College Park bicycle crash spurs safety discussion

Back in 2007, College Park Trolley Trail users pushed to have the crossing of Paint Branch Parkway improved. Some wanted a pedestrian activated red light or to move the crossing to the fire station area where a traffic light exists, but instead:

The plan is to create an island.  Unfortunately this island will only be 4ft. wide.  A biker will have to hold his/her bike sideways while standing on it.  It's something but obviously not enough.

In May a cyclist was hit and severely injured while using the crossing.

He was struck by a car, sustaining broken bones in his arms and pelvis as well as numerous cuts and bruises.

County Councilman Eric Olson (D–Dist. 3) of College Park and College Park City Councilwoman Stephanie Stullich (Dist. 3) favor installing a red light at the crossing. "They claim the flashing yellow can be ambiguous to drivers, and doesn't give them a clear indication to stop for pedestrians."

Susan Hubbard, a spokeswoman for the Prince George's Department of Public Works and Transportation, said the crossing does not have sufficient traffic volume to warrant a light.

"We've installed a crossway, a median, a beacon and additional signage — we've made it as safe as possible," Hubbard said. "At this time a red light will not be considered."

Olson said he will lobby for adding a speeding camera in the section around the crossing to ensure drivers use safe speeds around the pedestrian and biker area.

"I'd still like to see improvements made — that's my quest," Olson said. "It's going to be one of my top priorities. I'll be pushing very hard for it, and I imagine the city will as well."

Hubbard said the locations of speed cameras will be guided by state regulations. A state committee will examine all proposals for speed cameras and decide where the initial set of cameras will be placed. She added Olson has already submitted the Paint Branch Parkway crossing as a possible site, and the committee would consider it.

They don't give any details on the cause of the crash, but clearly it's not "as safe as possible." Maybe the crossing doesn't have sufficient traffic volume BECAUSE it's dangerous. Does a bad crossing first need a sufficient number of daredevils before it will get help? Reminds of Three Kings (paraphrasing)

Archie Gates: The way it works is, you do the thing you're scared of, and you get the safety improvements AFTER you do it, not before you do it.
Conrad Vig: That's a dumb way to work. It should be the other way around.
Archie Gates: I know. That's the way it works.

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Comments

[Neil]

That entire road should be reconsidered, and reduced to one lane in each direction, potentially with space for (frequent) bus traffic to the metro station. A stop light for pedestrians is the least they could do.

[Jon]

I cross this most days. It's definitely a pain, since a lot of people just ignore the flashing lights. That said, if you keep alert, I don't find it to be that dangerous (I always walk my bike across).

Eric Olson is awesome, by the way. (Here in PG County, we consider our council members "awesome" if they're not crooks, but he's been very responsive about a number of issues.)

I don't think we can get a speed camera there, since the legislation restricts them to school zones and work zones, but I hope I'm wrong.

[Mark]

A total BS answer by the Prince George's DPW about warrants. If that's true, then show us the engineering study. Why isn't a HAWK signal being considered? A HAWK doesn't require a warrant like a traffic signal. There is already one on Queens Chapel.

[kenf]

I bet Susan Hubbard hasn't ridden a bicycle since she turned 16, and then she only rode it on the sidewalk near her house.

[Ron Alford]

My second beef with this intersection is the connection to Rhode Island Ave (the continuation of the trolley trail).

The sound barrier creates a blind intersection with the sidewalk path to the rest of the trolley trail. Then the narrow sidewalk dead-ends into a foot-wide asphalt "ramp" for cyclists.

They should:

• Move the sidewalk away from the wall


• Widen it to standard multi-use path width


• Provide a proper ramp transition to Rossborough lane.

More on topic - I take that intersection fairly often. You kind-of have to take the 'step-and-dare' approach in order to get the traffic to stop.

The frequent UMD shuttles are great about stopping for pedestrians. However, since it's a four lane road, they also block the view of approaching traffic. You have to step gingerly around them, since oncoming traffic only sees a stopped bus, and drivers don't seem to connect the fact that the flashing lights means a pedestrian is crossing.

[Jon]

Looks like progress:
http://www.diamondbackonline.com/news/walk-the-line-1.777959

The University may count for a "school zone". Cool.