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Friday, November 20, 2015
Go Montgomery - November 20, 2015
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Update on Highway Services Resurfacing Projects
Primary/Arterial Road Resurfacing:
Brickyard
Road – Completed
Seven
Locks Road – In Progress
Residential Resurfacing:
Clearspring
Manor – Completed
Kingswell
– Completed
Norton
Road – Completed
Spring
Garden Estates – Completed
Greenwood
Knolls Phase 1 – In Progress
Permanent Patching:
Blunt/Wayfarer
Road – Completed
Glen
Haven – Completed
Chestnut
Hills – In Progress
Residential Neighborhood Street
Rehabilitation:
West
Chevy Chase Phase 2 – Completed
Alderleaf
– In Progress
Chesney
– In Progress
Residential Curbs and Sidewalks:
Stonebridge
Subdivision – Completed
Carroll
Knolls Subdivision – Completed
Manor
Ridge Subdivision – Completed
Drain Repairs:
MCDOT, MCPD and MCPS Brief the County Council on the County’s Youth Pedestrian Safety Programs
On November 17, the County
Council invited County agencies responsible for youth pedestrian safety and
school transportation to present an update on their activities. The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) presented information about its
successful Safe Routes to School program and YOLO campaign for high school
students; Montgomery County Police (MCPD) presented information on the work of
its School Safety Section and Crossing Guard Program; and Montgomery CountyPublic Schools (MCPS) discussed its transportation programs to get students
safely to and from school.
View the presentation below:
Regional Street Smart Campaign Offers Tips to Drivers, Pedestrians and Bicyclists on Staying Safe
The region's Street Smart safety
campaign is offering tips for staying safe this fall and winter. Every year, crashes
involving pedestrians spike during October, November and December. One of the
major reasons for the increased risk is fewer hours of daylight. According to the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration, 72 percent of pedestrian fatalities occur in darkness.
That’s why everyone is reminded – drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists – to be
more alert and obey traffic safety laws.
What should you do to stay safe?
- If you’re driving, slow down and yield to people in crosswalks.
- If you’re biking, obey signs and signals and ride in the direction of traffic.
- If you’re walking, cross in the crosswalk and wait for the walk signal.
- Fines for violating traffic safety laws can range from $40 to $500.
What should drivers do to keep
pedestrians and bicyclists safe?
What should people be aware of when they
are walking from place to place?
- Cross the street at crosswalks and wait for the “walk” signal.
- Watch for turning cars at intersections.
- Make eye contact with drivers before you cross in front of them.
- Wear something bright or reflective when it’s dark outside.
What about bicyclists?
- Be predictable and obey signs and signals.
- Ride in the direction of traffic.
- Wear a helmet and use lights at night.
Safety tips, campaign details and
more information about the Street Smart program are available online at BeStreetSmart.net.
MCDOT and DEP Remind Residents to Keep Leaves out of Storm Drains and Streams
With Highway Services’ annual leaf vacuum collection program underway, both MCDOT and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) remind residents to help keep leaves out of
storm drains. Leaves washed into storm
drains not only block drain inlets, causing street flooding, but also add
excessive nutrients to local waterways, significantly degrading water quality
and potentially harming fish and wildlife.
Avoid raking leaves into the
street; instead, pile them near the edge of the home’s property nearest the
road. Crews will collect the leaves that are placed alongside the roadway. And,
be assured that storing leaves on the lawn for a short time does not damage it.
In addition to clogging storm drains and impairing water quality, placing leaf piles in the street can cause many problems by:
In addition to clogging storm drains and impairing water quality, placing leaf piles in the street can cause many problems by:
- Disrupting traffic - Many neighborhoods have narrow streets and on-street parking. Leaf piles extending into the roadway limit parking and the ability of vehicles, especially school buses, to safely negotiate the streets.
- Hampering snow removal operations - Snow covered leaf piles can become extremely heavy and freeze to the roadway surface.
- Creating hazardous and very slippery conditions that could lead to accidents - When leaves get wet, they create a slick surface that makes it difficult for vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists to stop, start or change direction.
There are several ways that homeowners can ensure fallen leaves are properly disposed, particularly for those who do not live the leaf vacuum collection area:
- Recycle leaf litter (not recommended for evergreen needles) on the lawn while mowing using either special mulching blades or a mulching lawn mower. Leaves are finely chopped and decompose over time, adding to soil and lawn health.
- Compost leaf litter and provide natural, organic nutrients to amend soils and help build soil structure. Montgomery County provides free composting bins and information on how to compost.
- Take advantage of the County’s weekly curbside yard trim pick-up by placing leaves in special large paper bags or reusable cans labeled with green yard trim stickers. The collected leaves are composted by Montgomery County.
MCDOT to Begin Constructing Needwood Road Bike Path
The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT), Division of Transportation Engineering (DTE), has
begun construction of the Needwood Road Bike Path, located on the south side of
Needwood Road from Redland Road to Deer Lake Road. The off-road, concrete bike
path will be eight feet wide and about 1,300 feet long. This portion of the
bike trail is part of a larger 1.7 mile bike path that will eventually extend
to Muncaster Mill Road. Construction will take about six months.
Crews will work weekdays from 7
a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should expect temporary lane closures during construction
between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Occasional Saturday work may be required to make
up for project delays resulting from inclement weather.
Get the latest project updates on
Twitter: @MC_DTE #NeedwoodSW.
New Capital Bikeshare Members Can Now Use Credit or Debit Cards as their "Key"
Read more.
SHA Begins Drainage Project on Connecticut Avenue
Work crews have started at the
Connecticut Avenue-Blackthorn Street intersection and then will proceed to
Woodbine Street. The public should expect temporary lane closures and
restricted access to Blackthorn and Woodbine while work is underway. Signs will
be posted to alert drivers.
Crews will work on weekdays,
except holidays. The project is expected to be completed by the end of the
year.
Tell FHWA You Want Safer Designs for City Streets
“Earlier this fall, the Federal
Highway Administration proposed a major policy change: Instead of requiring
roads that receive federal funding to be designed like highways, the agency
would change its standards to allow greater flexibility. The implications for
urban streets were huge — with less red tape, cities would have a much easier
time implementing safer designs for walking and biking. Now FHWA is accepting
public comment on this proposal, and you can help ensure that it’s enacted.....
“Transportation for America has
created a tool to help people send their thoughts to the right people.” Read more.
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Go Montgomery Newsletter - November 6, 2015
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Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Ride On Lauded as Early Adopter of Transit Technology that is Enticing People to Use Transit
Montgomery County's Ride On bus system was featured in a National Public Radio story about the way transit systems across the country are using technology and data to improve service and information access for customers. Ride On is a midsize bus system that according to the story's reporter Franklyn Cater is "...an early adopter of these technologies, ahead of most agencies its size.”
Ride On tracks the location of its 343 buses and uses the data to provide real time bus arrival
information to customers. Recently, Ride On installed new signs at nine bus shelters that let riders track their bus on a map and also shows when the next bus will arrive. Rider feedback has been very positive, including one woman who started stopped driving and started using Ride On's Route 47 bus. She said in the story, "I'm a fairly recent convert, but ... now I'm so pro-47 bus, it's ridiculous. I wish every bus stop was like this."
Learn more about the real time signs online.
Highway Services Road Improvement Update
The Division of Highway Services
(DHS) continues road improvement projects in November. Schedules are dependent on weather conditions.
Permanent pavement patching projects
are planned for two roads in Olney: Hines Road and Cashell Road. Permanent
pavement patching preserves pavement, restoring the roadway’s structural
capacity and integrity. In these types of projects, DHS makes full depth
patches, seals cracks, applies hot mix asphalt and replaces lane markings.
Upcoming projects will take about three weeks to complete and will require daily,
short-term parking restrictions. Work will occur Monday through Friday, from 7
a.m. to 5 p.m., but some Saturday work may be required.
A three-week pavement
preservation project is also planned for Shakespeare Boulevard, from Frederick
Road to Germantown Road, in Germantown to repair and resurface the roadway. The
project includes full depth patching, crack sealing, application of a liquid
surfacing material and replacement of lane markings. Work hours will be 7 a.m.
to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Temporary lane closures and detours may be
necessary.
Street Teams Plan More Pedestrian Safety Education Events in November
With fewer hours of daylight,
fall and winter are the times of the year that are the most dangerous for pedestrians
as people may be traveling in the dark during both the morning and evening rush
hours. It is vitally important for drivers to watch out for pedestrians and for
pedestrians to make themselves visible. Pedestrians can do this by wearing
bright or reflective clothing, walking in well-lit areas, and carrying a
flashlight.
To spread the word about
pedestrian safety, Montgomery County Pedestrian Safety Initiative teams are talking
to pedestrians and distributing safety tips, reflective bags and zipper pulls
at the following locations in November:
November 2: Blair High School Outreach (2:30 to 3:30 p.m.)
November
4: Metropolitan Washington Council of
Governments StreetSmart Street Team, Silver Spring Transit Center
November 7: Fresh Market, Congressional Plaza near
Halpine Road (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
November 9: Bethesda Street Team (4 to 7 p.m.)
November 12: Wheaton Metro Street Team (4 to 7 p.m.)
November 14: Tentative
- Bethesda Trader Joes (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
November 17: Silver Spring Street Team (4 to 7 p.m.)
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