Pedestrian Safety in Wheaton: The Conversation Continues
Wheaton does have one pedestrian bridge crossing Veirs Mill Road near the Metro station, but is it used enough?
Pedestrian Safety
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Thursday, May 16, 2013
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Protecting Pedestrians: Police, Public Officials Focus on Pedestrian Safety
Local authorities have increased initiatives to reduce the number of pedestrian deaths.
As the number of pedestrian deaths and injuries in Wheaton and Montgomery County continues to increase, local police and officials have announced measures to improve public safety. Since the start of 2013, five pedestrians and one bicyclist have died as a result of a collision with an automobile in Montgomery County. Two of those accidents occurred in the Wheaton area- one on Georgia Avenue and one on Connecticut Avenue. No one can seem to agree, however, whether the fault lies with drivers or with pedestrians themselves. Community activists say that the high rate of accidents is proof that the county has not taken enough steps to protect pedestrians. The blog Another Day in Wheaton wrote that the high speed of cars driving on Georgia …
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Protecting Pedestrians: Traffic Cameras, Fatal Accidents—Is There a Correlation?
How many traffic cameras are there in towns with fatal accidents in the last three years?
Since 2011, 24 pedestrians have died in an accident with a car. Where are these accidents happening, and how many traffic cameras are in place in those towns?
Danny
12:40 pm on Wednesday, May 22, 2013
what astute analysis! And let me take it a step further and state that pedestrians contribute to 100% of all accidents in the states. I have yet to hear of a pedestrian's being struck by an automobile when there was no pedestrian in the vicinity. more ›
Protecting Pedestrians: Montgomery, Prince George's Use Several Measures to Increase Safety
Using red light and speed cameras, targeted stings and other methods, police departments and municipalities hope to prevent pedestrian-related accidents, after a number of fatalities.
Pedestrian-related accidents have seen an unfortunate increase recently, particularly in Montgomery County. There have been 14 pedestrian accidents just this year, five of which resulted in fatalities. There was even one incident in Bethesda where a car struck an infant in a stroller being pushed across a crosswalk. “We, the parents of students attending Bethesda Elementary School, are horrified by the number of traffic accidents and near-accidents in and around downtown Bethesda,” said an online petition launched by Bethesda elementary school parents. “The safety of this walkable haven is at risk.” While there haven’t been as many pedestrian-related deaths in Prince George’s County this year, College Park officials recognize that …
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Costco Gas Man
2:25 pm on Wednesday, May 22, 2013
According to the Md. DMV pedestrians are at fault 70% of the time. more ›
Friday, May 10, 2013
Pedestrian Sting Nabs 72 Drivers in Aspen Hill
The drivers were issued citations for failing to stop for a pedestrian crossing the roadway in a crosswalk, according to a statement from police.
Montgomery County police officers say they issued 72 tickets to drivers in a pedestrian safety sting operation Wednesday at the intersection of Veirs Mill Road and Turkey Branch Parkway in Aspen Hill from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. According to a statement from police, the drivers were issued citations for failing to stop for a pedestrian crossing the roadway in a crosswalk. In addition, one driver was issued a citation for a child seat violation and four tickets were issued for driving on a suspended license. The sting is part of a series of pedestrian safety operations going on in Montgomery County this month, in which police pose as everyday pedestrians and attempt to walk through marked crosswalks wearing high-visibility clothes, while …
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Amanda G
6:23 pm on Friday, May 10, 2013
I am delighted that the police set up this sting and wish they would do it more often. This pedestrian walkway connects the Matthew Henson Walking/Biking Trail with the Rock Creek Trail. There are yellow flashing lights that warn traffic that a pedestrian is trying to cross Viers Mill at this designated crossing; however, drivers often ignore these lights. Additionally, cars often greatly exceed … more ›
Thursday, May 9, 2013
#MoCo Online: Police Operation Targets Pedestrian Safety Laws
Will Montgomery County police stings improve pedestrian safety?
Montgomery County residents took to the Montgomery County Police Department Facebook page to express their opinions about pedestrian enforcement stings that began Wednesday. From 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, county police issued 72 citations for pedestrian safety infractions at the intersection of Veirs Mill Road and Turkey Branch Parkway in Aspen Hill, police said in a news release posted on the Facebook page. Lesli King Brown posted her wish for constant enforcement: "If only there was enough police enforcement available to to it all over the county all the time." The enforcement should go both ways, posted Wayne Lim of Silver Spring: "OK, all that sounded good. However how many pedestrians were ticketed for jay walking or running …
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Andrew
2:08 pm on Saturday, May 11, 2013
Joe Thomas is an ass! I agree with Fran, I would add that they should also have to be made to pay speed camera tickets 100% of the time unless an investigation show's they were on an emergency call. How bout them apples JOE. more ›
Police Ticket Dozens of Drivers in 'Pedestrian Stings'
In the first two of a series of "pedestrian stings," 128 drivers were ticketed for not yielding to pedestrians in Aspen Hill and Bethesda.
Pedestrians in bright yellow t-shirts had about a 30 percent chance of crossing Democracy Boulevard in Bethesda Thursday without a close call from a passing car, according to Jimmy Chen, an intern with Montgomery County police. Chen was one of several plainclothes members of the department attempting to cross the street in a pedestrian "sting." Members of the department's traffic division are working to respond to an increase in complaints that drivers in some high-traffic areas aren't properly yielding to pedestrians, said Capt. Thomas Didone, head of the division. Over the next few days, uniformed officers will stand by and watch for drivers that blow past marked intersections with waiting or crossing pedestrians in key areas, like …
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Diane Stuart
8:53 am on Friday, May 10, 2013
This is a good place to focus efforts on improving safety. I would also like to add that moving vehicles in the form of BICYCLES are increasingly unaware of the danger they pose to themselves and others: often ignoring stop signs, riding at dusk without visibility enhancing clothing or lights, or riding on busy roadways instead of bike paths (eg, Beach Drive) where they could too easily be struck… more ›
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Plainclothes Police to Conduct 'Pedestrian Sting' Series
Montgomery County police say drivers aren't yielding to pedestrians at crosswalks.
A cluster of Montgomery County police officers will give their traditional blue uniforms a rest this month, donning plainclothes to conduct a series of "pedestrian stings" at high-traffic intersections and ticket drivers who refuse to yield, said Capt. Thomas Didone, director of the traffic division. This year, police have received complaints that drivers aren't properly yielding to pedestrians at certain intersections. Moreover, investigators are finding that more pedestrian incidents have been the driver's fault. Officers would typically attempt to enforce that kind of law by driving around a high-traffic area and looking for drivers not following the rules, said Didone. That's not very efficient, he said. Instead, police will pose as…
Liz S
10:43 am on Saturday, May 11, 2013
Just hours after this article was written, I witnessed a pedestrian being hit by a car while he crossed at a crossing signal (University and Colesville)... I think the MoCo police have the right idea with this initiative. more ›
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Police to Step Up Pedestrian Safety in Wheaton This Week
“We're seeing many, many more instances where pedestrians are not aware of their surroundings. That’s just an evolution of the issue with cell phones—they're taking over more and more of our attention,” said Montgomery County police's head of traffic.
Distracted pedestrians and drivers, listen up. Montgomery County police want you to put down the cell phone, take the earbuds out and pay attention—or else. As part of the regional Street Smart campaign, over the next two weeks police will be stepping up the enforcement of pedestrian safety in targeted areas throughout the county, including Silver Spring, Wheaton, Bethesda, Rockville and Germantown. Pedestrians and drivers may be ticketed for offenses that could include crossing against the light or drivers who don't yield to pedestrians. "What we're saying is everyone has a responsibility when it comes to pedestrian safety to look out for each other," said Capt. Thomas Didone, head of Montgomery County police’s traffic division. "…
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Saturday, April 20, 2013
#MoCo Online: Pedestrians Should Stay 'Street Smart'
Montgomery County looks to promote pedestrian safety.
Pedestrian safety has been a big issue in Montgomery County lately, with more than a dozen accidents involving pedestrians or bikes so far this year, Silver Spring Patch reported. Montgomery County promoted on Facebook its participation this month in the pedestrian StreetSmart campaign. For the last 13 years, StreetSmart has served as an annual public education, awareness and behavioral change campaign in the Washington, DC, suburban Maryland and northern Virginia areas. The campaign looks to change both driver and passenger behavior with the goal of reducing pedestrian and bicyclist deaths and injuries. The campaign combines public service advertising with stepped-up enforcement activities to increase safety.
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Captain Cook
10:36 pm on Sunday, April 21, 2013
That a boy, jag -- more liberal talk and yak vs do what normal intelligent people do - they already read and know the AND USE COMMON SENSE - oh I forgot -you folks know better than anyone else....pity more ›
Holly Agouridis
7:50 pm on Thursday, May 16, 2013
I am so tired of the pedestrians and bike riders being the victims. They walk in front of cars. They don't use the crosswalks and when they do they don't follow the signs of when to walk. The people on bikes are just as bad. They don't stop at stop signs, red lights or yield signs. They weave into traffic and even when the school crossing guards are holding up their hands they still go right … more ›