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Duncan Outlines Strategy to Improve Pedestrian Safety at County High Schools; Previews New Video on Pedestrian Safety Aimed at Teens

"Making sure kids are safe is one of our highest priorities," said Duncan. "As kids return to school, we need to remind drivers that it is their responsibility to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks - not just at schools, but throughout the County. An aggressive campaign that combines engineering, enforcement, and education is the most effective way to reduce pedestrian and traffic safety injuries and deaths, while raising community awareness about this critical concern."

Pedestrian safety engineering improvements have been made and/or are ongoing at about 25 percent of the high schools, including Northwest, Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Walter Johnson, Seneca Valley, Kennedy, and Albert Einstein High Schools. These improvements include traffic calming measures to slow down traffic, new or restriped crosswalks, relocating bus stops, adding new signs, hiring crossing guards, and other actions. Traffic studies at the other County high schools will be conducted in the upcoming months.

At Albert Einstein High School, officials discussed efforts by the County's Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPWT) to improve pedestrian safety at the school and neighboring Newport Mill Middle School. They include establishing a 'school zone' on Newport Mill Road between Highview Avenue and Anderson Road, installing new 'fines doubled during school hours' signs, installing a three-way stop sign at Newport Mill Road and Stark Street, installing new crosswalks, trimming foliage to improve visibility, and other measures.

Montgomery County Police are initiating an aggressive back-to-school safety campaign in all five districts during the first weeks of school. Stepped up school zone enforcement will include cracking down on speeders, catching violators who do not stop for school buses, and ensuring other school zone restrictions are enforced.

"It's going to take the vigilance of all our Montgomery County citizens working with our police department to ensure the safety of our students," said Montgomery County Police Chief Charles A. Moose, Ph.D. "We've increased our education efforts on the importance of pedestrian safety, and we'll be out in increased numbers at all our County schools to enforce the laws protecting our children. For the sake of our young people, please drive with caution, and make sure your children know the safety rules for walking, biking and riding a bus to school."

A special effort will be made to increase pedestrian safety education for teens and drive home the message that crossing the street in an unsafe way is risky. The County has prepared a hard-hitting, edgy pedestrian safety video that will be distributed to all high schools and middle schools in the County. Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has committed to showing the video to all secondary students during the school year. In addition, MCPS has created a Pedestrian Safety Work Group consisting of staff, principals, transportation officials, police, parent-teacher association representatives, and student representatives to work with the County Executive in implementing the recommendations of the Montgomery County Blue Ribbon Panel on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety.

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