Jeanne McCann says work and delivery trucks park on the sidewalk daily outside the Topaz House, across Montgomery Avenue from the health club. The gap left open between the trucks and building is not a sidewalk width considered sufficient for pedestrians and wheelchairs to pass along.
Photo by Jeanne McCann
Where did you park your car when you took this picture?
ReplyDelete7:29 Shirley you jest. RD rides a banana bike with streamers.
ReplyDeletewow. Find a real story dyer.
ReplyDelete9;49: Pedestrian safety is a real story.
DeleteDid you call it in? Hopefully they got a ticket and stop doing that.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if he even bothered to call the management of Topaz House.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering what Dyer was doing up and around in the daytime, given that the photo was taken sometime between 11 AM and 1 PM. But then I saw the photo credit.
ReplyDeleteBut I have to ask this - are those short buses in that photo?
11:10: I guess you were asleep when I broke the story midday Monday that Bruce Variety was closing. "Don't go to bed before the King."
DeleteHoping Dyer's reporting will lead to some changes regarding pedestrian safety in the downtown.
ReplyDeleteHe's highlighted several issues recently. So far, the SHA and county have been non responsive.
"Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteDid you call it in? Hopefully they got a ticket and stop doing that.
9:51 AM"
I can tell you this happens nearly every day. I don't think the police care.
Bruce closed two years ago. The owners finally realized that.
ReplyDeleteThere's a sidewalk on the active side of the block/other side of those buildings and across the street. Unless you are walking to Lindy Promotions I don't see how this sidewalk is even necessary. Where are the traffic people asking for another lane when they can have one? Or the parking people asking for more parking.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this! This is 2 blocks from the police station, so I'm pretty sure they know about it -- and overlook it. I wonder if I can start driving to Bethesda and just park my car on the sidewalk, too?
ReplyDeleteOur elected officials tout Bethesda as a green, walkable place to live, but this is hardly the only place where pedestrians are routinely put in danger. It's a serious story, and many thanks Robert for reporting it. Hundreds of people work and/or live along Montgomery Ave. The laws need to be upheld.
Our elected officials don't want police to ticket construction vehicles because developers have clout and don't feel their project crews should have to obey laws like common citizens.
ReplyDeleteExcept that those aren't "construction vehicles" for "developers". Those are delivery vehicles to a place that was built a half-century ago.
ReplyDeleteRobert - have you seen the crosswalk at the corner of Woodmont Ave and Fairmont Ave? This is not construction-related, but when driving northbound, a motorist can't see pedestrians who have entered the crosswalk because there is a parking space directly behind the crosswalk (in front of the bank/atm) blocking the driver's view! A pedestrian needs to be taller than the parked vehicle in order to be seen by a driver. Any idea who to contact about looking into/removing dangerous parking space?
ReplyDelete4:26: I would suggest contacting either the County DOT or Ken Hartman at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center.
ReplyDelete