SHA adds digital signs warning of speed limit change on River Rd - a week after changing the speed limit

Elected officials in Bell, CA raised taxes while
raising their own salaries, and ordered police to
aggressively ticket drivers, earning themselves a
trip to the slammer - is it the MoCo cartel's turn?

Once again, I've had to take on the role that our elected officials are supposed to play. Only after I filed a complaint with the Maryland State Highway Administration have warning signs now been placed on River Road to alert drivers to a change in the speed limit from 45 to 35 MPH. Worldwide traffic safety protocols require that such signs be posted before a change is implemented; SHA failed to follow its own best practices in this case.

While the speed limit change was made in the dead of night about a week ago without a required public process or notification, only on Wednesday did the digital signs appear, two days after I filed my complaint and demanded answers from SHA - the only local media outlet to question the unusual actions of the agency. Apparently local officials saw the change as a low-down dirty money grab, as well. as police were instructed to immediately begin pulling over and ticketing drivers used to the old 45 MPH limit.

Now that they've been caught with their hand in the cookie jar by Suburban News Network, the required warning signs are suddenly being rolled out. Hopefully I've helped hundreds of drivers avoid getting a ticket. Too bad your elected officials aren't looking out for your interests as much as I am.

Derek Gunn, an assistant traffic engineer for the SHA's 3rd District (which includes Bethesda), cited several factors that are considered when a speed limit change is proposed. However, none of the criteria he cited in response to my query apply to this stretch of River Road to justify a 35 MPH limit. 35 MPH is certainly not the speed at which 85% of drivers feel comfortable maintaining between Kenwood and the Capital Beltway on River Road. That's one reason the road was approved for 45 MPH in the first place.

The "85% rule," which is largely determined by the engineering and design of a road, is the major consideration for traffic engineers. That's why, for decades, the SHA has refused to lower the speed limit. Which makes it so awkward and embarrassing for SHA to now suddenly capitulate, and claim the same criteria that didn't qualify for decades now qualifies.

Bell City Council arrested for jacking up their salaries like
the MoCo Council did - but even the Bell Council
didn't embezzle $7 million in public funds from
the taxpayers like the MoCo cartel did

None of the lesser factors considered apply or have changed between the 1980s and today - land use patterns along the road (same as they were in 1940), qualification as a school zone (nope, too far from the actual entrances to Walt Whitman High School), urban-to-rural transition (sorry, it's solid suburban along the entire stretch affected by the new speed limit), accident history (as horrifying as the deadly 2016 crash on River was, the speed limit change SHA made applies to far more than the intersection where that occurred; the frequency of accidents is unchanged, and the intersection could have simply been closed if the danger is so extreme).

SHA has a hard time making the case for urgent action, as it has sat on its hands for many months, failing to implement changes to the accident intersection that actually did have significant public support. Instead, under pressure from the Montgomery County cartel, it has taken action that affects tens of thousands of commuters each day. The speed limit change has been roundly booed by the general public since it was implemented, and the Dukes of Hazzard-style speed trap sting has many crying foul.

Welcome to the Bell, California of the East Coast.