Making the Route 1 Corridor More Walkable and Safer for Pedestrians, Bicyclists

With all the new growth and development on the corridor, Route 1 has become much more walkable in recent years, but more could be done, especially to make streets safer for pedestrians and bicyclists.

A recent analysis from AAA Mid-Atlantic found that Prince George’s County is the most dangerous place to walk in Maryland.

Almost four in 10 pedestrian deaths in the greater Washington area were in Prince George’s County in 2020, according to the report.

Since 2015, the county has had the highest number of traffic fatalities every year, according to data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System.

Some of the most dangerous stretches of roadway are along the Route 1 corridor, according to county data.

The two worst spots may be fixed soon by street work being done for the Purple Line: University Boulevard, west of Adelphi Road, and Kenilworth Avenue and River Road, just east of the Discovery District.

Two other hotspots: East West Highway, near the University Town Center and near Riggs Road, west of the Mall at Prince George’s.

One common problem: Wide roadways with empty sidewalks, which subtly encourage drivers to go fast.

Adding protected bike lanes, dedicated bus lanes, wider tree-lined sidewalks, landscaping strips and even on-street parking will make the roadway narrower and make pedestrians feel safer, slowing traffic and reducing fatalities.

Combine this with other upgrades like light-rail transit, high-speed bus lanes, easily accessible bike rentals and more street-level retail and there will be fewer reasons for people to drive.

As part of the county’s Vision Zero initiative, which was implemented in 2019 and aims to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2040 in the county, an interactive map was created showing data from 2015-2019 of where people have been seriously injured or killed while walking, biking or driving on roads in Prince George’s County.

Like many places in the U.S., roadways like Route 1 were designed for cars, not people, but that doesn’t mean they have to stay that way.

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This entry was posted in Bladensburg, Brentwood, College Park, Edmonston, Greenbelt, Hyattsville, Mount Rainier, Riverdale Park, University Park, Woodridge and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

2 responses to “Making the Route 1 Corridor More Walkable and Safer for Pedestrians, Bicyclists”

  1. Andrew says:

    The work underway to re-pave Queens Chapel road near the intersection with Hamilton Street is, in some ways, two steps forward and one step back.

    I appreciate that a new sidewalk is being installed on the northbound side of the road, between the NW Branch trail and Hamilton, but it’s unfortunate that the sidewalk is very narrow and it is right up agains the road with zero buffer.

    This stretch of Queens Chapel is a prime example of a road designed for fast driving, it doesn’t matter what the posted speed limits are. Drivers will naturally go as fast as the road allows them to. You look at Queens Chapel, a wide six-lane road, and you can easily go 50 on it without a second thought.

    If we want people to walk and bike more, we need to put more thought into projects to make sure we are actually designing them in a way to encourage walking and biking.

    The example above is an illustration of what it looks like when this is treated as an afterthought to check some box to say it’s “Vision Zero compatible” or something or other. When you see a six-lane road with a narrow sidewalk and no shoulder protecting the sidewalk, it’s clear that pedestrians are an after thought.

    It’s unfortunate that an opportunity to truly make a positive change in this situation will go ignored. I wish local governments took these issues to heart rather than continuing to design projects without all users in mind, while saying otherwise.

  2. Andrew says:

    If we want people to walk and bike more, we need to put more thought into projects to make sure we are actually designing and building infrastructure in a way that encourages walking and biking. Often times, projects seemingly are just checking a box rather than actually designing for usability.

    Here’s an example.

    The streetscape improvements underway along Queens Chapel road near the intersection with Hamilton Street are, in many ways, two steps forward and one step back.

    I appreciate that a new sidewalk is being installed on the northbound side of the road, between the NW Branch trail and Hamilton St, but it’s unfortunate that the sidewalk is very narrow and it is right up against the road with zero buffer.

    This stretch of Queens Chapel is a prime example of a road designed for fast driving. It doesn’t matter what the posted speed limits are; drivers will naturally go as fast as the road allows them to. You look at Queens Chapel, a wide road (six lanes in some spots!), and you can easily go 50 on it without a second thought. It’s fair to say this isn’t inviting for pedestrians.

    This is an illustration of what it looks like when pedestrians (and bikers) are treated as an afterthought to check some box to say a project “Vision Zero compatible” or something or other.

    It’s unfortunate that an opportunity to truly make a positive change in this situation will go ignored. I wish local governments took these issues to heart rather than continuing to design projects without all users in mind, while saying otherwise.

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