Pedestrian Issues
Update on Medical Center Metro
Over the last two and a half years, a committee of public officials and neighborhood representatives has worked to solve the transportation problems caused by the relocation of Walter Reed Hospital to the Bethesda Naval Hospital campus. Part of the solution, clearly, is better transit, and in consultation with the committee WMATA studied five ways to improve access to the Metro from the Naval Hospital. The best of these options -- ACT believes -- is a new entrance to the Metro station on the Naval Hospital side of Rockville Pike, served by a bank of high speed elevators.
While these alternatives were before the public, Montgomery County transportation officials were secretly promoting an entirely different plan developed by a major highway contractor, Clark Construction. Without any warning to the public or the advisory committee, the county in September 2009 applied for matching funds to build a four-lane automobile underpass beneath Rockville Pike with the money designated for Metro access. When pressed, MCDOT explained that the tunnel was part of Clark's plan.
After this secret plan was exposed by ACT, the county dropped it and came up with a different highway underpass plan that was presented at a public meeting May 11. For ACT's analysis of this new plan go here.
The alternatives that the study will evaluate were announced at a “public workshop” on July 20. The elevator was not dropped entirely, but was included only in combination with a pedestrian underpass. ACT believes the study is still biased against the elevator option. Our comments on the alternatives are here and here.
ACT's outlook on pedestrian issues
Walking is as safe, healthy, and environmentally sound way to get around as there is. Intersections that are unfriendly to pedestrians and streets that lack sidewalks discourage walking and are a serious safety hazard to those who can not or choose not to drive. Furthermore, mass transit cannot stop in front of every house; if streets are unsafe for pedestrians, investments in mass transit will be wasted because people can't safely get to the bus stop or rail station.
Sidewalks are an essential part of transportation, not an “amenity” that can be done without. Montgomery County needs a clear policy on sidewalk construction that encourages the building of sidewalks in response to transportation needs and community requests. We urge the Transportation Department to establish such a policy, in writing, so that citizen participation is not frustrated. We urge the County Council to provide adequate funding so that community requests can be satisfied within a reasonable length of time and the use of alternatives to automobile transportation can be encouraged.