Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton delivered her second video statement, Monday, on behalf of the Mayor and Council, to update the Rockville community about actions the city is taking to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
“We all endeavor to keep each and every one of you healthy and safe in the days to come,” she said. “We will get through this if we follow the rules, make smart decisions and, above all, be kind and supportive of each other.”
While City of Rockville parks will remain open, as a safety precaution, the use of playground equipment in city parks is now prohibited.
Signs have been posted at playgrounds throughout City of Rockville parks.
The parks are open, but lights at City of Rockville outdoor courts and sports fields will remain off during evening and nighttime hours, beginning Saturday, March 21.
Gov. Larry Hogan has issued an executive order prohibiting gatherings of more than 10 people. Following state and federal directives intended to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, COVID-19, Rockville events, classes, programs, rentals and activities are canceled through April 30.
Community concerns about the new coronavirus have led to the cancellation of the March 20 International Night and postponement of the Rockville Creative Summit, scheduled for March 22.
City officials are coordinating with county and state health agencies to plan, prepare and respond, and we’ve mobilized our emergency management team.
Right now, it’s business as usual in Rockville. Services, such as recycling and trash collection, and events, programs and activities continue as scheduled.
Community members can learn what it takes to be a police officer through the Rockville Community Police Academy or a special course aimed at 60-plus residents.
Registration is now open for the Rockville City Police Department’s free, eight-week Rockville Community Police Academy. Classes will meet 7-9 p.m. Thursdays, March 26-May 14 in the conservatory of Glenview Mansion at Rockville Civic Center Park, 603 Edmonston Drive. Participants 18 and older will learn about all aspects of the department, receive hands-on training and earn a graduation certificate upon course completion. For more information and registration, email Cpl. Kevin McBride at kmcbride@rockvillemd.gov.
RCPD is also offering a free course highlighting safety for the 60-plus population and exploring code enforcement, the K-9 unit and forensic science. Participants will also tour the police station. Classes meet from 10:30 a.m.-noon on Wednesdays, April 1-May 6, in the Azalea Room of the Rockville Senior Center, 1150 Carnation Drive. Register for course #12987 at www.rockvillemd.gov/registration.
City’s Prioritization Policy Allows Residents to Petition for New Paths
Know a neighborhood that could use a sidewalk?
The city created a Sidewalk Prioritization Policy to address missing sidewalks in Rockville and the costs associated with constructing them. The policy helps determine if, and in what order, the city constructs sidewalks.
A missing sidewalk is any existing or potential pathway that, were it hard surfaced, would be used by pedestrians in their routine educational, recreational, business, shopping, working, civic and social pursuits. Sidewalks are along streets and are typically built within city rights of way.
Rockville residents may circulate a petition to have new sidewalks constructed. Once proposed, prioritizing is based on:
Visit www.rockvillemd.gov/sidewalks to learn more about the policy, view a map of sidewalks prioritized for construction and find petition forms.
Before circulating a petition for a new sidewalk, residents should call the city’s Traffic and Transportation Division, at 240-314-8500, to discuss the proposed sidewalk.
Rockville is continuing its push for safer city streets for all with renewed enforcement and education efforts.
The Rockville City Police Department began the new year by redeploying patrol officers to traffic patrol and focusing enforcement efforts on high-incident areas.
A map of bicycle and pedestrian crashes from 2017-2019, presented during the Dec. 16 Mayor and Council meeting, shows a concentration of incidents in Rockville Town Center, as well as near the Rockville and Twinbrook Metro stations. The map and staff report, as well as video of the Mayor and Council discussion can be found with the Dec. 16 meeting agenda listing at www.rockvillemd.gov/AgendaCenter.
Other ongoing education and enforcement efforts include:
Meanwhile, the Rockville Bicycle Advisory Committee, Rockville Pedestrian Advocacy Committee and the city’s Traffic and Transportation Commission are working on pedestrian and bicycling safety strategies, including advocating for the city’s Vision Zero plan. The plan’s goal is to eliminate traffic-related deaths and serious injuries by 2030 through improved road design, traffic law enforcement and education. A draft of the plan is expected to go before the Mayor and Council this spring.
Information about the commission and committees can be found under the “City Government” tab at www.rockvillemd.gov. The bottom of the website also includes a “Report a Concern” button for reporting non-emergency pedestrian or bicycling safety issues.
For more information about the city’s efforts, contact Alyssa Roff, the city’s pedestrian and bicycle coordinator, at aroff@rockvillemd.gov or 240-314-8527.
Notice a perilous intersection, problematic path or malfunctioning pedestrian signal? Tell us about it!
Whatever the issue, the best way to report it is online. Visit www.rockvillemd.gov, scroll to the bottom of the page and select “Report a concern.”
You’ll be taken to a web form where you can describe details of the concern, where it is located, how we can contact you for a response, and even attach digital photos or other documents, if you need to.
