Good news! I am scheduled to meet with Secretary LaHood for lunch on Friday, September 2, 2011. Here's a briefing that I sent to Secretary LaHood's office prior to our meeting:
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| Secretary LaHood to hear about Norbeck Road's safety problems |
Dear Secretary LaHood,
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to meet with me to discuss transportation accessibility that affects people with disabilities including the deaf and blind. As an example, the lack of sidewalks and bike paths makes it very difficult and unsafe for residents get around without car on two roadways near the Intercounty Connector (ICC) in Silver Spring, Maryland.
In 2010, the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) began constructing the ICC, with the highway passing under Norbeck and Layhill Roads. That prompted the construction of new bridges on Norbeck Road and Layhill Road. However, SHA failed to upgrade both roadways in accordance with ADA Guidelines (ADAAG). This glaring oversight has resulted in significant safety problems for pedestrians and bicyclists in the face of heavier traffic generated by the ICC.
Currently, Norbeck Road and Layhill Road are very narrow and curvy with only one lane in each direction. Exacerbating the situation, there are no shoulders, no sidewalks, and no bike paths. Norbeck Road is home to several large neighborhoods including Leisure World and Longmeade Crossing. Norbeck Road has a newly expanded recreational park and a kiss-and-ride station serviced by WMATA's Metrobuses, Montgomery County Ride-on Buses, and recently, the new ICC Transit Buses. Neither facilities are accessible by foot or bike. This needs to be addressed if we are to improve human mobility, connectivity, and safety.
Letter continues after jump:
Both Norbeck and Layhill were already over-capacity before the ICC was built and now they are suffering greatly due to the new traffic generated by the ICC. This problem may be alleviated somewhat when the ICC is fully completed in 2012, but there’s no guarantee, especially with the high tolls.
In March 2009, you launched a Liveability Initiative to better coordinate transportation planning with housing policies. In addition, you launched an initiative against Distracted Driving in 2010. These two initiatives could offer solutions to the safety issues on Norbeck Road and LayHill Road.
There are many wonderful neighborhoods along Norbeck Road and Layhill Road that, unfortunately, are only accessible by car due to the lack of pedestrian/bike facilities on both roadways. Residents and motorists in the affected areas would benefit enormously from the improved connectivity and enhanced transportation safety if the roadways were upgraded with sidewalks and bike paths to meet your Liveability and Distracted Driving Initiatives.
The lack of a pedestrian/bike path on Norbeck and Layhill is a tragedy waiting to happen, especially as there are school bus stops on both roadways and there are many residents who cannot drive (i.e. children, elderly, disabled, low-income, etc) and some are forced to walk/bike in the road, risking their lives and those of the drivers who have to swerve into the oncoming lane to avoid striking pedestrians and bicyclists.
While both Norbeck and Layhill continue to deteriorate under heavy traffic congestion and languish in the shadows of the ICC, some residents, myself included, are more determined than ever to persuade SHA to take action. We’ve sent numerous e-mails and voice mail messages to MD SHA and ICC. I also got an article published in the Olney Gazette newspaper. I even created an online blog replete with stories and pictures about the safety problems on Norbeck Road (and Layhill Road). The blog can be viewed at: http://norbeckroad.blogspot.com.
In addition, I’ve spoken with Maryland’s State Senator, Roger Manno, who resides in the affected area. He would like both Norbeck Road and Layhill Road to be widened to four lanes and to feature sidewalks and bike paths. He has appealed to SHA officials to no avail. He and many residents in the community have asked me if I could use my connections and that’s what I’m hoping to do here.
Can you offer your help in persuading SHA to address the lack of pedestrian and bike access and safety on Norbeck and Layhill Roads?
Thanks for your time,
Jesse
Readers - what do you think of my open letter to Secretary LaHood? Any thoughts or feedback? I'll be sure to keep you updated.
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