PUBLIC MEETING MARCH 2 FOR BRADLEY BLVD. BIKE LANE/SIDEWALK PROJECT IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation has scheduled a public workshop this coming Monday evening, March 2, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM, regarding the proposed bicycle and pedestrian improvements along Bradley Boulevard. It will be held in the cafeteria of Pyle Middle School at 6311 Wilson Lane.

This project proposes to add an 8' shared use path (on the north side of the road), a 5' sidewalk (south side) and 2 5' bike lanes to the existing road. These additions will shrink the size of the roadway available to automobiles. The project is in Phase II, which determines cost, impacts and scheduling. 

The section of the road in question is between Little Falls Parkway and Wilson Lane. There are 85 homes, and 54 trees measuring 24" or greater in diameter, along this stretch of Bradley.

Among the concerns expressed by residents are the loss of street parking and trees, aesthetics of drainage swales, and pedestrian safety for those crossing Bradley. According to county statistics, there were no fatal collisions during the study period of 2003-2007 along this stretch of Bradley. There were 62 collisions during that time, and 3 of those involved bicycles.

QUICK! MOCO WANTS YOUR OPINION ON GOLDSBORO RD. BIKE PROJECT - IN 24 HOURS!

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation's Division of Transportation Engineering (DTE) has selected a "preferred alternative" for the Goldsboro Road Pedestrian and Bicycle Project in Bethesda. It is now soliciting public comment on the proposal - but made the announcement in a press release only 48 hours before the deadline for public comment. The deadline is Friday, August 29, 2014 (unclear if that is close-of-business, or midnight).

While the selected option took into account previous public input on the possible alternatives, 48 hours seems hardly enough time for the public to engage on this matter. The press release does not even say exactly how one is to provide feedback, but gives a telephone number (240.777.7279) and email for the project's manager, Greg Hwang. I've communicated with Mr. Hwang before on other projects in the county, and found him to be very helpful, so I'm sure he can point you in the right direction.

43 people attended a December meeting on the proposed facilities, and 61 out of 65 submitted comments endorsed one of the possible designs, according to the MCDOT. It is unclear how many of the 61 endorsed Alternate 2, which is the one chosen by DTE.

Alternate 2 (as illustrated above - click the image to enlarge) will provide two 11-foot automobile lanes, one 5' to 5.5' bike lane in each direction, one 5' sidewalk along the northern side of Goldsboro with a green buffer in-between it and the road, some similar sidewalk segments along the southern side, and street lighting. The design will only apply to the portion of Goldsboro Road between River Road and MacArthur Boulevard. A separate bike facility upgrade has been underway along MacArthur for some time, which included a recent striping of lanes, crosswalks and bike lanes near Glen Echo.

Overall, it sounds like a good plan. My only question would be, can we measure what the stormwater runoff impact of the added sidewalk pavement will be on the Minnehaha Branch stream, which flows alongside Goldsboro Road?

7900 WISCONSIN AVENUE BUILDING, SIDEWALK BLOCKED OFF (PHOTOS)

7900 Wisconsin Avenue, an office building slated for demolition in the coming months, has been barricaded with cones. The structure will be eliminated to make way for The JBG Companies' 7900 Wisconsin mixed-use project, featuring luxury apartments and anchored by a Trader Joe's grocery store.

Fitness First remains open on Wisconsin Avenue, but 7900 is vacant with a blank lobby directory.

It is unclear if this is a step towards placement of construction fencing, or to what extent the Wisconsin Avenue sidewalk will be impacted by the demolition and construction ahead. The cones are greatly reducing the sidewalk right-of-way. With the newspaper boxes in place, the open width does not appear to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act requirements. Even walkers were having difficulty passing each other on the sidewalk Tuesday evening. Adjustments should be made to address this.

One other trivial point - the cones are labeled for Aldon Management, which operates several buildings in the Battery Lane area of Bethesda, including the venerable 8200 apartment tower on Wisconsin.

You can see how much of the sidewalk
is taken up by the cones and
newspaper boxes; not very
pedestrian or ADA-friendly

Now-vacant lobby of 7900

When all else fails, duct
tape is the answer

Aldon Management is a
hometown company

The lights are on, but
nobody's home

EXCAVATION BEGINS AT THE LAUREN SITE, SIDEWALK REOPENS (PHOTOS)

Give the developers and construction contractors of The Lauren ultra-luxury condos credit - they have reopened the sidewalk along the Woodmont Avenue side of the property. That's notable in a time when pedestrians are having a hard time navigating many streets in downtown Bethesda due to construction.

The debris of The Hampden apartments has been cleared, and the site graded. Now they are digging, and progress appeared to be made even further on that Sunday.

An open sidewalk - imagine that!

Condo owners will have
a service station-garage-style
auto lift option for their
parking space in
The Lauren's garage

THE FIX IS IN FOR FAIRMONT AVENUE SIDEWALK (PHOTOS)

BUMP!

Here is the final fix for the mismatched sidewalk mess on Fairmont Avenue. If you recall, the new sidewalk in front of the Bainbridge Bethesda luxury apartment tower turned out to be 5-6" higher than the adjoining original sidewalk along the street. Which immediately created a tripping hazard, and restricted access for the disabled, where the two met, and where the sidewalk met the surface between the public sidewalk and the doors of the storefronts.

A couple of creative ramps, and a sizable bump in the loading dock driveway, were the elements of the solution worked out by Bainbridge's contractor:

BETHESDA SIDEWALK CLOSURE UPDATE (PHOTOS)

Renovations continue on two sidewalks in downtown Bethesda - Norfolk Avenue near St. Elmo Avenue, and on Elm Street at Bethesda Row.

Yesterday, workers began to install brick pavers in the new sidewalk along Norfolk. The Elm Street project has a new layer of concrete down.

Here's a photo gallery of the latest progress; click on the individual photos for more detail:

NORFOLK AVENUE

ELM STREET

THAT DARN NORFOLK AVENUE SIDEWALK UPDATE (PHOTOS)

Bethesda's most-inconvenient sidewalk renovation continues on Norfolk Avenue. The sidewalk was still closed yesterday. This project has also knocked out some adjacent street parking. Is it The Revenge of Johnny Rocket?

UNSHOVELED SIDEWALKS IN WHITE FLINT (PHOTOS) - BETHESDA SNOW REMOVAL

We've seen some of the dangerous sidewalks in downtown Bethesda, and along River Road. Here are some of this past week's biggest offenders in White Flint. There's some discussion of new plans and new rules, but it would seem to me that the rules are quite clear: residential and business property owners (and WMATA and government) are responsible for clearing their respective sidewalks. If it is not done, they are in violation of existing law. It would seem inappropriate for taxpayers to pick up the tab for some property owners' snow removal, while still being forced to clear their own residential and business sidewalks at their own expense and/or labor.

This was the most dangerous sidewalk situation I can recall. In numerous cases, pedestrians were walking head on into oncoming traffic in the roadway. If bus stops were even accessible, passengers were forced to climb snow drifts in between the stop and curb, to board or disembark. And this was many days later, not immediately following the storm.

You made it to the bus stop,
but getting to the bus
won't be easy once it
arrives

Fail

What good is a crosswalk if
there's nothing to cross to?

Better snow conditions
than Sochi

WATCH OUT FOR TREACHEROUS SIDEWALK ON RIVER RD. BETWEEN GREYSTONE AND WILLARD

After my report on one dangerous Bethesda sidewalk along River Road, I received an email from a reader about another bad stretch just down the road. I had seen some unspecified construction work being done on the westbound sidewalk of River Road, near Willard Avenue, last week. Apparently that, the snow, and poor signage have now all combined to make a risky situation for pedestrians.

The westbound sidewalk was clear Monday between Little Falls Parkway and Greystone, but not east of Greystone down to Willard. One explanation for this could be that - if I recall correctly - several of the homes on River Road are all owned by one landowner. And the status of the sidewalk construction further down near Willard is unclear.

In any case, if you are headed along there, you may want to look ahead from Little Falls or Willard (where there are signaled intersections to cross at) and see what the sidewalk conditions are on both sides. Of course, there is now more snow from last night, so this is just a heads-up for those in the area.

BETHESDA TREACHEROUS UNSHOVELED SIDEWALK (PHOTOS)

Here's another dangerous spot for pedestrians, the sidewalk in front of the self-storage building on busy River Road, just east of the Capital Crescent Trail. It's proximity to the trail is also likely to affect joggers and cyclists approaching the trail via the sidewalk. Let's hope the snow keeps melting today, but I'm already hearing about the potential for snow on Monday(!). That storm is currently tracking to pack the biggest wallop in New England, but we could get a few inches here depending on temperatures and atmospheric conditions by then.

PARKING RESTRICTIONS, SIDEWALK CLOSURES ON CORDELL, ST. ELMO IN DOWNTOWN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

Sidewalk replacement on two downtown Bethesda streets has led to parking restrictions on both.

Through 5:00 PM Wednesday, June 12, there is no street parking in front of Caddies or Matuba on Cordell Avenue.

And no parking between the Public Parking garage and Rock Bottom on St. Elmo Avenue.

Both sidewalks have closed segments. However, all businesses are still open.

BETHESDA ROW SIDEWALK CONSTRUCTION UPDATE (PHOTOS)

Work continues on the Elm Street sidewalk and curb at Bethesda Row.

SIDEWALK CONSTRUCTION AT WISCONSIN AND MONTGOMERY IN DOWNTOWN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

Heads up: the MDSHA sidewalk work continues along Wisconsin Avenue, with contractors now starting at the Montgomery Lane intersection.

Watch your step there, as I've seen many a person trip or lose their balance over the many, many months this has dragged along.

SHA SIDEWALK REPAIR CLOSES SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF HYATT BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

The Maryland State Highway Administration continues its slow and haphazard renovation of sidewalks along Wisconsin Avenue.

Even as sidewalks further north remain unfinished, crews are now working in front of the Hyatt at Bethesda Metro Center.  Yesterday, the curbside sidewalk was closed to pedestrians. Full access to the hotel remains, however.

As these many projects slouch towards completion, Bethesda will not be spared the embarrassment of being in this condition when tourists arrive for the Inauguration later this month. Is this the impression the state wants visitors from around the nation - and the globe - to have of Maryland and our fair city? It's a disgrace to leave streetscapes in such shambles when the event is known to be approaching.

UPDATE TO WISCONSIN AVENUE SIDEWALK UPDATE (PHOTO)

Since I posted the update on Bethesda sidewalk repairs over the weekend, another section of Wisconsin Avenue sidewalk was closed.

This closure is just north of Pumphrey's Funeral Home, on the northbound side.

WATCH YOUR STEP AROUND BETHESDA ROW - LITERALLY! (PHOTOS)

I sense a sidewalk theme today!  I promise this is the last sidewalk story today, but it's an important one.

A sidewalk project has begun around Bethesda Row. Unlike the controversial sidewalk retrofits left unfinished by the SHA all over town, this work goes beyond just intersections.

Right now, portions of the sidewalk are being replaced along Bethesda and Woodmont Avenues.

I bring this to your attention, because I witnessed a woman trip on one of these yesterday on Bethesda Avenue.  Fortunately, she was able to regain her balance, and did not fall.  But these can be dangerous, particularly with the larger crowds of shoppers this week.  Someone could get seriously hurt, or even killed, depending how they land on a hard surface like that.