Earlier this week leaders from the various agencies within the Maryland Department of Transportation met with local leaders in Prince George鈥檚 County to talk about upcoming projects that will be addressed or need to be addressed, and hear any other concerns they had.
And there were a lot of concerns. Chief among them was safety.
Prince George鈥檚 County leads the state of Maryland in motor vehicle fatalities, and the county is on track to see an increase in that dubious statistic this year. County leaders said that 19 of the 20 most dangerous stretches of road are actually controlled and maintained by the state.
鈥淭wo barriers to making these roadways safer are lack of continuous lighting and sidewalks in these sections,鈥� said Michael Johnson, the county鈥檚 director of public works and transportation.
Sidewalks and pedestrian mobility were brought up by both elected leaders and citizens, with a proposed redesign of the Medical Center Drive exit off the Capital Beltway being heavily criticized for its awkward design that, it was argued, makes it more dangerous for bicyclists and pedestrians. Right now that鈥檚 the only beltway crossing between Landover and Largo that has any pedestrian access at all.
鈥淭he whole purpose that we鈥檙e trying to sort of transition in Prince George鈥檚 County is to make, especially our areas near our Metro centers, transit-oriented. To be more bicycle and pedestrian-friendly,鈥� said council vice chair Wala Blegay. She said the development of the area around the new hospital there is designed with mobility in mind.
鈥淭hese interchanges are not necessarily helpful,鈥� said Blegay.
鈥淎 huge issue for pedestrian and bike safety,鈥� added council member Jolene Ivey. She said the new design would 鈥渞equire people, almost, to put themselves in harm鈥檚 way to get across the road.鈥�
District 2 council member Wanika Fisher, whose district has been hampered by delays in the construction of the Purple Line, also lamented transportation planning in her inside-the-Beltway district.
鈥淚鈥檓 a district that鈥檚 bordering D.C. and Montgomery County,鈥� said Fisher, who added that the economic hubs there are all located on state roads. 鈥淚t seems to be a struggle for our state partners. They put in a study, put in a study, whether it鈥檚 for a sidewalk or a light or anything else and it just doesn鈥檛 seem to make sense.鈥�
She also highlighted Riggs Road/Maryland Route 212 as one that should see sidewalks the entire way.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just hard to see children in the streets, on the side of grass 鈥� and they鈥檙e not safe. And bus stops that are not safe,鈥� said Fisher. She said if the county could address the situation there on its own, she believed it would.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just really critical and sad,鈥� Fisher added. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e talking about communities of color, you鈥檙e talking about Black and Brown children that are left to walk in the street compared to other communities.鈥�
For his part, state transportation secretary Paul Wiedefeld said the state will re-evaluate how decisions about sidewalks are made.
鈥淲e鈥檙e taking a whole look at how we do all of that,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e need to work together on that.鈥�
The state also announced that it was looking to move forward with a redesign of the Route 4/Suitland Parkway intersection. Currently there鈥檚 a traffic light there, but Will Pines with Maryland State Highway said the state is back to looking for a contractor that will build a diamond-shaped intersection there, with on and offramps that can handle growing traffic needs.
