffic Safety newsletter, April 15, 2013)