This video was taken on Dec 25, 2008, as I walked along Blair Mill Road in South Silver Spring.
For some reason, I persistently referred to the roadway as Newell Street in my narration. (Too much egg nog the night before.) However, this footage is definitely of Blair Mill Road.
This video is also available from The Penguin’s YouTube page.
Video photography by J. Deseo/SSP. Lead photo of a Boston sidewalk by Flickr user Frankh
Update: The video now rolls from YouTube. — JD (Dec 30, 2008)
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I <3 you. Can you email that to, like, every elected official in the universe? I am so tired of this ridiculousness.
This ain’t even white line fever. It’s white tape fever! I bet the planners and developers all bragged about proximity to Metro and how this is a walkable thing. It needs to be walkable DURING construction. This stuff goes on for months, if not years. I cannot picture a wheelchair navigating this mess, or anyone needing a cane. When “wintry mix” falls from the sky, this place will be impossible.
Even in daylight, those construction materials could provide hiding spots to enterprising muggers. It’s not like they are fenced off.
Good work, Jennifer! Yes, this should be e-mailed massively to MoCo’s powers-that-be.
Thanks Jennifer. I appreciated the walking tour and hope this leads to ways to improve access. However, construction zones are part of the cost of development. This is relatively minor. We all of us need to make adjustments as needed.
This is why cameras shouldn’t be allowed in Silver Spring.
I like the slight back and forth rocking of the camera — penguin like.
You forgot to show how dangerous it is to cross Blair Rd from the the Blairs to the Mica. For both Pedestrians and vehicles, pulling out from the Blairs means pulling out completely blind because of the construction trailers, hoping that oncoming traffic is going slow enough to stop. It helps at nighttime because you can see headlights coming. On the other hand, when turning right at night you may be concentrating so much on oncoming traffic from the left that you might very well turn right into a pedestrian.
Thanks for making this SSPenguin. It made me cringe to watch it and know it is on Youtube for the world to see. Is this really the SS and MoCO we want the world to see? Embarrassing. We can do so much better.
SoCo – relatively minor?!? Not for those of us pedestrians in downtown SS who have endured the same and similar situations on every single block for the past 10 years. Each time I leave my house, I mentally calculate which rout will force me to cross the busy roads the number of fewest times and weigh that along with what path will not throw me out into the traffic mix mid-block.
My proposal for a new MoCo Law — if a sidewalk becomes impassible due to construction or other projects (ex. fiosm laying new water lines, etc.), one or more lanes of the street should be cordoned off by jersey barriers for pedestrian usage until the construction project is complete. Put this “adjustment” into effect and THEN we’ll see how minor the inconvenience of months-long construction projects seem.
Well stated, Kathy J.
That whole construction area, which I’m convinced will NEVER end, is pretty much just a deathtrap. Its unfortunate that the only other way to really get to my apartment (driving) is through the roundabout, which coincidentally is also a deathtrap. I do fear for pedestrians in that area.
Also, Google Maps told me when I moved in here that Blair Mill continued across E/W Hwy – now there’s another apartment building there. I wish there wasn’t, because it would make my walk to Georgia Ave like a billion times shorter. Boo development (unless it brings down my rent)!
Robin – that portion of Blair Mill closed maybe 2 years ago? when they started building Veridian. I’m wondering if when the Veridian is all open/finished, there will be a way to get through there on foot towards Georgia. As it is, you can walk up past it, turn left, and take the “Arts Alley” to Georgia (around Mayorga)… not TOO much farther.
Ooo this “arts alley” doesn’t make it on Google maps, does it? I’m going to have to investigate! Thanks!!!