Road work at intersection of River Road and Little Falls Parkway in Bethesda

Maryland State Highway Administration contractors were working at the intersection of River Road and Little Falls Parkway in Bethesda overnight. Traffic southbound on the parkway was forced to turn left onto River. That's quite a detour, as access from River to Massachusetts Avenue is artificially blocked all the way from the parkway to the D.C. line at Western Avenue. Heckuva job, Brownie! 

I can find no service bulletins or road closure notice related to this on the MDSHA website, but the work appeared to involve resurfacing. It would be nice to alert the public in advance, especially with the outrageous cost of vehicle registration in the state. Taxpayers recently ate the full cost of the flimsy flexposts along the bike lanes on River, as they apparently never considered things like snowplowing. We're coming up on a full decade of the newly-politicized "post-best-engineering-practices" MDSHA, and it shows.

River Road segment dedicated to CJPVFD Fire Chief James P. Seavey, Sr.

The State of Maryland has dedicated a portion of River Road (Maryland Route 190) in honor of former Fire Chief James P. Seavey, Sr. Chief Seavey began his career as a volunteer with the Glen Echo Volunteer Fire Department in Bethesda at the age of 16. His 43 years of public service culminated in his 25 years as Fire Chief of the Cabin John Park Volunteer Fire Department, the longest term by a fire chief with the CJPVFD. When Seavey passed away from cancer in 2018, the disease was determined to be occupational, and his death was ruled to have been in the line-of-duty as a result. 

Seavey had been a champion for firefighter safety and occupational cancer prevention at the local, state, and national levels, and his efforts led to important policy changes. Maryland has dedicated the segment of River Road between Falls Road and the Washington, D.C. border in memory of Chief Seavey's extraordinary service to the community. The dedication was announced last summer, but this particular sign was just installed by the Maryland State Highway Administration by the Kenwood Golf & Country Club east of Goldsboro Road.

MDSHA to host virtual meeting on River Road corridor safety study September 21

The Maryland State Highway Administration will host a virtual meeting on its corridor safety study of a portion of River Road (MD-190) in Bethesda on Thursday, September 21, 2023 from 6:30 - 8:00 PM. To join the meeting, follow the instructions pictured below. MDSHA states that the study's purpose is to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety on River Road between Springfield Drive and Little Falls Parkway. 

During the meeting, MDSHA will present the findings and recommendations from the study, which - interestingly but not surprisingly - was conducted with zero input or notice to the community. The Larry Hogan legacy at MDSHA persists beyond his term of office, it appears. A longtime real estate developer, Hogan oversaw a seismic culture shift at MDSHA that threw the traffic engineering book out the window. Long known for its practice of making engineering best practices a priority over political or development interests, the agency under Hogan suddenly began folding like a card table, and acquiescing to any local politician's demands. Traffic signals, speed limit changes, access restrictions, and road diets repeatedly rejected in the past as unsafe or adding to congestion were suddenly being approved left and right.

Hogan's two terms in office coincided with a drastic speed limit reduction on River Road that defies the state highway's design, requiring drivers to ride their brakes along many stretches of the road, which was designed for a 45 MPH minimum. While Midas franchisees across the county celebrated with champagne, the change did not improve safety. Drag racers and motorcyclists can be heard roaring up and down the road all night long at three times the posted speed limit or higher. 

During his governorship, Hogan was accused of approving road changes and projects that benefitted development interests, including some of his own real estate projects. The River Road record is no different, as developers and the Montgomery County politicians they control have a long term plan to bring the state highway down to 25 MPH, in preparation for urbanization and redevelopment of the corridor. 

Developers are betting that rising land values, and a long-desired state tax on country clubs, will encourage or force sales of multiple properties between Brookside Drive and the Capital Beltway. They envision townhomes and apartment buildings on the current sites of the Kenwood Golf & Country Club, of many or all of the churches and schools along that stretch, and on the American Plant property at Burdette Road. MDSHA even owns a plot of land near the intersection of River and Braeburn Parkway that is currently used as a depot, but is coveted by developers. The long-"secret" plan to extend the Purple Line to Westbard will only juice the heights and density of many of these properties.

So, don't be surprised that MDSHA is coming in with a pre-formed proposal for more changes to River Road at this virtual meeting. There was no public meeting introducing a study. There was no public input. Remember when they changed the speed limit without going through the legal and required public process, and without the required advance notice posted on the roadway? Once again, they've already got something in mind, and they're going to tell us, "This is how it's gonna be." Democracy in action!

Washington Gas project is reason for River Road lane closure starting May 31

There's finally some context for the vague message regarding a lane closure on River Road in Bethesda on a Maryland State Highway Administration digital signboard. Washington Gas is preparing to replace a valve under River Road starting June 5, 2023. Contrary to the SHA signs citing Western Avenue as the starting point of the closure, the work area will actually be the southbound lanes of River Road (MD 190) between Brookdale Road and Western Avenue. 

The project is expected to take 6-8 weeks to complete. Work will be performed between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM Monday through Saturday. One lane in each direction will be open to traffic at all times during the project. Left turns from southbound River to eastbound Western Avenue will be restricted, as will left turns from northbound River to Brookdale Road. Follow signage and flagmen direction at all times during the project. You may want to take an alternate route in and out of the District during this time.

May 31 lane closure on River Road in Bethesda

The Maryland State Highway Administration is alerting drivers on River Road near the Washington, D.C. line of an end-of-May lane closure. An electronic billboard states that the right lane of River Road will be closed at Western Avenue "on or about May 31." Thus, the new trend of low-information SHA messages continues. I'm not the only one to notice this, as The Washington Post's John Kelly recently wrote a whole column about vague SHA digital messages.

One presumes it applies to the eastbound (inbound) side of the road, as that is the side the sign is facing. Yet, if the lane closure starts at Western Avenue...it would be on the D.C. side, and the sign should be placed at the D.C. line by the D.C. Department of Transportation. As with many recent SHA digital messages, shrug your shoulders and file this away as expecting to have to change lanes somewhere in the vicinity of the D.C. line, or - better yet - plan to use Wisconsin or Massachusetts Avenue to enter the District that day.

Bank of America to permanently close River Road branch in Bethesda

Bank of America's branch at 5135 River Road in Bethesda has been "temporarily" closed for some time, with no explanation. Now the company says it will make the closure permanent at the end of the day on March 28, 2023. That essentially just covers the ATM services available outside, as the bank itself is still closed.

Bank of America, like PNC, Capital One and several other banks, has been shuttering branches since the pandemic began. BOA hasn't closed as many as the others in our area, though. 

What is the future for this property? As of today, real estate records show it is still owned by a trust of Lawrence Z. Bulman and has not been sold. It's unlikely to redevelop into a high-rise until Montgomery County updates the Westbard sector plan. The last update in 2016 excluded all the properties on River Road, primarily because a majority of land owners there intend to wait for the Purple Line extension to Westbard, when building heights and density allowed will greatly increase.

The Macedonia Baptist Church next door to the bank owns its land. It has been under pressure from developers to sell for years, but has resisted all offers so far. 

Expect to see the smaller properties on River Road be assembled into larger ones when the sector plan is updated in the future. Remember, the Purple Line doesn't have to actually be built for construction to commence on the redevelopment it will allow. Developers at Chevy Chase Lake and along the never-built Corridor Cities Transitway can tell you about that. 

If someone wanted to move forward with a smaller residential or mixed-use building, they could do that now under the current zoning. It would not provide the financial return of waiting for the sector plan update, however. Alternatively, a developer with influence over the Montgomery County Council could use the controversial "minor master plan amendment" process to upzone the site prior to the sector plan revision.

Barring that, in the more-immediate future, another bank could take over the building. The best case scenario would be a fast food restaurant with a drive thru, such as Taco Bell, Shake Shack, Jack in the Box or Burger King. Bethesda may be the only town of its size in America to have only one drive-thru fast food restaurant, the McDonald's near the bank at 5214 River Road.

Armed robbery at Bethesda convenience store

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an armed robbery at a convenience store in Bethesda early yesterday morning, October 5, 2022. The robbery was reported at a store in the 5100 block of River Road at 2:49 AM Wednesday. 7-Eleven is the only convenience store on that block open at that hour.

Ghost bike placed at site of fatal River Road collision in Bethesda (Photos)

A white ghost bike has been placed at the location of last month's fatal collision at 5244 River Road in Bethesda. The victim, Bethesda resident Sarah Langenkamp, was riding in the unprotected bike lane there when she was struck by the driver of a flatbed truck. Langenkamp was a Foreign Service officer with the U.S. State Department, who had just returned from an assignment in Ukraine in July. A memorial bike safety fund started in her name with a goal of $50,000 has already raised $267,435, as of this morning.

The bike lane (seen at right) does
not have a green paint surface or
physical separation from vehicle lanes 

Overnight utility work begins on River Road at Ridgefield Road in Bethesda (Photos)

A major utility relocation project began a day late last night at the intersection of River Road and Ridgefield Road in Bethesda. The work is related to the larger project of realigning Westbard Avenue to connect directly to River at this intersection, and will continue nightly until July 1, 2022. As expected, several lanes of River were temporarily closed, as workers used large saws to slice open the pavement. The main River Road entrance to Kenwood was completely shut down during last night's work; Ridgefield Road will close for 16 months starting at 12:00 AM on June 5, 2022.

Montgomery County police to target violations of move-over law on River Road December 21

If you have a habit of ignoring the move-over law while driving, get in the habit by tomorrow afternoon if you plan to use River Road in Bethesda. Montgomery County police officers will be conducting a high-visibility enforcement operation on River Road between Wilson Lane and Burdette Road on Tuesday, December 21, 2021 from noon to 3:00 PM, targeting drivers who fail to comply with that 2018 mandate.

The Maryland move-over law requires that drivers approaching an emergency, towing, utility or transit vehicle stopped in a traffic lane or on a shoulder to either move over one lane, or slow to a "reasonable and prudent speed" if remaining in the lane adjacent to the stopped vehicle. Tuesday's special operation is an annual effort to not only increase awareness of the rule, but to remember County Officer Noah Leotta, who was killed in the line of duty by a drunk driver while he was making a traffic stop.

New traffic signals activated on River Road at Braeburn Parkway, crosswalk

Signals are turning red with no

pedestrians or turning vehicles present

Without advance public notice, four new traffic signals have been activated on River Road between Whittier Boulevard and Braeburn Parkway in Bethesda. The signals are part of a project the Maryland State Highway Administration began last summer to improve safety for pedestrians crossing River Road, and vehicles turning against traffic onto Pyle Road. While some in the Bannockburn area had advocated for safety improvements at that location for many years, SHA agreed to the project after a horrific auto accident at the intersection resulted in the deaths of three people in February 2016.

Last night, however, the traffic signals were operating in a much different manner than SHA had described. The signals at the crosswalk between Whittier and Braeburn were supposed to turn red when a pedestrian was crossing River Road, and the signals at Braeburn were to turn red when a vehicle attempted to turn across traffic there, with new limitations on what turns could be made. 

New traffic signal west of Whittier Boulevard
turns red Tuesday night with no pedestrian present
at or near the crosswalk

But on Tuesday evening, the signals were changing on their own, with no pedestrians or turning vehicles present. As such, they are functioning as one or two additional red lights to slow traffic and extend travel times for drivers between the District and the Capital Beltway. They were turning red with great frequency.

The misuse of the new signals by SHA aligns with the agency's politicization in recent years. While SHA made decisions based on sound engineering policies for decades, since Gov. Larry Hogan - a real estate developer - took office, the agency bends to the vast majority of the whims of Montgomery County's elected officials. Similar to the abuse of the new signals, SHA recently slashed the speed limit on River Road between Ridgefield Road and the Beltway from 45 MPH to 35 MPH, with no formal public process. The change was requested by the Montgomery County Council.

That stretch of River Road is designed for a 50 MPH speed limit, as the relentless braking needed to comply with the new 35 MPH limit amply demonstrates. Such braking is usually a clear sign to a traffic engineer that he or she has set the speed limit too low for safety. 

Taming speeds along a major state highway used by commuters, and increasing their travel times, is in line with developers' plans to urbanize the River Road corridor. In the coming decades, some developers are hopeful that various church sites, the American Plant location near the Beltway, country clubs, and valuable SHA right-of-way will become available for dense redevelopment. Getting drivers used to urban speeds is paving the way for that, and it's not surprising that developer Hogan was in office when SHA suddenly began making political decisions.

Likewise, under Hogan, the SHA has tossed its protocols and procedures out the window when politically necessary. While there was an extensive public process regarding the Braeburn Parkway-area safety solutions, there was no public process at all in the speed limit decision, nor the apparent decision to use the new safety signals as speed control.

Basic safety procedures were ignored in both cases, as well. It is standard for a transportation agency to deploy digital signs announcing a new traffic pattern weeks in advance. Signs were only deployed regarding the 35 MPH speed limit after I publicized the failure to do so. And once again, no digital signs warned of the new traffic pattern and signals in the Braeburn Parkway area.

I have not even found any bulletins online from SHA announcing the activation of the signals. The project website is out-of-date.

Police release suspect description in armed robbery of Bethesda gas station

Montgomery County police are seeking the public's help in identifying and locating a suspect in the August 16, 2021 armed robbery of a gas station in the 5100 block of River Road. Detectives say the male suspect entered the gas station brandishing a firearm. He allegedly pointed it at the cashier, and ordered the cash register drawer and a separate lockbox to be opened. Taking cash from both, the suspect then fled.

The victim described the suspect as a dark-skinned black male, thin build, 6' tall, weighing approximately 150 lbs., in his 20s, and wearing a black bandana, a black t-shirt and black pants at the time of the robbery.

Anyone with information regarding this suspect or this crime is asked to call the Major Crimes Division at 240-773-5070. Those who wish to remain anonymous may call Crime Solvers Montgomery County toll-free at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477) or submit a Crime Solvers tip online or via the app. Crime Solvers may pay a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest in this case.

Utility pole replanted by Pepco after power lines were knocked down on River Road in Bethesda

Here's a look a the reconstruction job Pepco did on the power lines around the intersection of River Road and Ridgefield Road in Bethesda yesterday. The pole at the southwest corner of the intersection was replanted by the utility after it, or the attached power lines, were struck by a truck. No truck was ever spotted at the scene of the collapse after it took place, however, meaning there was either a hit-and-run or another explanation for the downing of the equipment.

River Road closed at Ridgefield Road in Bethesda after power lines fall (Video+Photos)

UPDATE: 3:00 AM, July 7 - Three Pepco crews are now on-scene, but the utility pole is still blocking River Road, and the intersection remains closed.

River Road (MD 190) is closed at Ridgefield Road in Bethesda after a truck knocked down power lines at the intersection. A Pepco crew has just arrived on-scene around 11:15 PM, but there's a lot of work ahead tonight. Amazingly, the traffic signals at the intersection do not appear to be affected at the moment. Ridgefield Road is cordoned off near the driveway to the Westwood Center II mini mall.

3:00 AM - July 7:

Accident at River Road and Ogden Road in Bethesda, lanes blocked

An accident around 7:00 PM tonight at the intersection of River Road and Ogden Road in Bethesda is impeding traffic in both directions. Police and fire personnel are on the scene, and officers are directing traffic. I would avoid the area right now, and use an alternative route.

Reckless Beltway driver caught on River Road in Bethesda after striking 3 vehicles in police pursuit

A Beltway rampage ended with an arrest on River Road in Bethesda tonight. Virginia state troopers pursued an alleged reckless driver across the American Legion Bridge. Once on the Maryland side, the fleeing driver struck two civilian vehicles, injuring one person. The suspect then allegedly struck a Virginia state police cruiser pursuing him, and exited the Beltway at River Road, according to the Maryland state police.

Maryland state police and Montgomery County police received a report that the suspect was at the McDonald's at 5214 River Road in Bethesda. Police converged on the restaurant around 7:35 PM. According to police radio communications, they did not find the suspect at the restaurant, but observed him fleeing across River Road on foot. Officers pursued him to the Marathon gas station at 5143 River Road. 

The suspect ran behind the Marathon station, and was caught at 5518 Dorsey Lane. "One subject in custody," an officer said over the radio at 7:40 PM. About four minutes later, a state police helicopter arrived over the scene. "The helicopter's over us now," an officer radioed.

Maryland state police said the suspect was arrested without incident, and is currently being held at the Rockville barrack.

SHA begins work on new traffic signals, improvements at River Road intersection near Whitman HS

The Maryland State Highway Administration is beginning work on a project it says will improve safety at the intersection of River Road and Braeburn Parkway, where three people died in a collision in 2016, including a Walt Whitman High School student. That collision was determined to have been caused by a westbound driver traveling at 115 MPH, but many in the nearby community have sought safety improvements at the intersection long before the deadly accident occurred.

Work on the project will continue from late summer until spring 2021. Expect temporary single-lane closures weekdays from 9:00 AM-3:00 PM, and multiple-lane closures overnights from 9:00 PM-5:00 AM the following morning. Additional lane closures may be necessary at times.

The project will construct a new traffic signal on River Road at Braeburn Parkway, and add concrete channelized islands to prohibit through- and left-turn movements from Braeburn Parkway onto River Road.

SHA will also install pedestrian-activated, full-color traffic signals on eastbound and westbound River Road in the vicinity of Pyle Road, and relocate the pedestrian crossing on westbound River Road closer to Walt Whitman High School.  In addition, SHA will construct a new Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant sidewalk connection to the existing sidewalk adjacent to the school’s athletic fields.

The improvements were driven by residents and students who organized meetings where residents voted on potential solutions, and who facilitated ongoing dialogue with SHA for several years. A separate change by SHA, lowering the River Road speed limit to 35 MPH between Ridgefield Road and the Capital Beltway, was arbitrarily executed by SHA with no public hearings nor even an informational public meeting.

River Road speed limit sign vandalized

No, the speed limit on River Road in Bethesda has not increased by 50 MPH. But the artificially-low 35 MPH speed limit has been boosted to 85 MPH along one stretch by Devonshire Drive at the hands of a sign vandal, who changed the 3 to an 8. 

The Maryland State Highway Administration raised eyebrows last year when it violated its own engineering guidelines and public process rules to arbitrarily reduce the speed limit 10 miles-per-hour with no public hearings on the matter. Reducing the speed limit is a key goal of developers who seek to redevelop multiple properties along River Road between Ridgefield Road and the Capital Beltway. It was never allowed by the SHA, which cited the danger of speed limits below the speed a road is engineered for, until real estate developer Larry Hogan became governor.

Bethesda self-storage project moving forward again

A self-storage building approved by Montgomery County in December 2017 has yet to be built at 5204 River Road. While the auto maintenance facility on that property located behind the River Road McDonald's was torn down soon after the approval, the project has stalled for nearly two-and-a-half years. Now the developer is reviving the plans, but is seeking to amend the approved site plan.

Three key changes have been proposed by the applicant, Bethesda Self Storage:

1. A reduction in the setback for the front of the building, from 33' to 20'
2. A reduction of the rear setback from 19' down to 16'
3. Confirmation of a parcel donation to Montgomery County of 4792 SF

There were actually two land issues involved with the self storage proposal in 2017. First, is the applicant's role in transforming Outlet Road into a pedestrian path (this is the road that runs along the back retaining wall behind the McDonald's property, and was also a funeral procession route from Macedonia Baptist Church to the Moses African Cemetery on the Westwood Tower site).

Second, the applicant was to donate a parcel of property to Montgomery County Parks that is known to be part of the cemetery. Unknown, and of concern to the church and community advocates, is whether any bodies may have been intentionally or mistakenly buried or reburied within the footprint of the proposed self-storage building. No one has ever excavated the site yet, so that remains unknown. Those concerns were dismissed by the Montgomery County Planning Board in 2017, despite protests at the meeting, as were concerns about stormwater management.

One condition of approval for the site plan amendments will be the applicant making a "good faith effort" to convince McDonald's to construct an ADA-compliant ramp from its property down to Outlet Road. The Outlet Road path is conceived as a walking route to a future linear park along the Willett Branch stream.

A public hearing on the proposed amendments is tentatively scheduled for August 20, 2020. As we all know, in light of the coronavirus pandemic, everything is very tentative right now.

River Road bus stop tagged with graffiti

Graffiti appeared Wednesday morning on this bus shelter on River Road near Nevis Road in Bethesda. The meaning of "death insurance" is unclear, as is its possible affiliation with any of Montgomery County's gangs.