Comments on: Public weighs pros, cons of footbridge to new library

By: LuvMyHood

LuvMyHood — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 23:50:21 +0000

Yikes! Robin, did you get the bus #? I wonder if drivers are under crazy pressure to make schedules. I had to ride a C2 or C4 one summer day, I forget which bus, but it was early afternoon. An amazing number of wheelchair-bound and other special-needs passengers boarded. All these folks took a lot of time. In some cases, the passengers needed to pitch in and help right a wheelchair onto the ramp. Cameras would show the school buses, wheelchairs — other impediments to a smooth rhythm of stops.

By: Robin

Robin — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 00:51:58 +0000

Just today, actually, I saw a metrobus cut off a school nus which was stopping to pick up school kids – it had its stop sign out and everything, and the bus just blazed right past it, turning in an awkward way to get around the corner of the bus while at the same time running TWO stop signs (both the one on the bus as well as the one normally at the corner). I was just appalled.

By: LuvMyHood

LuvMyHood — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 18:34:30 +0000

Corona, I have seen and heard of frightening bus/ped encounters. However, I suspect technology could help, a GPS/camera device that would help drivers see better, demonstrate their good or bad driving, and show HQ where the bus was at any given time. Wonder if this could hook into NextBus — which failed the first time. NextBus is supposed to tell riders when the next bus is coming.

I don’t think bus drivers have the market cornered on awful driving. I have scurried in terror from drivers wielding just about every kind of vehicle.

By: Corona

Corona — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:10:27 +0000

So many times I have seen bus drivers cut off/into other drivers in smaller vehicles, run through crosswalks, run redlights, and block traffic for a right or left on green they did not have the ability to make. If one were to go to the corner of Georgia and Colesville during rush hour, they could watch buses turn left from Colesville onto Georgia as and after the light turns red. With traffic and with its size, it is sometimes well into the walk sign before the buses get out of the road and through and out of the crosswalks. All the while Peds tentatively cross the street praying that the bus allows them to cross instead of assuming all life stops while they inch through the crosswalk, staring straight ahead all the while as if not seeing the Pedestrians they know are there.

This same acts happens by plenty of motorist operated personal vehicles but you would think that the driver of a public transportation machine that can do great damage than a smaller vehicle would hold their driving to a higher standard.

I for one think that fewer buses on the road would make the crosswalks less scary.

By: LuvMyHood

LuvMyHood — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:51:41 +0000

No Bridge is right. Let’s modernize the library where it is. It is walkable on Colesville — unpleasant from traffic noise and wind, but walkable. It is driveable for those who need it.
So much more needs to be done about crosswalks in MoCo, in DTSS and elsewhere. Those plastic paddles that stick up and say “Stop for Peds, State Law” or something like that, are far too rare. I see them in Takoma Park, and a bunch have been installed in the University Towers area, on Arcola. Yeah, they don’t last long, so workers must be sent out to replace them. But that provides useful work to people, so it’s a good use of my tax $. I heard that some in-pavement device to light up when peds were present was tried at Twinbrook, but failed. Would love to get details. If the Purple Line is built, how would people get to it without safe crosswalks? MTA and MoCo planners have said repeatedly that bus service would be cut back if PL is built. Scary crosswalks, rezoning pressure galore, and fewer buses. Just great.

By: no bridge

no bridge — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 22:32:46 +0000

I agree that parking garages can be dangerous themself with all those cars speeding like Nascar around those curves. And if we are discussing moving the library to city place mall, then why not just leave the library where it is in the first place. I mean if we just modernize it and expand it then we keep a big parking lot and spacious library green property. I dont see why we are moving it to begin with…Can someone please tell me why the move?
If its moving to this location to be in the middle of DTSS then people need to understand how a downtown works, your going to have to cross busy streets!
What is going to happen to the current library property once its moved?

Editor’s note: Once the new library is built, ye olde library will be offered to other Montgomery County departments for use. If there are no bites, then the property gets sold as surplus. — JD (Feb 11, 2009)

By: Laura

Laura — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 16:32:08 +0000

Crosswalks are not foreign, people! You look both ways before crossing and then you go when cars aren’t coming. Follow the flashing hand if you are confused. I remember learning this in kindergarten. (And what a great opportunity to teach your kids about safety – if they don’t practice it, they will have a hard time learning.)

If it’s an issue of having enough time to cross, that’s understandable, but also something that can be addressed by timing lights better or greater visibility features, without an unnecessary, costly building project.

Besides, when did a parking garage become a whole lot safer than a crosswalk? There are plenty of times when I’ve seen drivers speeding in and out of those places. If a parent needs to teach their kids safety in crossing the street, they would need it for a parking garage too.

By: nosestuckinabook

nosestuckinabook — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:36:48 +0000

And even though it is apparently a no-no subject on this post (for whatever reason), I too think that City Place would be a great site for the public library, if for no other reason than there’s already a footbridge connecting it to the parking garage. Novel concept: using what you already have.

By: nosestuckinabook

nosestuckinabook — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 03:16:51 +0000

I wonder if the laws (specifically, the “no right turn on red” signal at several intersections in the area) aren’t creating problems in traffic flow, especially at the intersection in question. Motorists and pedestrians are competing for street space for no discernible reason at Wayne and Fenton. Maybe making revisions to the laws governing the traffic flow would negate the need for such a ridiculously expensive, unnecessary eyesore.

By: Tdiddy

Tdiddy — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 03:02:26 +0000

I am dying here regarding pro-bridge arguments. My two cents, I think KM made an excellent point about identifying the accident stats and seeing if the cost of the bridge is justified. Othersise, it’s a crosswalk, not some strange, exotic, urban-only device to get people across the road.

The barriers that people in our area will put in the way of development in DTSS – Purple Line, Civic Center (Ice Skating Rink or Turf), Library is just ridiculous.

As for Friends of the Silver Spring Library? Give me a break sounds like Wisoff has some entitlement issues to work out.