Close Calls, Reform Ideas Shared At MoCo Road Safety Forum

WHEATON, MD — More than 100 Montgomery County residents gathered to voice concerns and learn about pedestrian and bicycle safety at a town hall with the county council and transportation officials Sunday afternoon.

The Vision Zero town hall at Wheaton High School allowed people to question local and state officials about the county's Vision Zero plan — which aims to reduce severe and fatal traffic collisions by 2030.

At least half a dozen of the attendees who spoke at Sunday's forum use a wheelchair, have a visual impairment, or have personally experienced dangers as a pedestrian, bicyclist, or driver in the county.

"I'm a resident of downtown Bethesda, I've been there for, like, 20 years, and I think there has been very little thought given to wheelchair-user safety, especially in light of all the construction," one woman told council members and transportation officials at the forum. "They put in crosswalks. But it's six lanes I have to cross the tiny median in between. And I don't know how I can notify all the drivers in six lanes that I am crossing — because there is no light there ... and I'm wondering why all of this construction was allowed to take place without thought to having continued sidewalk access."

In response to the woman's concerns, District 1 Councilmember Andrew Friedson emphasized the importance of maintaining livable, walkable, and accessible communities and said that he has introduced a bill that would limit sidewalk closures in construction areas.

"A sidewalk should be viewed like a lane of traffic," Friedson said. "We should only shut it down in extreme circumstances. Currently that hasn't been the case, previously that certainly wasn't the case. So, we need to move in that direction."

Susan Rich, a Wheaton-Glenmont area resident, spoke about her bicycle accident and urged the county to find a better way to integrate bicyclists on the road.

"Several years ago, I was severely injured when I fell off my bicycle. I was on a bike path — asphalt. I double-fractured my jaw, bleeding profusely. It was a very serious injury," Rich said. "I will say this about the bicycle situation: anyone who rides their bicycle in traffic is taking a chance with their lives. There's got to be a better way to integrate bicyclists with the community without putting themselves at risk and drivers at risk. We all deserve to be safe."

Juliette Rizzo, a disability rights activist and former Ms. Wheelchair America, spoke about almost getting hit by a car while on her way to a memorial for her neighbor who had been fatally struck by a driver in 2020.

"Councilmember Friedson and I were on our way to the memorial where my neighbor, Brett Badin, was killed and memorialized yesterday. As we were walking, and I was rolling in my wheelchair, a car pulled out straight in front of us, when (Councilmember Friedson) put his hands up to stop the truck from hitting me in the wheelchair. So, this hits very close to home," Rizzo said.

Rizzo, a Montgomery County resident of 21 years, said the disability community wants to help the county work toward solutions that will benefit everyone.

"There's an old saying that there is nothing about us without us. So I just wanted to offer the solutions," Rizzo said.

Rizzo's neighbor, Brett Badin, was one of three pedestrians who died in Montgomery County so far this year. In 2019, there were 13 deaths pedestrian deaths.

One man, whose brother was fatally struck by a vehicle last year, was at Sunday's town hall.

"Michael Roberts was one of 13 pedestrians killed in Montgomery County crashes in 2019. Michael was a Silver Spring volunteer firefighter when he became disabled, and more recently a long-term county employee with the Department of Libraries. He was on his way home on May 31 and trying to catch a bus on North Frederick Avenue in Gaithersburg when he was hit by a 2011 Toyota RAV4 going at or above 40 miles per hour —and that was the speed limit on that road," Roberts said. "That crash caused Michael multiple life-threatening injuries, including brain trauma, and he passed away due to his injuries a month later."

"I understand that Montgomery County has a long history of improving the safety of pedestrians with engagements and Vision Zero as the current effort ... but today I suggest that enforcement be improved, specifically enforcement to reduce distracted driving.

"Michael should have been in the crosswalk, he knew better, but he paid for his mistake with his life," Roberts continued. "If the witnesses saw Michael, the driver should have seen Michael. She only needed to have her eyes on the road."

Since adopting a Vision Zero plan in 2017, Montgomery County has activated multiple pedestrian safety crosswalk systems, held several meetings with the county Department of Transportation and the State Highway Administration, and hosted numerous Vision Zero town halls and forums.

At Sunday's town hall, Councilmember Hans Riemer said these efforts aren't enough.

"I have to say, we've got a long ways to go. We need to make safety the first priority when we consider transportation, engineering decisions, enforcement decisions. And it's not. We talk about safety — it's a factor. But it really doesn't come first," Riemer said. "That's the general issue we need to change."

Councilmember Will Jawando said that county and state officials need to take action now.

"Every day, I'm thinking about not only those who've been seriously injured and have died but all the near-misses that are happening each and every day. And I know, as I see people nodding, every day there are a lot of near-misses that are a problem because it's this close," Jawando said while making a gesture with his thumb and index finger, "to happening to somebody else. And that's why we have to take action."

On Jan. 15, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich recommended a capital improvement program budget for fiscal years 2021-26 that earmarks $266.6 million for Vision Zero-related safety projects. Other budget recommendations include $9.3 million for pedestrian safety initiatives, $4.5 million for mobility and safety improvements around future Purple Line stations, and $4.2 million for sidewalk projects.

In the short-term, Elrich has unveiled a 2020 Vision Zero Action Plan, which lays out specific projects with deadlines for implementation.

All 32 action items, according to county officials, are built around five key areas: engineering; enforcement; education and training; traffic incident management; and law, policy, and advocacy.

By the end of 2020, the goal is to see a 40 percent reduction in serious and fatal collisions.