HSG: Sligo Creek Parkway

Highway Hazards:
A Curve in Safer Transportation

A properly designed and maintained highway environment is a critical element in safe highway travel. For the most part, the American highway system is a tribute to modern engineering.

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H I G H W A Y S A F E T Y G R O U P

Take Back The Park
Sligo Creek Parkway, Silver Spring, Maryland

Dear Neighbors:

My family and I have been avid and daily users of Sligo Creek Park for almost twenty years. During this time we have watched with dismay as our lovely parkway has been transformed from a peaceful and welcome source of relaxation and reflection into a scary and dangerous expressway. Motorists, in defiance of the legal limit of 25 mph, now zoom past us at speeds approaching, and often exceeding, 40 mph. We, and I am sure many of you, have experienced near misses with speeding vehicles while attempting to cross or cycle on the parkway.

Now, our worst fears have been realized. Sligo Creek Parkway has become deadly.

On the morning of Thursday, January 10, 2002 my husband witnessed a violent and senseless tragedy on Sligo Creek Parkway at Dallas Avenue in Silver Spring. He and other witnesses watched in horror as an out of control speeding motorist slammed into an innocent cyclist killing him instantly.
The victim, Mr. Walt Penney, a beloved husband and father of two, was a great athlete and a driving force behind the very successful Franklin Knolls Swim Team. Walt Penney was also a very productive volunteer to organizations in the Silver Spring/Takoma Park area. The many contributions made to our community by this one man, our neighbor, will be sorely missed.
In light of this tragedy, and with genuine fear of what will happen if we do nothing, I believe we MUST make the effort to take back Sligo Creek Park from those who consider it a freeway, and return it to those who would use it for its intended purpose as a park. To this end, I am promoting a community campaign to increase safety on Sligo Creek Parkway.

Possible remedies to this problem fall into two categories: traffic calming and traffic law enforcement. I encourage you to share any ideas you may have that would expand this list.

Increase signs warning that it is Maryland law to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks. State the fine on the sign. Place these signs on both sides of crosswalks and at every major road access to the parkway;

Increase the number of crosswalks so that every neighborhood street that meets or intersects the parkway has a crosswalk and accompanying signs;

Increase the number of signs indicating that cyclists on the road have equal rights;

Install large digital speed displays that indicate vehicle speed;

Place a sign at the site of the recent death stating: “There has been a speed related fatality at this location, please observe ALL traffic laws”;

Place red light cameras on Colesville Road at the Sligo Creek Parkway intersection;

Place rumble strips at particularly treacherous spots such as the crosswalk at Sligo Creek Parkway and Schuyler Road, which is used by Sligo Creek Elementary and Silver Spring International Middle School students. There are many such crossings;

Increase Park Police radar/laser speed law enforcement on the parkway and immediately institute a zero tolerance policy on speeding in our park.

As a first element of this campaign I am requesting that all like-minded citizens write letters to public officials to increase their awareness of this intolerable situation and ask for assistance. Please send me a copy of your letter. For your convenience, I have included below the addresses of those in a position to make the changes required to increase safety in Sligo Creek Park.

Together, I believe we can Take Back The Park.

Please send your letters to:

*Donald Cochran
Director of Parks
MNCPCC
9500 Brunett Ave.
Silver Spring, MD 20901
dcochran@mncppc.state.md.us

* If you only write to one person, write to Mr. Cochran. As Director of Parks, his is the last word on issues affecting Sligo Creek Park.

Charles Loehr (Mr. Cochran's boss)
Park and Planning Director MNCPPC
8787 Georgia Ave.
Silver Spring, MD 20910
FAX: (301) 495-4724

Chief Elizabeth Kreiter
Maryland-National Capital Park Police
12751 Layhill Road
Silver Spring, MD 20906
Elizabeth.Kreiter@mncppc-mc.org

Commissioners
MNCPPC
8787 Georgia Ave.
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Mcp-chairman@mncppc-mc.org

Douglas M. Duncan
Montgomery County Executive
101 Monroe St.
Rockville, MD 20850
douglas.duncan@co.mo.md.us
fax: (301) 217-2517

Derick Berlage
Montgomery County Council
100 Maryland Avenue, 6th Fl.
Rockville, MD 20850
berlage@co.mo.md.us

Ida G. Ruben
State Senator, District 20
Miller Senate Building, Room 143
Annapolis, MD 21401-1991
ida_ruben@senate.state.md.us
fax: (301) 858-3166

Christopher Van Hollen
State Senator, District 18
Miller Senate Building, 3 West Wing
Annapolis, MD 21401-1991
christopher_vanhollen@senate.state.md.us
fax: (301) 858-3850

General Albert Genetti, Director
Montgomery County Dept. of Public Works and Transportation
101 Monroe St.
Rockville, MD 20850
Director.dpwt@co.mo.md.us

Future updates will be posted on: TakeBackThePark@yahoogroups.com

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Jean Cavanaugh
Coordinator
Sligo Creek Parkway Safety Advocates
sligosafety@hotmail.com(for individual e-mails)

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