SENATOR SUSAN C.

LEE

James Senate Office Building

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DELEGATE C. WILLIAM FRICK

DELEGATE ARIANA KELLY

Annapolis, Maryland zr4or

DELEGATE MARC KORMAN

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8oo-492-7rzz Ext. 3rz4

THE MARYLAND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

r6TTT LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
November 22,2016

Mr. Brian Young

District Engineer, Maryland State Highway Administration
9300 Kenilworth Ave
Greenbelt, Maryland 2071 0
Dear Mr. Young,
We have recently become aware of concerns from our constituents in the Wyngate
neighborhood of Bethesda regarding the intersection of Old Georgetown Road (Maryland Route
187) and Ryland Drive. After a collision earlier this week caused by a motorist running a red
signal, many residents expressed their belief that the intersection is unsafe for both pedestrians
and drivers. Nearly a dozen neighbors shared their stories and safety concems about the
intersection on the neighborhood's listserv after hearing of the most recent collision. Out of
these anecdotes, a few specific issues have emerged that have prompted us to write you and
request a review of the site.
Several residents stated that they f,rnd the intersection of Old Georgetown Road and
Ryland Drive to be susceptible to red light running because of its proximity to the interchange
with the Capital Beltway. For drivers heading south on MD 197 from eastbound I-495,the
signal at Ryland is the first one that greets them upon exiting the highway. Some residents have
hypothesized that some drivers remain in "highway mentality" upon exiting the Beltway,
resulting in more frequent instances of red light running. To address this problem, some
constituents have discussed whether this is an appropriate location for red light cameras.
Residents also observed that larger vehicles tuming right from southbound MD 187 onto
westbound Ryland Drive have difficulty making the turn because of a lack of space when
eastbound motorists on Ryland are queued for the signal at MD 187. Ryland Drive is an
undivided two lane residential street with a curb-to-curb width of 24' at the intersection with MD
187, which makes for a fairly tight turn radius. This issue specifically affects school buses
because of their longer wheelbases. Given that Ryland Drive is used by buses accessing
Wyngate Elementary School and other schools in the area, this problem is a daily occuffence.
To solve this frequent conflict, some have suggested that the stop bar for eastbound motorists on
Ryland be moved approximately 60' west (away from the intersection) of its current location.
This will provide clearance space for turning vehicles from southbound MD 187 onto westbound
Ryland Drive. Moving the stop bar back also has a potential pedestrian safety benefit, which

The intersection of Old Georgetown Road & Ryland Drive is adjacent to Saint Jane de
Chantal Catholic Church & School. Parishioners and students frorn the Wyngate side of Old
Georgetown Road frequently traverse the intersection on foot to attend mass and school at de
Chantal. Residents crossing the intersection on foot have reported that they feel endangered by
occasional red light rulners, as well as tuming vehicles, specifically vehicles tuming right from
eastbound Ryland Drive onto southbound MD 187 (the crosswalk across Old Georgetown is on
the south leg of the intersection). The walk phase for those pedestrians crossing Old Georgetown
Road is not long, so pedestrians must contend with motorists rushing to exit the neighborhood on
a relatively short green light. The current configuration results in frequent close-calls between
turning cars and pedestrians crossing Old Georgetown. To alleviate the problem, some residents
have asked if SHA can consider a leading pedeskian interval for the walk phase across Old
Georgetown Road. A leading pedestrian interval will give pedestrians a few seconds head start
on turning cars, allowing them to be more visible and less obstructive to motorists. While this
will add a very slight delay to motorists at the intersection, it will enhance safety and visibility
for all road users. Please consider wtrether the crosswalk's walk phase can be improved.
Thank you for your consideration of these suggestions from the community. We are
pleased to see the recent upgrades to the intersection's Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
accommodations, including improved curb ramps and audible crossing buttons for the visually
impaired. We hope that the SHA is able to implement some or all of our above suggested
improvements to build upon the existing upgrades and advance the state's goal of providing safe
facilities for all road users. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions.
Sincerely,

H***
Susan C.

Lee

cc: Roger Berliner

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C. William Frick

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Ariana Kelly

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Marc Korman