Letter Asking State to Review Safety Issues at River Road/Pyle Road

Here's the full press release:

ROCKVILLE, Md., March 1, 2016—The Montgomery County Council, County Executive Ike Leggett, Congressman Chris Van Hollen and four members of the Maryland General Assembly today sent a letter to the administrator of the Maryland State Highway Administration asking for a review of safety issues at the intersection of River Road (Maryland 190) and Pyle Road/Braeburn Parkway in Bethesda. The intersection was the site of an accident this past weekend in which three members of a local family were killed in a two-vehicle accident.

State Senator Susan Lee and State Delegates William (Bill) Frick, Arianna Kelly and Mark Korman also signed the letter.

In the letter to Administrator Gregory C. Johnson, the elected officials wrote: “As representatives of the area at the state and county levels, we believe that traffic and pedestrian safety issues at this intersection must be more comprehensively addressed.”

The letter goes on to state: “Residents and members of the Whitman High School community are again calling for a traffic light at this intersection via a petition that already has over 2,000 signatories. We ask that you conduct a traffic safety study that examines all potential options—including a traffic light—that could make that intersection safer for all users. We ask that you conduct this study as quickly as possible.”

The complete text of the letter:

March 1, 2016

Mr. Gregory C. Johnson, Administrator

Maryland State Highway Administration

707 N. Calvert Street

Baltimore, MD 21202

Dear Administrator Johnson:

            We are writing to you today concerning the recent fatal crash at the intersection of River Road (MD 190) and Pyle Road/Braeburn Parkway in Bethesda that took the lives of three members of our community. As representatives of the area at the state and county levels, we believe that traffic and pedestrian safety issues at this intersection must be more comprehensively addressed.

            We appreciate that you have agreed to evaluate this intersection again. Safety at this intersection has been a priority of the local community since at least 2008. Local residents report that the combination of high speeds on River Rd., limited visibility due to the nearby crest of the hill, wide travel lanes, and proximity to the Beltway make this intersection particularly dangerous. As this is a major entry point for a local high school, we must take all possible steps to address the unsafe conditions.

Residents and members of the Whitman High School community are again calling for a traffic light at this intersection via a petition that already has over 2,000 signatories. We ask that you conduct a traffic safety study that examines all potential options—including a traffic light—that could make that intersection safer for all users. We ask that you conduct this study as quickly as possible.

We understand that the District 3 team recently reviewed the pedestrian safety issues associated with the nearby crosswalk. We regretted SHA’s initial determination to not make any significant pedestrian safety improvement upgrades. We do not think that fresh paint will be sufficient to address the serious safety challenges posed by an unsignalized crosswalk frequently used by high schoolers where the posted speed is 45 mph. As we seek to improve traffic safety, everything must be done to also ensure that students walking to and from Whitman can do so safely.

Thank you for your consideration of this matter. We look forward to your prompt reply.

Sincerely,

Chris Van Hollen                            Isiah Leggett                                      Nancy Floreen

Member of Congress                     County Executive                                 Council President

Roger Berliner                              Marc Elrich                                        Tom Hucker

Council Vice President                  Councilmember                                  Councilmember

Sidney Katz                                 George Leventhal                              Nancy Navarro

Councilmember                            Councilmember                               Councilmember

                                                           

Craig Rice                                 Hans Riemer                                   William (Bill) Frick                         

Councilmember                             Councilmember                               State Delegate

                                           

Ariana Kelly                                  Mark Korman                                  Susan Lee

State Delegate                              State Delegate                               State Senator

CC:        Brian Young, District 3 Engineer, Maryland State Highway Administration

               Chief J. Thomas Manger, Montgomery County Police Department

               Captain Thomas Didone, Traffic Division, MCPD