[RP TownTalk] 410 pedestrian crosswalk, median near Beale Circle

[Planetlorak]

Fred, to answer your question directly:  Late summer 2012, after 10:30pm one
evening, with literally no cars in front of me on either side of the road, I
took the left onto Beale.  I was immediately pulled over by flashing lights
and whoops from a police car. (I obviously did not notice the police car
BEHIND me.) Through the blinding lights, I saw TWO more cars join the party.
I think it was County Police, but I was a little too overwhelmed to use my
best situational awareness skills.  The Officer who approached my vehicle
asked me if knew what I had done wrong.  I honestly didn't, I wasn't
speeding, I signaled....???  He told me it was turning left.  I sat there
while my name and the results of my license/registration check were
broadcast to my Beale Street neighbors over his car's radio.  He did not
cite me, but warned me to never do that again.   At a minimum, a sign
(Emergency Vehicles Only) would have kept me law abiding from the very day
that lowered curb on 410 was constructed.


Now another topic:  This may have already been discussed in this forum, but
what's up with the Bowling Alley? It seemed like a popular place, yet it has
never reopened since the Earthquake.  

Lora Katz
------------------------------

Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2013 07:52:00 -0500
From: Fred Holcomb <fred.j.holcomb at gmail.com>
To: TownTalk at riverdale-park.org
Subject: [RP TownTalk] 410 pedestrian crosswalk, median near Beale
	Circle
Message-ID:
	<CALjnFzD+3hdqjaRgLCiwSCKBAsfbuhsC0f_p=ZCqvgdF6Gg+Pw at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Since we're discussing road issues around town, I thought I throw in a few
of my own.

Is the crosswalk across 410 east of Kenilworth Ave. under Riverdale Park
jurisdiction?  (Sorry if that's a dumb question -- I'm fairly new around
here.) If so, I'm wondering if there's ever been any enforcement there. God
forbid anyone try to actually use it. Traffic on 410 will absolutely not
stop for pedestrians there.  I once slowed to allow a pedestrian to cross
and was almost rear-ended immediately.  The cars in the other lanes didn't
slow at all.  To avoid causing an accident, I sheepishly continued through
the crosswalk.  The pedestrian smartly remained safely waiting on the
median.

Also, there is a cut in the median in 410 near Beale Circle.  Does anyone
know the purpose of this?  I see many folks using it to turn left onto
Beale Circle from the westbound lanes of 410.  For a while in the recent
past, there were cones on the median blocking these left turns, but those
have since disappeared.  At the end of the day, are these left turns legal?

Best,
Fred
-------------- next part --------------

Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2013 10:58:59 -0500
From: Dwight Holmes <dwightrholmes at gmail.com>
To: Fred Holcomb <fred.j.holcomb at gmail.com>
Cc: TownTalk at riverdale-park.org
Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] 410 pedestrian crosswalk, median near Beale
	Circle
Message-ID:
	<CAGPjrU8uS2Ezc_KXqscLgJWsacp-gMauTCXsVRZp5_n6=ko5Qg at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Fred, others can speak with actual authority but I will share what I have
learned about the Beale Circle/410 situation.  Apparently the cut in the
median was made for emergency vehicles.  As you say, though, others are
making use of it which is extremely dangerous.  I wrote the State Highway
Admin about it and got a prompt reply that they will check it out. That's
been a couple of weeks now.  I believe that our town officials have also
asked for a fix to the problem as well.

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2013 12:22:58 -0500
From: Vernon Archer <varcher at gmail.com>
To: Dwight Holmes <dwightrholmes at gmail.com>
Cc: TownTalk at riverdale-park.org
Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] 410 pedestrian crosswalk, median near Beale
	Circle
Message-ID:
	<CAMgQDE1f=ECr85tSJpApKXG72D-UocffQAdX1mjFcx5THJ42VQ at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Fred,

You put your finger right on a nightmare crosswalk at 58th and SH 410 that
is, just barely, within town boundaries. This last December one of my
students was in fact hit by an automobile while she was walking home.
Miraculously she not only survived but is back in school, and almost back
to normal.

I've tried to use this near tragedy to galvanize State Highway to study
this entire intersection and take more control of this problem area.  I
believe that the intersection needs a traffic light, but State ultimately
will decide.  We are in the mean time trying to step up police presence in
the area and are looking at several other short term alternatives to reduce
the threat of injury or death there.

Regarding the median cut just west of the bridge on 410, Dwight's
assessment is right on target--let me emphasize we are also in conversation
with State Highway about real concerns that this has the potential to lead
to tragedy.

Best wishes,

Vern


-- 
Vernon Archer, Mayor
Town of Riverdale Park, Maryland

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2013 14:08:19 -0500
From: Lou King <lking at knob.com>
To: TownTalk at riverdale-park.org
Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] 410 pedestrian crosswalk, median near Beale
	Circle
Message-ID: <510429A3.8080902 at knob.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

People feeling the need to use the median cut from west bound 410 onto 
East Beale (then Queensbury to Rt 1 south), is just another result of 
the failed intersection of 410/Rt 1. Those consequences has been 
discussed here time and time again, even last week. Town officials from 
the Mayor on down, have been working with State and County looking for 
any solution/relief for years.

It always seems to boil down to state money and priorities.

As an aside, those that feel smaller/cheaper Government is better should 
keep these and other issues in mind as we approach the budget season 
nationally and locally.

Lou
O< ascii ribbon campaign - stop HTML mail - www.asciiribbon.org