2nd Ave

Traffic and Safety Update

/ Anna White

By Julie Lees and Jean Kaplan Teichroew

The Traffic Committee has been working with Oscar Yen, a traffic operations engineer at the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT), to review traffic-control and pedestrian-safety measures in North Woodside. Following is an update on the issues we’ve discussed and their status:

  1. Glen Ross, 3rd, Warren, and Lanier: To improve visibility in the intersection, MCDOT is working on the bump out at the corner of Glen Ross and 3rd. Neighbors in adjacent homes have been contacted, and the plan has been approved.

  2. Columbia:
    a. To fix the stop sign at the exit of the public parking lot, MCDOT sent an email to Montgomery County Parking Department, which maintains the parking lot.
    b. A new stop sign was installed at Rookwood.

  3. Intersection of Luzerne and Columbia: The committee suggested adding a crosswalk given the church, day care center, school bus stop, and traffic volume. But MCDOT determined that
    additional traffic control is not necessary because adequate sight lines allow pedestrians to see approaching vehicles and sufficient gaps in traffic allow crossing safely at this location. Nor will MCDOT install a crosswalk, but a work order has been sent to the shop to relocate the “No Parking/Permit Parking” sign to increase the sight line.

    Neighbors: If you can photograph overparking and/or pedestrians unable to cross safely at Luzerne and Columbia, you may help us focus MCDOT’s attention on this problem.*

  4. 2nd and Luzerne pedestrian-safety issues, according to MCDOT:
    a. All the crosswalk striping work orders were sent to the shop and forwarded to the pavement contractor.
    b. Visibility of the stop signs is adequate.
    c. Oscar had not been made aware of previous lighting concerns, but he will check to see if the streetlight at this intersection has been upgraded to LED.

  5. 2001 Glen Ross: A work order has been sent to the shop to remove the “No Thru Trucks Over 10,000 G.V.W.R.” sign. (G.V.W.R. = Gross Vehicle Weight Rating)

  6. Grace Church: MCDOT will not install a 25-mph speed limit sign because it would stand too close to the 15-mph advisory sign for the speed humps. (Note: Hanover has a 25-mph speed limit sign that was installed in error, but it will not be removed.)

  7. Stratton traffic circle: MCDOT states that a work order will be created to add yield signs along all approaches to the circle. In addition, Oscar will check the parking and no-parking zones within the circle; no parking should be allowed within the circle or 35 feet approaching it. Existing signs designate permit parking and time-of-day parking restrictions.

  8. Additional Stratton issues, according to MCDOT: A study can be conducted to
    see if speed humps are warranted. Oscar will request a 48-hour speed/volume assessment. Another measure to handle cut-through traffic is access restrictions, which will also apply to residents.

    a. Bump outs and chicanes are not feasible on this street because it is narrow
    and vehicles park on both sides.d
    b. MCDOT does not install “Children at Play” or “Traffic Calming Zone” signs.
    c. Oscar will check both ends of Stratton for speed limit signs. If absent, they can
    be added.
    d. 2nd at Stratton: MCDOT cannot install pedestrian signs (indicating pedestrian activity) for vehicles turning right from 2nd onto Stratton. Such signs are installed only at an unprotected crosswalk on the same roadway; here the crosswalk is on Stratton—not 2nd. Oscar noted that traffic law requires motorists to stop for pedestrians once they are already standing in a crosswalk; pedestrians waiting on the curb do not have the right-of-way.

* Contact the Traffic and Safety Committee

Implementing Family History

/ Anna White


By Jean Kaplan Teichroew

Most people zip past the intersection of Glen Ross Rd. and 2nd Ave., but there’s good reason to slow down and take notice of some interesting objects at the house on the northwest corner. Nancy Hope, who lives here with her husband, Ben, and their three daughters, grew up in that house.

On the lawn you’ll see farm implements, including a traditional plow, a horse-drawn corn planter, a fertilizer plow, a seeder, and a well pump, as well as wagon wheels and a windmill. (More about the latter below.) Nancy’s grandfather used them on the family farm in Pound, Virginia. Her dad, Grover Helton, brought them from the farm in the late 1970s after his father passed away.

During World War II, Grover served as an army medic. After moving to Silver Spring, he worked at Carriage Hill Nursing Home (now Regency Care of Silver Spring) on 2nd Ave. His wife, Charlotte, was also a nurse there, and they bought the house on Glen Ross to live close to their work.

Sadly, as is often the experience of immigrants and people considered “others,” Nancy’s family encountered hostility from neighbors who did not like the farm implements. They made unkind comments and left notes that “hillbillies should go back to the hills.” Had those neighbors gotten to know the Heltons, they would have discovered that Grover was a jazz-loving decorated WWII veteran. Although deeply hurt, the Helton family grew emboldened.

Nancy’s mother kept the notes as a reminder of the family’s “no-BS attitude:” Stand up for yourself, and remember that no one can tell you who you are—or what you can do. In defiance, her father added the windmill and wagon wheels as borders for flower beds.

Over the years, Ben has restored the farm implements, which he carefully and continually maintains. More than unique lawn décor, they represent a piece of family history that Nancy, Ben, and their children appreciate to this day.

Wander Under Weeping Cherry

/ Anna White

As noted recently by a neighbor on the NWCA listserv…

The fabulous, giant, weeping cherry on 2nd Ave.* is in full bloom…. do take time to wander under it…

Want to behold cherry blossoms, but not up for the crowds and traffic around Washington, DC’s tidal basin? Take a stroll under this magnificent tree!

* Between Grace Church Rd. and 16th St.

No doubt a small sapling many a decade ago, the canopy of this weeping cherry now reaches high into the sky, spilling a swaying “bloomfall” of light pink blossoms over 2nd Ave. What young trees planted in North Woodside now will one day grow to great heights and beauty, and grace the path of future generations of neighbors?

If interested in planting a tree in the right of way in front of your house or on your property, contact the NWCA Tree Committee.

New Neighborhood Street Trees

/ Anna White
A new street tree on Lanier Dr

Casey Trees was in the neighborhood last month, planting our latest batch of street trees in cooperation with the county, courtesy of a Chesapeake Bay Foundation grant.

You’ll see new trees on 2nd, 3rd, Elkhart, Luzerne, Lanier, Louis, Glen Ross, Glenridge, Hanover, Rookwood, and Stratton. Some less-common species we are getting this year include a black willow on Hanover St and a bald cypress on Glen Ross near the 5-way intersection.

The Tree Committee is starting to collect names for the next round of plantings to go in this fall or next spring. If you want a new street tree or trees and think you have the space, contact the Tree Committee.

Special thanks to Casey Trees and county arborist Jack Pond. Jack inspects, chooses species, and coordinates with Casey Trees. Casey Trees applied for the grant and does the planting.

Historical Maps of North Woodside

/ Anna White
North Woodside in 1929. Source of Map: Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division.

Some links to a bunch of historical maps that show North Woodside in its younger days  (zoom in just above the northern tip of DC to where it says “Woodside”)

  • 1891 (year after our neighborhood was established)
  • 1893 (shows the neighborhood lies ~7.5 miles from White House)
  • 1917 (shows bridge that preceded the historic Talbot Avenue Bridge, built in 1918 and demolished in 2019) Note: if you live in one of the oldest houses in the neighborhood you should be able to find your house on this one.
  • 1918
  • 1924
  • 1929 (#1)
  • 1929 (#2) Note: many more neighbors should be able to find their houses on this one — particularly those living in bungalows and Sears Kit houses on Grace Church, Hanover, Glen Ross, Luzerne, and 2nd.

So interesting to imagine what this area looked like back then. Very little development and no Beltway yet!

Black Lives Matter Vigil

/ Anna White

The Black Lives Matter Vigil continues every Friday, rain or shine. North Woodside and Woodside neighbors stood there on Christmas Day 2020 and New Year’s Day 2021 (during a cold downpour). And nearly 30 people, a vigil record, showed up on the Friday after the attack on the U.S. Capitol and racist vandalism marked cars in Woodside. The following week the most enthusiastic honker was a woman who works in the White House, just down the road.

For those who attend weekly, the event has provided a meaningful way to meet neighbors and match masked faces with names from the listserv. All are welcome!

Update (October 2021): The Black Lives Matter Vigil has concluded and may resume at a later date. For more information, contact the organizer.

Traffic and Safety Committee Updates

/ Anna White
The new Talbot Avenue Bridge in September 2020, before construction halted.

Seminary Road Intersection

The bulk of the road construction work on this project will be completed in early November. Sometime within the next six months, trees and plants will be planted.

The portion of Seminary Road between Seminary Road and Seminary Place, which is now physically a continuation of 2nd Avenue, will be officially renamed 2nd Avenue.

The new traffic lights will be operational in early November and the county will then recalibrate the timing. Also, at that time the new streetlights will begin to work.

Talbot Avenue Bridge

As of Oct. 16, 2020, all construction stopped on the bridge. Due to the inconvenience and the eyesore of the partially built structure, Lyttonsville and Rosemary Hills neighborhood associations sent a letter to Gov. Hogan and other public officials requesting that Talbot Avenue Bridge construction be prioritized in Purple Line activities. After consultation with the members of the Traffic and Safety Committee, the NWCA Board sent a letter of support that also stated the following:

“As we foresee a greatly increased volume of traffic once the Talbot Bridge is opened, the North Woodside Association also wants to take this opportunity to remind Montgomery County, specifically the Montgomery County Department of Transportation, of its commitment, made to us last January and February in a public meeting and follow up emails, that once the Bridge is reopened the County will work with all three of our neighborhoods to mitigate any traffic disruptions.”

We believe that with the support of Lyttonsville and Rosemary Hills, we will obtain the traffic mitigations we’ll request in the future.

The approval of almost all types of mitigation requests is based on traffic-volume studies. So it would be wise to wait for the bridge to be open a few months and for the pandemic to have passed before requesting such a study.

2nd Avenue

Residents on 2nd Avenue have concerns about traffic speed and volume, particularly regarding pedestrian safety. The Traffic and Safety Committee will follow up with the county to request a review of all options for better traffic control and pedestrian protection.

— by Merrie Blocker and Julie Lees, Co-chairs, Traffic and Safety Committee

North Woodside Traffic and Road Construction Update

/ cxdl1228

Traffic. Nobody likes it, but a certain amount is to be expected in a community that is located near a thriving urban center. Unfortunately, there are a number of construction projects about to get underway that are likely to increase traffic in and around our neighborhood.

The North Woodside-Montgomery Hills Citizens Association will continue to work with officials from the Montgomery County Department of Transportation, state transportation agencies, Purple Line and others to minimize the impact. But there is an inevitable it’s going to get worse before it gets better aspect to the next several years. Here is a short summary of the projects about to get started or that are in the planning stages.

Seminary Road Intersection

The Seminary Road Intersection Improvement Project is intended to improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety at the so-called mixing bowl where Second Avenue meets Seminary Road, Seminary Place and Linden Lane. Construction is scheduled to begin in July 2018 and be completed roughly 12 months later. While traffic will be allowed to use the intersection throughout the project, backups and delays should be expected.

In May, the county’s Department of Transportation hosted a meeting at Woodlin Elementary where officials walked through the project’s schedule and heard testimony from residents of the surrounding neighborhoods. At that meeting, I provided input on the project on behalf of NWMHCA. One of the points I emphasized is that our neighborhood is greatly impacted by cut-through traffic on Second Avenue, which often backs up at the mixing bowl intersection. I pointed out that this problem could be reduced by allowing left turns at rush hour from Georgia Avenue onto Seminary Road, Seminary Place and Forest Glen Road.

Purple Line and Talbot Bridge

In late April, the Talbot Avenue Bridge was permanently closed to vehicle traffic following an inspection that found the bridge was no longer safe for cars. DOT says the bridge is still safe for pedestrians and bicyclists. No advance notice of the closure was given to the surrounding communities. NWMHCA worked with DOT to develop better detour signage than what was originally put in place.

Now that the lawsuit regarding the Purple Line has (mostly) been resolved, replacing the Talbot Bridge is high on the county’s priority list. The new bridge is slated to be about 41 feet wide (compared with 11 feet wide for the current bridge) in order to accommodate three lanes two for vehicle traffic and one for the Capital Crescent Trail.

NWMHCA petitioned county and Purple Line officials to reduce the size of the new bridge to be more consistent with the current bridge. We asked that the new bridge have one lane for alternating two-way vehicle traffic and one lane for the trail. However, we were informed that this proposal would violate federal safety standards, which requires new bridges to have two lanes for vehicle traffic. Therefore, the new bridge would be built as originally planned.

We are now actively working with the Lyttonsville and Rosemary Hills civic associations on ways to ensure that both vehicle and trail traffic can use the bridge safely. We want to promote traffic calming measures on the surrounding streets and look at ways to improve the aesthetics of the new bridge. We are also supporting efforts spearheaded by Lyttonsville to preserve portions of the current bridge in order to memorialize its unique history.

Lyttonsville Place Bridge

The Lyttonsville Place Bridge will also be replaced as part of the Purple Line project. The timing is unclear, but it looks like the Lyttonsville Bridge will be closed after the Talbot Bridge is replaced. It is likely that some traffic that would ordinarily go over the Lyttonsville Bridge would be rerouted over the Talbot Bridge. We are working with DOT on strategies to minimize the effect on North Woodside. These would includes establishing a detour route that will encourage traffic to travel on larger state roads like 16th Street and making sure trucks aren’t allowed over the new Talbot Bridge. The situation is going to be further complicated by construction on the Spring Street Bridge as part of the Purple Line.

Seminary Road Bridge

This winter, the state Department of Transportation will start work rehabilitating the Seminary Road Bridge over Interstate 495. The project will take about a year to complete. The state plans on keeping two lanes of traffic open through- out the project, but lane shifts will be required and traffic back-ups could occur.

Georgia Avenue Study

The Maryland Department of Transportation has spent several years looking at ways to improve Georgia Avenue from 16th Street to Forest Glen Road. The planning study was funded by the county, although no funds have been set aside to actually make any of the proposed changes.

Options being looked at by DOT include installing a median, adding a dedicated bike lane and providing left turns lanes from Georgia Avenue onto Seminary Road, Seminary Place and Forest Glen Road. In September, Maryland DOT announced it was still working on identifying the preferred alternative for the project and conducting additional engineering analysis. The preferred alternative is supposed to be announced this fall. At this point, it is unclear how the planning study will be affected by Gov. Hogan’s proposal to add four lanes to the Beltway.