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