Dear Montgomery County Council Members,

We the undersigned request help with a dangerous public safety issue. MD192 (Metropolitan Ave and Capitol View Ave.) between Wheatley St. and Forest Glen Road is not safe for pedestrians and bikers. It is not safe to cross into the town of Kensington from our Homewood Park neighborhood as traffic regularly exceeds posted speed limits and ignores pedestrian crosswalks. Over the years, this road has seen an expansion of businesses and become a heavily trafficked corridor between Connecticut Ave and Georgia Ave and is now traveled beyond its design capacity. It is not safe for pedestrians or bicyclists of any age.

We note that the county has designated this section of MD 192 a pedestrian/bike priority and that improving safety there would enhance access to MARC and to bus stops, as well as greatly improve the likelihood that residents would take advantage of the amenities of Kensington town.

We have seen traffic calming measures on other local streets such as Plyers Mill Road, which have greatly reduced excess speed. We are optimistic such measures and others such as bike lanes and sidewalks could help address the dangers on MD 192. We understand that MDOT SHA must receive an official request for pedestrian and/or bicycle safety improvements from the county. We therefore request that Montgomery County take the required actions to ensure MD 192 is improved for pedestrian and biker safety.