The city’s ongoing efforts to increase safety on city streets included, in recent weeks, a focus on street crossings, with increased police enforcement at crosswalks and improved signals and flashing beacons.
Enforcement Efforts
The Rockville City Police Department conducts special traffic and pedestrian enforcement operations to address safety issues and community concerns.
“Our overarching goal is to change behavior and improve pedestrian safety for everyone in the City of Rockville,” police Chief Victor Brito said.
To see the RCPD’s recent enforcement operation in action, visit youtube.com/cityofrockville and search “Pedestrian Safety Enforcement.”
Enforcement will be one part of the city’s Vision Zero plan, which sets a goal of zero traffic-related deaths or serious injuries. The plan, which the Mayor and Council will take up this spring, will also include engineering and education efforts, which are ongoing.
Signals for Safety
At the city’s request, Montgomery County agreed to install a flashing beacon at the existing midblock pedestrian crossing on Twinbrook Parkway, adjacent to the city’s Twinbrook Community Recreation Center.
As of Feb. 6, all traffic signals between MD 28 and Beall Avenue in Rockville Town Center include a leading pedestrian interval phase. This gives pedestrians a 3-7 second head start when entering an intersection where vehicles traveling in the same direction have a green light. The result is that pedestrians have greater visibility to drivers, who are required to yield to pedestrians already in the crosswalk.
LPIs have been shown to reduce pedestrian-vehicle collisions as much as 60%, according to the National Association of City Transportation Officials’ website.
Rules of the Road
While Rockville is making safety upgrades and conducting enforcement on city streets, drivers and pedestrians are reminded about Maryland’s rules of the road. State law states that drivers “shall come to a stop when a pedestrian crossing the roadway in a crosswalk is (i) on the half of the roadway on which the vehicle is traveling; or (ii) approaching from an adjacent lane on the other half of the roadway.”
State law further states that pedestrians have a duty to “not suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle which is so close that it is impossible for the driver to yield.” Learn more at bit.ly/MDTranspCode21-502.
Report a Concern
Notice a perilous intersection, problematic path or malfunctioning pedestrian signal? Tell us by visiting www.rockvillemd.gov, scroll to the bottom of the page and select “Report a concern.”