County Continues Investments and Activities to Make Piney Branch High Incidence Area Safer

New Midblock Crosswalk Installed on Piney Branch Road

When the County Executive announced his Pedestrian Safety Initiative five years ago, a key approach was to focus on areas that were experiencing the highest number of pedestrian collisions. Piney Branch Road, between Flower Avenue and the County line, was such a place. Two new crosswalks with pedestrian refuge islands and flashing beacons to warn motorists are the latest improvements in a multi-year effort to enhance safety. 

In 2010 and 2011, MCDOT upgraded sidewalks and ADA ramps in the corridor. Through agreements with PEPCO, additional street lights were installed and other lights were brightened. In 2011, traffic signal upgrades for pedestrians were installed, with more now being planned in cooperation with the State. To see a graphic of all engineering improvements along this corridor, click below.

Additional resources were spent on extensive grassroots education, and Police conducted intensive enforcement, writing over 800 citations to both pedestrians and motorists. Pedestrian collisions here are now down 36 percent since this effort began.

Leggett Launches Spanish/English Pedestrian Safety Education Campaign; First Story Installment of Graphic Novel Style Ads Conveys Serious Message about Staying Safe While Crossing the Street

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett today launched a new public education campaign about the consequences of failing to practice safe pedestrian behaviors. The ads use an eye-catching graphic novel format in both English and Spanish. The first in a series, the ads appear on Ride On buses and in bus shelters located in the first five High Incidence Areas (HIAs) designated by the County as having the highest concentrations of pedestrian collisions. The event initiating the campaign was held along Piney Branch Road in Silver Spring where significant engineering improvements have been made between Flower and New Hampshire avenues.

“Since we first identified Piney Branch Road as the area in the County with the highest number of pedestrian
collisions, we have made massive engineering improvements to make it a place where pedestrians feel safe crossing the street,” said Leggett. “Our next step today is the launch of an education and enforcement campaign to ensure that pedestrians and drivers take full advantage of the new safety features. We are using a creative, colorful and innovative graphic novel approach to educate drivers and pedestrians in both Spanish and English. We hope this eye-catching ad series will help reduce collisions among those at highest risk in the locations at greatest risk.”

Mr. Leggett poses in front of new pedestrian safety
ad with children from New Hampshire Estates
 Elementary School

The graphic novel ad has two messages: Maryland state law requires drivers to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks and those who don’t use crosswalks are putting themselves at risk. The ad features characters named Maria and Marco in a scene in which Marco fails to use a crosswalk -- with dire consequences.

“This Spanish language pedestrian safety campaign is a step in the right direction to improve this community’s ability to understand how to safely travel,” said Montgomery County Councilmember Nancy Navarro. “As Council President last year, I am pleased we increased funding for outreach efforts by the Public Information Office and the Department of Transportation to strengthen pedestrian safety programs for the Spanish-speaking community.”

“Esta campaña de seguridad peatonal en español es un paso en la dirección correcta para que la comunidad conozca mejor sobre seguridad peatonal y así reducir y evitar accidentes,” dijo Montgomery County Montgomery County Councilmember Nancy Navarro. “Como presidenta del Consejo este término pasado, estoy orgullosa de que pudimos aumentar fondos a programas llevados a cabo por la Oficina de Información Pública y el Departamento de Trasporte que benefician y fortalecen la seguridad peatonal de la comunidad hispanohablante.”

The new ads can be seen in bus shelters
and interior and exterior bus ads
in Montgomery County

The ad concept stems from continuing concerns that, despite “3E” (engineering, enforcement and education) efforts, some pedestrians and drivers do not practice safe behaviors. Drivers should stop for pedestrians in crosswalks, slow down, stay alert and avoid driving while distracted. Pedestrians should take advantage of the physical improvements that have been made in the HIA areas by waiting for the walk signal, watching for turning vehicles and crossing at the crosswalk.

Since 2009 when improvements began, HIA pedestrian collisions have declined 43 percent in the County. HIAs comprise less than one percent of the County’s roadways, yet 11 percent of the County’s pedestrian crashes occur in them. The first group of HIAs includes portions of Piney Branch Road, Four Corners, Reedie Drive, Randolph Road at Veirs Mill Road and Connecticut Avenue at Aspen Hill Road. Most of the HIAs are along State roads, so the County and the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) are working as partners to improve pedestrian safety. SHA is now using an approach statewide that is modeled on Montgomery County’s success by targeting 3E efforts where the greatest number of pedestrian crashes is occurring.

MCDOT Director Arthur Holmes, Jr.
and Pedestrian Safety Education Specialist
Joana Conklin pose with "Maria"

Improving pedestrian safety in HIAs takes time and continues incrementally. HIA safety audits identify ways to improve pedestrian safety along a specific road corridor. Pedestrian projects recommended through the audit process cannot all be implemented at once. The range, cost and coordination required to implement the HIA engineering improvements requires that they be completed in stages over several years. This staged process also allows the County to leverage other State projects, such as resurfacing, to more cost effectively complete needed changes.

The engineering improvements installed along Piney Branch Road include enhanced signs; modified signal timing; re-striped or modified crosswalks; new turn restrictions; upgraded sidewalks and ADA ramps between Flower and Greenwood avenues; installation of 12 new and 22 upgraded streetlights between University Boulevard and New Hampshire Avenue; installation of pedestrian countdown signals at Piney Branch Road, Carroll Avenue and Arliss Street; upgraded sidewalks and ADA ramps between Greenwood Avenue and Arliss Street; and installation of two pedestrian refuge islands with hazard identification beacons. Future improvements will include upgraded traffic signals at Greenwood, Arliss and Barron streets.

To see the full story of Maria and Marco, visit walkwithcare.com or caminaconcuidado.com.  More information about the County’s pedestrian safety program is available on the website at montgomerycountymd.gov/walk.

News Stories on the Campaign Launch:

Voice of America

The Gazette

NBC4

The Sentinel

WTOP

Transportation Update Video 

National Study Reveals More K-8 Children Are Walking to School

New research from the National Center for Safe Routes to School – based on parent survey data collected by nearly 4,700 U.S. schools from 2007 to 2012 – shows that more K-8 students are walking to and from school across the country.

According to the data, the percentage of K-8 children who walked to school in the morning increased from 12.4 percent to 15.7 percent (representing a 27 percent increase). Similarly, the percentage of K-8 children who walked from school in the afternoon increased from 15.8 percent to 19.7 percent (representing a 24 percent increase). Another significant finding of this research was that the percentage of parents who reported that their child’s school supporting walking and bicycling for the school commute rose from 24.9 percent to 33 percent.

The full report, "Trends in Walking and Bicycling to School from 2007 to 2012," analyzed parent survey data collected by nearly 4,700 schools located in all states and DC from 2007 through 2012. For the full report, visit the National Center for Safe Routes to School's website. MCDOT's Safe Routes to School program routinely surveys local schools in partnership with the State of Maryland through its SRTS grants to the County.

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.

Bicyclists Parking at Metro Urged to Register Their Bikes

Metro Transit Police offer a free online registration service for bike riders who park their bikes at Metro facilities. Providing the make, model, serial number, color and frame size of the bike will assist Transit Police in identifying and recovering a bicycle if it is stolen or lost.

Police urge riders to practice basic security measures, such as locking their bike to an authorized rack (not a sign post or fence), keeping a copy of the bike’s serial number on hand, and hiding a business or index card with the owner’s name and phone number inside the bike frame.

To register your bicycle with Metro, visit their website.

Study: More Older Drivers Distracted by Smartphones

While younger people remain the undisputed champions of distracted driving, older drivers may be catching up, according to a report issued last week. State Farm Insurance's annual distracted driving survey cites a "growing safety concern" -- a sharp increase in smartphone ownership by drivers 30 and older. And while states have focused on banning texting while driving, and in some cases have also banned hand-held cell phone use, another distractive behavior is filling the void. The percentage of drivers who said they use their phone to access the Internet while driving has nearly doubled, from 13% in 2009 to 24% in this year's survey.

The number of drivers between ages 30 and 39 who own smartphones has gone from 60% to 86% in the past two years, matching the percentage of 18- to 29-year-olds who own them, according to the survey. Big increases also are found in older age ranges: smartphone ownership among 40- to 49-year-olds grew from 47% in 2011 to 82% this year; among those 50 to 64 the percentage rose from 44% to 64%.

(Source: The Pittsburg Post-Gazette, November 13, 2013, as cited in the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety eNewsletter, 11/19/2013.)

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.