The Maryland State Highway Administration is installing traffic lights around the River Road/Pyle Road/Braeburn Parkway intersection where 3 were killed in a horrific crash in February this year. But they haven't announced what they are doing publicly. Instead, a sizable crew has simply shown up at the site this weekend, closed lanes, and begun to install some type of signals. It appears they are aiming to install them in time for the new school year, and are essentially working around the clock to get it done. Many Walt Whitman High School students turn at this intersection to reach the school, just as that Whitman family did the night their vehicle was struck.
So far, two gleaming metal posts identical to those supporting signals at Wilson Lane have been planted. These are some distance from the intersection, and appear to be for warning lights, as opposed to full traffic signals. Workers are digging extensively between the pedestrian crossing east of the intersection and the new pole on the left side of the westbound lanes. The other pole is on the right side of the eastbound lanes, between Orkney Parkway and Braeburn Parkway.
It's interesting that traffic signals of any kind - full, warning or otherwise - were not among the SHA's most recent list of proposals released this Spring. So this is a considerable backtrack by SHA, and comes after a secondary study period this summer.
More intriguing, is that the project neither appears on the SHA projects list, nor has been announced via press release. The only indirect reference by the State of Maryland that even hints this is happening, is on the CHART road closure list. But all that page says by way of explanation for the lane closures this weekend is "signal work - interconnect."
WMATA has temporarily closed the bus stop at Pyle Road for the T2 (Stop number 2001325). A temporary bus stop has been placed 100' down the road. But the agency attributes the closure only to "construction."
A review of social media accounts of elected officials who have championed a traffic signal finds no announcements, either.
Stay tuned for further updates on this "secret" project.
If this is an actual traffic stoplight (as opposed to just a flashing yellow warning light), then it's a waste. If the concern is for Whitman students, there is already a solution the Whitman principal can implement in less than 5 minutes: close the back gate on Whitman property, and drivers will have no choice but to turn at Whittier or Wilson, both of which have traffic lights.
ReplyDeleteRiver Road already has enough traffic lights, and the traffic death there was cause by a driver going 115mph according to the official report. We don't need to base traffic light decisions on protecting against the atypical case of a driver going that fast.
Totally agree. No need for a stop light; just implement one of the proposals presented by MVA. A traffic light will cause more accidents. What the state really needs to do is to retime the lights so that traffic moves more efficiently. It is incredible to me that around 3 in the afternoon of nearly every day traffic is backed up on River from Burdette Road nearly to Whittier Blvd. It's all due to improperly timed traffic signals.
DeleteAlso, expect the "other website" to report on this a day from now at the earlier. Dyer's scooped them, as usual.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry for the family that was involved, but I have to agree that putting a light here because of a jerk driving 115 mph is over-reaction. There are already 5 lights on River from the Beltway to Goldsboro. And like it or not, this is not a local street, it is a major state road that is intended to convey thousands of cars every day. What would be nice is if SHA maintained the medians, gutters and traffic triangles which are often overgrown and full of weeds and trash. And I am so tired of county and state politicians just thinking they can do as they please without proper public input.
ReplyDeleteI drove by today and can't figure out what they're planning. At the Pyle Road intersection on River headed out of DC, they have a electric meter and concrete bases poured where poles might go. It's a few feet from the memorial to the accident victims.
ReplyDeleteThen on the same hill between the pedestrian x-ing and Pyle, they have a bit pole up. That's no place for a light for sure -- maybe some kind of warning sign similar to the one they have between Pyle and Wilson in the direction?
I"m hoping this is just improved crosswalk marking/lighting, along with a warning sign, and not a traffic light.
Talked to some of the construction workers, who claimed they were with WSSC fixing a major water line.
ReplyDelete@3:21 I saw them too, but they were a bit closer towards Wilson on River. I think that is a separate project.
ReplyDeleteI asked Whitman Principal Goodwin why he doesn't just close the back gate. It's totally within his power to do immediately. He replied that it would overload the Whittier intersection. In other words, he ranks traffic flow more important than student safety.
ReplyDeleteGet rid of Principal Goodwin. The gate needs to be closed. Period.
ReplyDeleteRead the article in the new issue of Bethesda magazine if you think Goodwin should go. The traffic-flow issue has been considered and I agree--for the sake of students, neighborhood residents, and commuters--if you close the access via the rear entrance of Whitman, there will just be a huge backup at Wilson and at Whittier.
ReplyDeleteI live off Whittier and have seen several rear end collisions on River at that intersection. There have been many more I haven't seen. This new light, if that's what it is, will create more rear end collisions. And if people can turn left on a green light from River (as opposed to an arrow only) will be the same exact scenario we had when the accident occurred. If an arrow only, then where will the traffic wait on River? Poorly thought through.
ReplyDeleteOn a close traffic issue, two weeks ago they took off the road surface on Whittier and it hasn't been replaced. I was hoping they'd fix befores re school started. Anyone know what's going on there?
A hill on River Road limits the view of drivers going west on River Road. A car traveling 115 mph is going too fast to see danger ahead (over the hill at the intersection). A turning car would not see the oncoming 115 mph car. Who would have thought that could happen? Now that it has, some traffic control is needed. I support installation of the traffic signal.
ReplyDelete@6:54 We should not be making design decisions on how to safely handles drivers going at 115mph. If we did, the beltway would basically be shut down since none of the curves would be redesigned to handle that.
ReplyDeleteWish some discussion of the traffic problem included safe routes to school program for walkers and cyclists; reducing the number of cars will alleviate every issue. Sad the County/State appear to have blown off the notification elements of transportation projects as the improved crosswalk and relocation of the River road crossing to Pyle road would have been the best enhancement option/ solving both problems with the best possible spacing of lights on River road. A further reduction of posted speed would no doubt be prudent as well, due to the proximity of so much cross traffic and school children.
ReplyDelete