The SHA said Monday it would perform a thorough study to see if any changes are warranted to improve safety. Thousands in the Bethesda and Walt Whitman communities have signed a petition calling for a traffic signal. Other potential changes could include flashing signals, new turn restrictions, or sealing off the median to prevent cross-traffic turns altogether.
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| Existing turn restrictions during school commuting hours |
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| View from the access road towards River Road |
8 comments:
First fatal accident at this intersection in as long as I can remember (so going back 30 years). Due to driver error.
No need for a traffic light. Just tell the principal of Whitman to close the back gate between Whitman and the service road during school hours. Then inexperienced teen drivers won't use this intersection as an option. Everyone else can though. Why should all driver suffer because of one driver's mistake?
@7:20 AM - I agree. Believe me, I feel super sorry for those who perished it is a tragedy. But it already looks like the cause of the accident was driver error; the driver who died. There haven't been any accidents (if any) of this magnitude at this intersection in decades so why all the concern for resources to be allocated to this specific intersection? Seems like a knee jerk reaction to a death. I could go on about other dangerous intersections that actually need to be revamped but I am sure people will flame me already.
A nearby resident who started a petition many years ago to get MD SHA to install a light here was flummoxed when SHA said they make their decisions not based on emotion or petitions. I agree with that stance -- there are accepted guidelines and practices set forth by the US DOT, and they should follow those. Traffic engineers understand better than politicians and emotional neighbors about the topic.
"Now-deadly intersection"
???
First of all, just because an accident of this magnitude has not happened here in the past, does not mean that the possibility of it happening again is not there. The sheer amount of cars on the roads is increasing, we have more distracted drivers, kids are getting cars earlier in life, the variables go on. We need to retrofit intersections , pedestrian crossings , etc.---pretty much everything that was built when this area was a sleepy hamlet, with new and safe designs that promote walking, biking, and invulnerable driving.
To keep belching money for new roads has to stop until we take care of what we have.
8:07 AM it's the Reimerization of this incident. Dyer like's to really hype things up, especially things that happen while he slept the night away in mommy's basement.
@5:15 AM -
" The sheer amount of cars on the roads is increasing, we have more distracted drivers, kids are getting cars earlier in life, the variables go on. We need to retrofit intersections , pedestrian crossings , etc"
Sounds like we need stricter licensing requirements and tests. German standards should be implemented in this country because right now we are getting passed in the left lane every time something comes up about road infrastructure or lack of driving skills overall in the USA. We tried mimicking their Autobahn when President Eisenhower went over there and came back with the same idea that we would have an interstate system. Since then we punish speed and could careless about drivers requirements or road integrity.
The county has begun to enforce the speed limits near this intersection. Saw 3 vehicles get pulled over simultaneously on the westbound lanes as I was making my morning commute today.
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