Rockville’s Department of Public Works is spending the summer completing several traffic calming and sidewalk projects aimed at improving safety for all as part of the city’s Vision Zero initiative.
Among the improvements are concrete refuge islands to provide a place for pedestrians to wait while crossing Mannakee Street at Smallwood Road, and Twinbrook Parkway at Meadow Hall Drive. The speed hump on Mannakee Street will be restored to slow traffic. Mannakee Street and Twinbrook Parkway are both scheduled for repaving before the start of the school year in late August.
City staff met in May to discuss additional intersection improvements in Twinbrook, including opportunities to add signs and crosswalks to control traffic at the intersections of Ardennes and Wainwright avenues, Ardennes and Ridgway avenues, and Lemay Road and Ridgway Avenue.
Staff also joined community members, the Rockville Pedestrian Advocacy Committee and members of the Mayor and Council on May 15 for a “walk ’n’ roll” event along Rollins Avenue between Evelyn Drive and Rockville Pike. The tour highlighted work that is now ongoing to install edge line markings between the parking and travel lanes on Rollins Avenue, and a feedback sign to flash the speed of passing vehicles. Staff also provided updates on the Complete Streets feasibility study of Congressional Lane, and the East Jefferson Street and Halpine Road bicycle lanes study and design project.
Also in May, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Transportation Planning Board approved $80,000 for the Rollins-Twinbrook Complete Streets Feasibility Study. The funding will allow the city to develop preliminary alternatives for redesigning Rollins Avenue and Twinbrook Parkway to support multimodal transportation, including bicycle lanes, pedestrian crossing improvements, traffic calming measures, bus stop enhancements and wider sidewalks. The award does not require the city to provide matching funds. Consultant selection is expected this summer, with the development of redesign alternatives beginning in fall.
Learn about these and other projects that are part of the city’s Vision Zero Action Plan to eliminate traffic-related deaths and serious injuries at www.rockvillemd.gov/visionzeroprojects.