Progress on Rockville Town Center road diet (Photos)

The road diet strategy in Rockville Town Center continues to be implemented. Beall Avenue is now getting the treatment alongside Rockville Town Square, between MD 355 and N. Washington Street. In addition to reconfiguring the uses and capacity of the street, as was done on E. Middle Lane and N. Washington, flowery artwork is also being applied to the roadway. The City of Rockville received a Bloomberg Philanthropies Asphalt Art grant for this artwork in 2023, "to draw attention to Town Center and highlight the multimodal facilities."

Montgomery County police to conduct saturation patrols all St. Patrick's Day weekend

Montgomery County police will be conducting saturation patrols across the jurisdiction this weekend, in an attempt to deter and catch drunk drivers. Almost 50% of traffic-related deaths on St. Patrick's Day weekend historically have been caused by people driving while intoxicated, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Deployment of the full Alcohol Initiatives Unit, and overtime pay for the extra officers on the streets this weekend, are being partially-funded by grants from the Maryland Highway Safety Office. Joining County officers on patrol this weekend will be cruisers from the Maryland State Police - Rockville Barrack N, the Maryland Transportation Authority police, the County’s Sheriff’s Department, and the Maryland-National Capital Park police.

“If you plan to drink, do not drive,” Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones said in a statement. “Our officers will be conducting saturation patrols throughout the County and arresting intoxicated drivers. The tragedy that occurs when people get behind the wheel intoxicated is 100 percent preventable.”

County officials are urging those who plan to drink, and do not already have a plan to safely return home, to utilize the SoberRide program. The free ride-home program is offered through the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) in partnership with Lyft. Promotional codes for Lyft will be posted online at 11:00 AM on Sunday, March 17, on SoberRide.com. The codes are valid for up to $15-off on one ride home taken in Lyft’s Washington, D.C., coverage area from noon on Sunday, March 17, until midnight on Monday, March 18. The number of codes is limited, and participants must be 21 or older. Officials also suggest using the County's Ride On bus service.

“There are ample ride services that will get you home safety,” County Department of Transportation Director Chris Conklin said. “If you are choosing to celebrate with alcohol this St. Patrick’s Day, plan out your ride home ahead of time to keep our shared roadways safe for everyone.”

Rockville woman dies after being struck by two drivers on Veirs Mill Road

A Rockville woman was killed after being struck by two drivers on Veirs Mill Road in the city. Teresa Moreno De Mejia, 70, was crossing the busy Maryland state highway at Atlantic Avenue around 6:50 PM Tuesday night, December 26, 2023, Montgomery County police said. She was struck by a Toyota Supra and a Toyota Prius that were traveling eastbound on Veirs Mill. Both drivers remained on the scene, police reported. 

The cause of the collision has not yet been determined, and in their statement, police did not identify the party at fault. Detectives said the incident is still under active investigation. Anyone with information regarding this collision is asked to contact detectives with the Montgomery County Police Department's Collision Reconstruction Unit at (240) 773-6620.   

Pedestrian struck on Rockville Pike

A pedestrian was struck in Rockville at 10:55 AM this morning. The collision occurred at the intersection of Rockville Pike and Thompson Avenue, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson Pete Piringer. There is no word on the condition of the victim at this time.

Image courtesy Google Maps

Rockville Metro pedestrian bridge repairs to begin today

WMATA is scheduled to finally begin repairs on the skybridge connecting Rockville Town Center to the Rockville Metro station today. The bridge has been closed since last summer, when glass panels on it suddenly shattered. Repair work on all the deficiencies of the bridge is scheduled to take seven months. 

Users of the convenient bridge have two options during the closure. A shuttle bus will run in between Monroe Street and the Metro station every 5-to-10 minutes during Metrorail operating hours. And a pedestrian detour route has been set up, running along Monroe Place. See the map above to plan the detour that works for you (click map to enlarge).

Don't push the button!

Signs around Rockville Town Square warn pedestrians, "Don't push the button!" Walk signals are now programmed to activate automatically without having to press the button. The change is in response to the coronavirus pandemic, to provide "contactless crossing" of streets.

TPB approves funding to improve Stonestreet pedestrian access to Rockville Metro

Park Road near the Rockville Metro station

The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments has approved $280,000 in funds to provide better pedestrian and bicycle access to the Rockville Metro station from the east side. They especially focus on the area of Park Road between N. Stonestreet Avenue and S. Stonestreet Avenue.

Including wider sidewalks, a new intersection alignment, and bike lanes, the improvements were among the recommendations of the Stonestreet Corridor Study. They also again show the benefit of Rockville having an active seat at the table - Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton has been a member of the TPB, and was elected as its chair for 2017.

Rockville pedestrian advocacy committee to hold first meeting Thursday

The topic of pedestrian safety is front-and-center in the region these days. It seems that the more restrictions and obstacles that are put in the way of motorists, the higher the pedestrian death toll continues to rise. A Pedestrian Advocacy Committee formed by the Mayor & Council on May 20 will hold its first meeting tomorrow night, Thursday, June 13, 2019 at 7:00 PM in the Red Maple Room on the second floor of City Hall. All city residents are welcome to attend and are invited to "take part in the committee."

City Manager Rob DiSpirito has recommended the committee first develop a workplan on its own, and then report back to the Mayor & Council so they can coordinate strategies and expectations. To that end, Thursday night's agenda includes an overview of how the committee was created, a review of existing pedestrian safety initiatives in the city, and how residents can help advocate for pedestrian concerns and Vision Zero goals to be more fully considered in planning decisions.

Public meeting tonight on Falls Road shared-use path plans in Rockville

The City of Rockville is proposing
to extend this path on Falls Road

A public open house will be held tonight to unveil a design proposal for extending the shared-use path on Falls Road. The path would provide a new pedestrian and cycling connection between Dunster Road and Kimblewick Road.

City staff have reviewed the alignment proposed by a design consultant, and tonight will get public feedback on the proposed design.

The meeting will be held at the St. Raphael's Church Library, at 1513 Dunster Road, at 7:00 PM tonight, January 19, 2016.