Brookeville bypass wasn't needed

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in the area and I disagree entirely with you OP. It is needed. It is a safety issue for residents.

The road in Brookeville is narrow, and people use it as a thru-way, attempting to go 50 MPH. If you do not live there, your opinion matters little. It's a historic town and we should take the proper steps to ensure the safety of the town and its residents.

GA avenue or Market/Brighton Dam? Nothing will change for Market/Brighton Dam but I agree with you about speeding cars on that stretch of the road.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:There are no businesses there to kill, that rely on drive thru traffic. It's like you all never drive through there. I do, and the bypass will really help safety in the little town, and help avoid the flooding of the stream that always occurs when there is a downpour there and prevent more water rescues.

It is not old growth forest, as most of the land was farmed at one time, and the trees can be replanted.

I just feel the traffic levels didn't warrant a bypass. Again, that money could have been better spent elsewhere on MOCO roads like over in Poolesville.

I’m the no fan poster from above. I fully admit that I don’t possess a deep knowledge and understanding of traffic and traffic patterns. But I can’t help to feel that The amount of trees and destruction of forest land that occurred for a road is unwarranted. Not only is it a big long wide pit, but construction has lasted a very long time. Currently it is a two lane road (One southbound, one northbound) and what they’re constructing looks much wider than that. It will simply create a bottleneck for up the road if that is the case. They have sound barrier walls up and there are still still a lot of work that needs to be done. I can’t help to think that this has been a pet project that has been pushed through and helped along because one of the ex- delegates lives on that street and I can’t help but feel that she just didn’t want traffic in her front lawn.

They've been talking about this project for over 20 years.

http://greaterolneynews.com/olney_life/last-brookeville-bypass-expected-open-fall-2021/

Groundbreaking was in September 2018, construction is supposed to be complete by this summer (i.e., summer 2021), how fast do you think road construction happens?

Three years for about a mile seems excessively long.

Compared to what?

We had contractors build a 3/4 mile paved two-lane road on our farm and it took about 3 weeks.

A state highway is not comparable to a driveway on your farm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in the area and I disagree entirely with you OP. It is needed. It is a safety issue for residents.

The road in Brookeville is narrow, and people use it as a thru-way, attempting to go 50 MPH. If you do not live there, your opinion matters little. It's a historic town and we should take the proper steps to ensure the safety of the town and its residents.

Aside from the $50 million in public revenuey being spent on it, of course.

But I agree that OP's opinion seems quite uninformed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in the area and I disagree entirely with you OP. It is needed. It is a safety issue for residents.

The road in Brookeville is narrow, and people use it as a thru-way, attempting to go 50 MPH. If you do not live there, your opinion matters little. It's a historic town and we should take the proper steps to ensure the safety of the town and its residents.

GA avenue or Market/Brighton Dam? Nothing will change for Market/Brighton Dam but I agree with you about speeding cars on that stretch of the road.

Well they use both as thru ways, but Georgia avenue is narrow, and because the town is historic, it cannot be widened. People own right up to the road, and in some instances part of the road.

Similar to 108 through the town of Laytonsville (actual town limits). It will never be widened. Speed limit is 30, it's next to a school, people walk every day, school buses stop to let kids off...and yet, county residents (and large trucks) think they can go 50+ through a tiny town. This is why bypasses are needed. I recognize the need for commuters to get to their locations, but their time does not negate the safety of the people who call these historic towns home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are no businesses there to kill, that rely on drive thru traffic. It's like you all never drive through there. I do, and the bypass will really help safety in the little town, and help avoid the flooding of the stream that always occurs when there is a downpour there and prevent more water rescues.

It is not old growth forest, as most of the land was farmed at one time, and the trees can be replanted.

I just feel the traffic levels didn't warrant a bypass. Again, that money could have been better spent elsewhere on MOCO roads like over in Poolesville.

I’m the no fan poster from above. I fully admit that I don’t possess a deep knowledge and understanding of traffic and traffic patterns. But I can’t help to feel that The amount of trees and destruction of forest land that occurred for a road is unwarranted. Not only is it a big long wide pit, but construction has lasted a very long time. Currently it is a two lane road (One southbound, one northbound) and what they’re constructing looks much wider than that. It will simply create a bottleneck for up the road if that is the case. They have sound barrier walls up and there are still still a lot of work that needs to be done. I can’t help to think that this has been a pet project that has been pushed through and helped along because one of the ex- delegates lives on that street and I can’t help but feel that she just didn’t want traffic in her front lawn.

They've been talking about this project for over 20 years.

http://greaterolneynews.com/olney_life/last-brookeville-bypass-expected-open-fall-2021/

Groundbreaking was in September 2018, construction is supposed to be complete by this summer (i.e., summer 2021), how fast do you think road construction happens?

Three years for about a mile seems excessively long.

Compared to what?

We had contractors build a 3/4 mile paved two-lane road on our farm and it took about 3 weeks.

A state highway is not comparable to a driveway on your farm.

So the ICC is not comparable and a farm road is not comparable. What is?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in the area and I disagree entirely with you OP. It is needed. It is a safety issue for residents.

The road in Brookeville is narrow, and people use it as a thru-way, attempting to go 50 MPH. If you do not live there, your opinion matters little. It's a historic town and we should take the proper steps to ensure the safety of the town and its residents.

GA avenue or Market/Brighton Dam? Nothing will change for Market/Brighton Dam but I agree with you about speeding cars on that stretch of the road.

Well they use both as thru ways, but Georgia avenue is narrow, and because the town is historic, it cannot be widened. People own right up to the road, and in some instances part of the road.

Similar to 108 through the town of Laytonsville (actual town limits). It will never be widened. Speed limit is 30, it's next to a school, people walk every day, school buses stop to let kids off...and yet, county residents (and large trucks) think they can go 50+ through a tiny town. This is why bypasses are needed. I recognize the need for commuters to get to their locations, but their time does not negate the safety of the people who call these historic towns home.

I am supportive of the bypass, and if OP actually drove this part of road they would know that the bypass is well under construction already and they are going at a good pace.

I'll be happy not to worry about rounding that sharp turn too quickly, or taking my chances with flooding. Know the people who live in historic Brookeville will breathe a sigh of relief after all the commuters stop speeding through.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

So the ICC is not comparable and a farm road is not comparable. What is?

A road project that is smaller than a major divided highway and bigger than someone's private driveway...

For example, the groundbreaking for the Georgia/Randolph grade-separated interchange in Glenmont was in June 2014. The first part of the interchange opened in February 2018, and it was completed by the summer of 2019.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

So the ICC is not comparable and a farm road is not comparable. What is?

A road project that is smaller than a major divided highway and bigger than someone's private driveway...

For example, the groundbreaking for the Georgia/Randolph grade-separated interchange in Glenmont was in June 2014. The first part of the interchange opened in February 2018, and it was completed by the summer of 2019.

Or you could compare it to the roadwork on Snouffer School Road in Gaithersburg. Construction started in 2016, and they're still not done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Well they use both as thru ways, but Georgia avenue is narrow, and because the town is historic, it cannot be widened. People own right up to the road, and in some instances part of the road.

Similar to 108 through the town of Laytonsville (actual town limits). It will never be widened. Speed limit is 30, it's next to a school, people walk every day, school buses stop to let kids off...and yet, county residents (and large trucks) think they can go 50+ through a tiny town. This is why bypasses are needed. I recognize the need for commuters to get to their locations, but their time does not negate the safety of the people who call these historic towns home.

Or speed cameras, which is the solution the Town of Barnesville used. Much more cost-effective and much less environmentally destructive than a bypass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Well they use both as thru ways, but Georgia avenue is narrow, and because the town is historic, it cannot be widened. People own right up to the road, and in some instances part of the road.

Similar to 108 through the town of Laytonsville (actual town limits). It will never be widened. Speed limit is 30, it's next to a school, people walk every day, school buses stop to let kids off...and yet, county residents (and large trucks) think they can go 50+ through a tiny town. This is why bypasses are needed. I recognize the need for commuters to get to their locations, but their time does not negate the safety of the people who call these historic towns home.

Or speed cameras, which is the solution the Town of Barnesville used. Much more cost-effective and much less environmentally destructive than a bypass.

Both towns have speed cameras. They are rotated throughout the area, and not up constantly. They work for a short time, but are not a long term solution. Not to mention the upkeep for the roads which were never meant to handle the current traffic load.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Well they use both as thru ways, but Georgia avenue is narrow, and because the town is historic, it cannot be widened. People own right up to the road, and in some instances part of the road.

Similar to 108 through the town of Laytonsville (actual town limits). It will never be widened. Speed limit is 30, it's next to a school, people walk every day, school buses stop to let kids off...and yet, county residents (and large trucks) think they can go 50+ through a tiny town. This is why bypasses are needed. I recognize the need for commuters to get to their locations, but their time does not negate the safety of the people who call these historic towns home.

Or speed cameras, which is the solution the Town of Barnesville used. Much more cost-effective and much less environmentally destructive than a bypass.

Both towns have speed cameras. They are rotated throughout the area, and not up constantly. They work for a short time, but are not a long term solution. Not to mention the upkeep for the roads which were never meant to handle the current traffic load.

The Town of Barnesville has its own permanent speed cameras.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Well they use both as thru ways, but Georgia avenue is narrow, and because the town is historic, it cannot be widened. People own right up to the road, and in some instances part of the road.

Similar to 108 through the town of Laytonsville (actual town limits). It will never be widened. Speed limit is 30, it's next to a school, people walk every day, school buses stop to let kids off...and yet, county residents (and large trucks) think they can go 50+ through a tiny town. This is why bypasses are needed. I recognize the need for commuters to get to their locations, but their time does not negate the safety of the people who call these historic towns home.

Or speed cameras, which is the solution the Town of Barnesville used. Much more cost-effective and much less environmentally destructive than a bypass.

Or speed bumps or turning circles. Both have been used successfully in other parts of the state to effectively cut down speeding in those areas.

The problem with all of these alternative ideas is that they would effectively hamper those people that need to use this area for commuting for various reasons. The current solution is effective because it decreases traffic through the residential area and gives the residents back their neighborhood security while also preserving the history nature of area. It also provides a commuting alternative for those who do need to commute through the area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

So the ICC is not comparable and a farm road is not comparable. What is?

A road project that is smaller than a major divided highway and bigger than someone's private driveway...

For example, the groundbreaking for the Georgia/Randolph grade-separated interchange in Glenmont was in June 2014. The first part of the interchange opened in February 2018, and it was completed by the summer of 2019.

Or you could compare it to the roadwork on Snouffer School Road in Gaithersburg. Construction started in 2016, and they're still not done.

Well, thanks for managing my expectations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Well they use both as thru ways, but Georgia avenue is narrow, and because the town is historic, it cannot be widened. People own right up to the road, and in some instances part of the road.

Similar to 108 through the town of Laytonsville (actual town limits). It will never be widened. Speed limit is 30, it's next to a school, people walk every day, school buses stop to let kids off...and yet, county residents (and large trucks) think they can go 50+ through a tiny town. This is why bypasses are needed. I recognize the need for commuters to get to their locations, but their time does not negate the safety of the people who call these historic towns home.

Or speed cameras, which is the solution the Town of Barnesville used. Much more cost-effective and much less environmentally destructive than a bypass.

Or speed bumps or turning circles. Both have been used successfully in other parts of the state to effectively cut down speeding in those areas.

The problem with all of these alternative ideas is that they would effectively hamper those people that need to use this area for commuting for various reasons. The current solution is effective because it decreases traffic through the residential area and gives the residents back their neighborhood security while also preserving the history nature of area. It also provides a commuting alternative for those who do need to commute through the area.

That's ok. We don't need to spend $50 million just so that people driving through an area, for whatever reason, don't encounter a delay. As far as I know, for the bypass, people still aren't supposed to drive faster than 30 mph. The bypass will be great for the people who live in Brookeville, and there are certainly many worse road projects, but at some point, we need to stop spending our scarce public dollars on new and bigger roads. I'd rather see the money going towards maintaining the roads we already have and also towards infrastructure that will allow people to walk, bike, roll, or take transit, instead of driving everywhere.

[Anonymous]

If we have money to drop on a bypass, where is the funding for other road related projects in the county and why aren't they being put into place ASAP?

Why not put funding down right now for some paving and streetscape projects that are desperately needed in Rockville, Bethesda and clarksburg