How Maryland could make this deadly state road safer

Since 2015, twelve people have been killed in traffic collisions on a single stretch of road in Montgomery County. That road, Veirs Mill Road, is both a state highway and the main corridor of my neighborhood. This spring, Maryland could take a big step towards making it safer.

I live in Twinbrook, a modest neighborhood in Rockville divided by Veirs Mill Road. I am a frequent cyclist in this area, biking to the USPS or gym or grab groceries at my favorite spot, Lotte Plaza Market in Twinbrook Shopping Center. Like many residents, my destinations are on Veirs Mill Road, or I must cross. Even with my yellow e-bike and pink helmet, this is a risky trip, particularly during dark or rainy times.

Twinbrook boasts diversity, a young population, local greenways, and mom-and-pop shops. Yet, the disparities in infrastructure and safety persist. Most of the neighborhood comprises single-family detached houses. Some apartment complexes exist, including several on Veirs Mill Road. The Council on Environmental Quality identifies the Census tracts that comprise Twinbrook as disadvantaged, meaning it meets at least one burden threshold and the associated socioeconomic threshold in the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool. Injustices could be related to health, housing, pollution, or transportation.

Like many state-owned roads in Maryland, Veirs Mill is a wide, fast road with few places to cross and large sections with no sidewalks or bike lanes. Most fatal and injury crashes in Montgomery County occur on these roads, and Veirs Mill has the county’s fifth highest crash rate (nearby Rockville Pike is #4). Analyzing crash data reveals a concerning pattern, with the number of fatal crashes increasing each year since 2015 while injury crashes have slightly decreased. Notably, pedestrians, and cyclists face a rising trend in crashes.

According to a 2020 report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, traffic crashes in the United States claim lives every 14 minutes nationally, and four people are injured in a crash every minute. I wish I had a defensive charm, like “Expecto Patronum,” to shield all pedestrians. But for now, I want to discuss the urgency to address these issues in Twinbrook and specifically along Veirs Mill Road, where between 2015 and 202312 people have been killed in crashes, including five pedestrians, two cyclists, six motorcycle or motor-scooter riders, and one driver.

The victims of traffic violence are as diverse as this community. Frank Towers was killed on Veirs Mill Road while riding his bike in 2015. He would be 27 this year with his whole life ahead of him. The day after Christmas 2023, 70-year-old Teresa Moreno De Mejia was hit by three cars and killed while crossing Atlantic Avenue at Veirs Mill Road, making her the fourth person to die on that road that year. While many roads in Montgomery County saw a decline in the number of fatal crashes, they significantly increased on Veirs Mill Road.

Atlantic Avenue is the most perilous intersection in that corridor. It’s one of the few designated places to cross Veirs Mill Road and thus is the main way to access two shopping centers and a busy bus stop. This intersection is dangerous by design, allowing for driver behaviors that put people at risk. It has wide corners that make it easy for drivers to turn without stopping, and without No Turn On Red signs and pedestrian signals that give people walking a head start before cars can go, there’s a higher chance that a driver could strike someone walking or bicycling. Teresa’s death was preventable.

There is a strong correlation between the number of injury crashes and the occurrence of fatal crashes. With roughly 90 injury crashes on each road, there is a 90% chance that at least one fatal crash occurs.

Maryland must show its commitment to social and transportation equity by prioritizing people’s lives on state-owned roads like Twinbrook residents and implementing no-brainer fixes that can not arrive fast enough. A few to name are:

1. No Turn on Red
2. Leading Pedestrian Interval
3. Mid-block crossings with pedestrian islands.
4. Sidewalk Gap Closures
5. Enhanced Lighting
6. Right-Sized Lane Width (11 feet or less)

These solutions, supported by evidence, promise to enhance the safety of all road users. Another solution is reducing speed limits, though today that requires doing a lengthy traffic and engineering investigation. This spring, the Maryland General Assembly will consider a bill, HB 612, that could change that for state roads in Montgomery County., There will be a public hearing in the House of Delegates Environment and Transportation Committee next Thursday, February 29 at 1 pm in Annapolis. To sign up or submit written comments, you can follow this guide. (Here is GGWash’s testimony in support of this bill under its previous name.)

The urgency to address safety issues does not negate the need for long-term planning but small, common-sense improvements cannot wait. The Maryland State Highway Administration has yet to show the attention our residents desperately need. The state needs to implement safety measures like the ones listed above while planning for a long term redesign to make roads like Veirs Mill Road safer.

Like many other communities, Twinbrook deserves safe streets where residents can live, work, and play without fearing for their lives. While advocating for the future, let us not forget the lives at stake today. Implementing immediate safety measures is a moral imperative.