Post by abbey1227 on May 25, 2021 2:39:02 GMT
The Washington Post
A wife, husband died four years apart trying to cross the same six-lane street. Residents want more protections.
Luz Lazo - Yesterday 5:47 PM
A wife, husband died four years apart trying to cross the same six-lane street. Residents want more protections.
Luz Lazo - Yesterday 5:47 PM
Traffic along Georgia Avenue didn’t slow down Sunday afternoon — not even at the moment when a group of residents waved a sign indicating “A pedestrian was killed here.”
They gathered in the slim sidewalk at the intersection with Rippling Brook Drive along one of Montgomery County’s busiest roads. It’s the spot where Claire E. Weissmeyer Grossmann, 63, was fatally struck April 28 — about two blocks from where her husband was killed in 2016 trying to get across the same six-lane road.
They gathered in the slim sidewalk at the intersection with Rippling Brook Drive along one of Montgomery County’s busiest roads. It’s the spot where Claire E. Weissmeyer Grossmann, 63, was fatally struck April 28 — about two blocks from where her husband was killed in 2016 trying to get across the same six-lane road.
A moment of silence and a Jewish prayer in honor of the Grossmanns was interrupted by several cars traveling well above the 35 mph speed limit, as some passersby honked in support. Bystanders then turned to two pairs of white shoes chained to a light pole in memory of the couple, alongside flowers and a plaque with their names on it.
Grossmann’s death spurred a range of emotions among advocates and residents — particularly because she was struck near where her husband died and where two other pedestrians have been killed since 2009. On Sunday, the group of more than two dozen installed what they called “ghost shoe” memorials to honor the four victims.
Traffic counts fell during the coronavirus pandemic, but road fatalities still increased
Residents also renewed calls for better enforcement of speed limits and other traffic laws in the county and for a change in the street design to make it safer for all users, regardless of their mode of travel.
“These are avoidable deaths,” said Peter Gray, a county resident and advocate for safer streets. “These are deaths that happened not because the pedestrian was doing something terribly dangerous. There aren’t many good places to cross and the speed on the road is too high.”
Georgia Avenue, a major commuter route, has long been known as a hot spot for crashes involving pedestrians. The Maryland State Highway Administration two years ago lowered the speed limit from 45 mph to 35 mph along the corridor between Hathaway Drive and Connecticut Avenue, which includes the stretch where Grossmann died.
Grossmann’s death spurred a range of emotions among advocates and residents — particularly because she was struck near where her husband died and where two other pedestrians have been killed since 2009. On Sunday, the group of more than two dozen installed what they called “ghost shoe” memorials to honor the four victims.
Traffic counts fell during the coronavirus pandemic, but road fatalities still increased
Residents also renewed calls for better enforcement of speed limits and other traffic laws in the county and for a change in the street design to make it safer for all users, regardless of their mode of travel.
“These are avoidable deaths,” said Peter Gray, a county resident and advocate for safer streets. “These are deaths that happened not because the pedestrian was doing something terribly dangerous. There aren’t many good places to cross and the speed on the road is too high.”
Georgia Avenue, a major commuter route, has long been known as a hot spot for crashes involving pedestrians. The Maryland State Highway Administration two years ago lowered the speed limit from 45 mph to 35 mph along the corridor between Hathaway Drive and Connecticut Avenue, which includes the stretch where Grossmann died.
State crews last year installed a traffic signal at Georgia and Rippling Brook, adding a crosswalk and new pedestrian signals. Officials said the new signal aimed to slow traffic in an area used by about 33,000 vehicles each day.
Advocates and residents say drivers are not adhering to the lower speed limit, arguing that more should be done to halt dangerous driving behaviors. Montgomery County police have not said whether speed was a factor in the Grossmann case or who was at fault.
Advocates and residents say drivers are not adhering to the lower speed limit, arguing that more should be done to halt dangerous driving behaviors. Montgomery County police have not said whether speed was a factor in the Grossmann case or who was at fault.
According to police, Grossmann was crossing the northbound lanes of Georgia Avenue about 11 p.m. when she was struck by a Toyota Camry driven by a 19-year-old Rockville man. The driver was not injured in the collision.
A county police spokeswoman said Friday that detectives investigating the case have been conferring with the state’s attorney about possible charges. Ramon Korionoff, a spokesman for the state’s attorney’s office in Montgomery County, said no charges have been filed and the office is screening the case.
Advocates say the incident raises questions about street design through the corridor.
“What’s at fault here is the design of the road and that it’s not safe for anybody who isn’t in the car,” Gray said. “That’s what we need to change.”
State Highway Administration spokeswoman Shanteé Felix said the agency is awaiting completion of the investigation into the April collision to determine whether road changes are needed.
“We are saddened about the fatal crash,” Felix said. She said the SHA “will work with law enforcement to understand what happened and what can be done on our end to make our roadways safer.”
A county police spokeswoman said Friday that detectives investigating the case have been conferring with the state’s attorney about possible charges. Ramon Korionoff, a spokesman for the state’s attorney’s office in Montgomery County, said no charges have been filed and the office is screening the case.
Advocates say the incident raises questions about street design through the corridor.
“What’s at fault here is the design of the road and that it’s not safe for anybody who isn’t in the car,” Gray said. “That’s what we need to change.”
State Highway Administration spokeswoman Shanteé Felix said the agency is awaiting completion of the investigation into the April collision to determine whether road changes are needed.
“We are saddened about the fatal crash,” Felix said. She said the SHA “will work with law enforcement to understand what happened and what can be done on our end to make our roadways safer.”
Bowser pledges $10 million for road safety after recent traffic deaths
Traffic fatalities are up in the Washington region and across the country, which safety advocates and transportation officials say is a disturbing trend given that people cut back on driving for much of the pandemic. They say even more troubling is that many cases involve pedestrians and bicyclists. In the Washington region, more than one-third of traffic fatalities last year involved pedestrians or bicyclists.
Traffic fatalities are up in the Washington region and across the country, which safety advocates and transportation officials say is a disturbing trend given that people cut back on driving for much of the pandemic. They say even more troubling is that many cases involve pedestrians and bicyclists. In the Washington region, more than one-third of traffic fatalities last year involved pedestrians or bicyclists.
In Maryland, traffic deaths increased 6.4 percent last year compared with 2019, even though traffic volumes were down by as much as 50 percent for several months. Crashes in Maryland claimed 569 lives last year, including 134 pedestrians and 14 bicyclists.
Montgomery County last year logged 43 traffic deaths — seven more than in 2019, including one bicyclist and 17 pedestrians, according to preliminary records. As of Thursday, 12 people had been killed in traffic crashes investigated by county police, including three pedestrians.
Can tailored messages to bad drivers prevent crashes? D.C. is about to find out.
At the busy intersection on Sunday, county officials joined residents in raising signs saying “This intersection is dangerous.” This was the third memorial that advocates have organized in the county this year and the sixth along Georgia Avenue in less than two years.
Del. Charlotte Crutchfield (D-Montgomery) drew attention at the memorial to the changes state highway officials have made in recent years, but said improvements are possible. Evan Glass (D-At Large), a Montgomery County Council member who earlier this year hosted a summit on traffic fatalities, lamented the upward trend in fatal crashes and the deaths of the Grossmanns a few years apart.
“We have to commit ourselves to making sure this doesn’t happen again,” he said.
Claire Grossmann had finished working a shift at CVS and was crossing to get to her home when she was struck. On Oct. 24, 2016, her husband, Robert Grossmann, 64, was struck while trying to cross Georgia Avenue at Regina Drive before 7 a.m. to catch a bus to go to synagogue.
Montgomery County last year logged 43 traffic deaths — seven more than in 2019, including one bicyclist and 17 pedestrians, according to preliminary records. As of Thursday, 12 people had been killed in traffic crashes investigated by county police, including three pedestrians.
Can tailored messages to bad drivers prevent crashes? D.C. is about to find out.
At the busy intersection on Sunday, county officials joined residents in raising signs saying “This intersection is dangerous.” This was the third memorial that advocates have organized in the county this year and the sixth along Georgia Avenue in less than two years.
Del. Charlotte Crutchfield (D-Montgomery) drew attention at the memorial to the changes state highway officials have made in recent years, but said improvements are possible. Evan Glass (D-At Large), a Montgomery County Council member who earlier this year hosted a summit on traffic fatalities, lamented the upward trend in fatal crashes and the deaths of the Grossmanns a few years apart.
“We have to commit ourselves to making sure this doesn’t happen again,” he said.
Claire Grossmann had finished working a shift at CVS and was crossing to get to her home when she was struck. On Oct. 24, 2016, her husband, Robert Grossmann, 64, was struck while trying to cross Georgia Avenue at Regina Drive before 7 a.m. to catch a bus to go to synagogue.
A wide road with residential neighborhoods on each side, the stretch of Georgia Avenue has one of the busiest bus routes in the state. On Sunday, bus passengers waited at stops along the route, some located at intersections with no crosswalks. Meanwhile, cyclists and pedestrians shared the narrow sidewalk.
Kristy Daphnis, a Wheaton resident, said her friend, Etsegenet Hurissa, was killed in 2011 after she got off a bus. She was crossing Georgia Avenue one block from where Claire Grossmann was killed. Like Grossmann, she said, Hurissa was returning home.
“If you are a pedestrian, they say that you darted out in front of a car, it’s your fault,” she said. “Now, the reality is when a car is going 55 miles an hour, what’s your definition of darting out in front of a car?”
Kristy Daphnis, a Wheaton resident, said her friend, Etsegenet Hurissa, was killed in 2011 after she got off a bus. She was crossing Georgia Avenue one block from where Claire Grossmann was killed. Like Grossmann, she said, Hurissa was returning home.
“If you are a pedestrian, they say that you darted out in front of a car, it’s your fault,” she said. “Now, the reality is when a car is going 55 miles an hour, what’s your definition of darting out in front of a car?”
![[cheers]](http://storage.proboards.com/7182076/images/engyBVslEdpmpmdnBwZQ.gif)
