‘Walk and Roll to School Day’ on Wednesday, Oct. 4, Will Include Special Event at Brooke Grove Elementary School in Olney

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation Safe Routes to School program, which encourages students who have a safe path and live near their elementary school to walk to school, will join in the national recognition of “Walk and Roll to School Day” on Wednesday, Oct. 4. Most County elementary schools will participate, with a special event starting at 8:15 a.m. that day at Brooke Grove Elementary School in Olney.

Brooke Grove Elementary School is located at 2700 Spartan Road in Olney.

The event in Olney will begin with a short group walk with students from two different locations at 8:15 a.m.:

• Prince Philip Drive and Spartan Drive
• Old Baltimore Road and Fort William Drive

The walking groups, led by MCDOT’s Zeal the Safety Zebra and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue’s Sparky the Fire and Rescue Dog, will meet at the front of Brooke Grove Elementary School. The event will commence with fanfare including music, balloons, giveaways, police officers, firefighters and firetrucks. Students will be singing and carrying signs.

Expected to participate are Montgomery County Councilmemberss Gabe Albornoz and Dawn Luedtke, County Vision Zero Coordinator Wade Holland, firefighters from the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service, officers from the Montgomery County Police and officers from the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission Park Police.

Walk and Roll to School Day is an international event that involves communities from more than 40 countries walking and biking to school on the same day. It began in 1997 as a one-day event. Over time, it has become part of a movement for year-round, safe routes to school and a celebration each October. This year, thousands of schools from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico will participate.

County’s First Adaptive Kayaking Pier to be Dedicated on Sunday, May 1, at Riley’s Lock in Poolesville

Montgomery County’s first adaptive kayaking pier will be dedicated at Riley’s Lock in Poolesville with a celebration from 12:30-5 p m. on Sunday, May 1, that will include music, food and free adaptive kayaking lessons. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held from 12:30-2 p.m. to dedicate the accessible pier for individuals with disabilities and the overall achievement for the disability community. 

Riley’s Lock is also known as Lock 24 on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, which is part of the 184.5 miles long that follows the Potomac River. It was one of 74 locks on the canal and was named after the family that operated the lock. Riley's Lock today is part of Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. The site is the only place on the canal that has a lift lock connected to an aqueduct.

Riley’s Lock is located at towpath mile-marker 22.7 and is adjacent to Seneca Creek,

The celebration of the adaptive kayaking pier will include the period from 2-5 p.m. that Team River Runner operates weekly. Team River Runner is a kayaking organization that welcomes veterans with any disability, family members of those veterans and anyone else looking to help support veterans. Free adaptive kayaking equipment and lessons will be available to the disability community on this special occasion. Advance registration is required to participate. Click here to register. 

Experienced kayakers have an opportunity to compete in the 2022 Seneca Showdown  race on from 9 a.m.-noon on May 1. From the event’s proceeds, 50 percent will go to Team River Runner. Click here to register for the Seneca Showdown Race.

More information about the events can be obtained by emailing Angela Fox at accessibilityishome@gmail.com.

Input Sought for County Study to Improve Transportation Navigation and Safety for People with Vision Loss and Disabilities

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) is conducting a public survey to get input from those who have vision disabilities or are advocates, caregivers or related professionals supporting people who move around the County with reduced vision. Anyone who experiences challenges navigating the built network or works with people with vision or mobility impairments is encouraged to complete a survey that MCDOT has made available through the end of January.

MCDOT held a virtual public meeting on Jan. 11 to seek thoughts and suggestions on improving mobility for residents with vision disabilities. The survey seeks input from those who were not able to participate in the virtual meeting.

The survey, in English, can be found at https://tinyurl.com/yxshmbvn. It will be available through Sunday, Jan. 31. The survey is also available in Spanish.

Improving Wayfinding and Safety for People

with Vision Disabilities--Project Survey

The Jan. 11 meeting was held to hear about challenges people with vision disabilities (including all levels of vision loss) face when trying to get around the County and accessing regional transit options. Approximately 60 people—many with vision disabilities—participated in the meeting and provided testimony about their challenges getting around the County.

MCDOT is working to create new approaches to designing sidewalks, bus stops and intersections to improve accessibility for all.

This project is funded through the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ Transportation Land Use Connections (TLC) program, which selected Toole Design Group as the lead consultant for the effort. A major goal of the project is to develop solutions that are appropriate for implementation in Montgomery County and across the region.

Before completing the survey, residents are encouraged to review the project webpage and to access a recording of the Jan. 11 meeting. The recording of the meeting will be available soon on the project webpage.

Written comments about the project can be submitted to Montgomery County Department of Transportation /Matt Johnson /100 Edison Park Drive, 4th Floor / Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878.

Comments also can be emailed to matt.johnson@montgomerycountymd.gov. In addition, he can be reached at 240-777-7237.

Recreation Departments to Celebrate Americans with Disabilities Act 25th Anniversary

Montgomery County Recreation, Montgomery Parks, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, and the cities of Rockville and Takoma Park invite the public to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) at a free event on Sunday, Nov. 8, from 1 to 3:30 p.m., at the Mid-County Community Recreation Center, 2004 Queensguard Rd., Silver Spring. The event will feature dancing, face painting, crafts, a nature presentation and a special performance by former Harlem Globetrotter Spencer “Spinny” Johnson.

One of the most comprehensive civil rights laws, the ADA promotes fairness, opportunity and complete participation in all aspects of American life for individuals with disabilities. It secures each person's right to independence and enables our society and our economy to benefit from the talents and contributions of all Americans by minimizing obstacles to employment, transportation, public services, telecommunications and public accommodations.

All municipalities in Montgomery County have a long standing commitment to the goals of the ADA. In 1977, 13 years before the ADA was signed, Montgomery County expanded its Human Rights law to include protection against discrimination based on disability. Montgomery County Recreation’s Therapeutic Recreation Team provides accessible leisure, educational and personal development activities for individuals with disabilities through inclusion and adaptive programs. Through activities that include arts, crafts, games, team sports and special events, therapeutic recreation programs help individuals to gain confidence, have fun and make an impact on their lives.

Bus Stop Improvement Program Enhances Safety, Accessibility at Nearly 3,000 Stops

An eight-year bus stop improvement program has enhanced Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility and pedestrian safety at 2,879 bus stops.

A survey of the County’s 5,400 stops identified 3,400 that needed some type of improvement.

Bus stop improvements have included construction of:

• 1,246 ramps at 813 intersections; 
• 79,240 square feet of sidewalk leading to bus stops; 
• 161,647 square feet of five-by-eight-foot concrete pads at 2,400 bus stops; and 
• 408 “knee walls” at sloped sites to prevent wheelchairs from rolling onto dangerous terrain and to provide seating for waiting passengers. 

In addition to ensuring ADA compliance, bus stop upgrades also reduce the distance to crosswalks, provide pedestrian refuge islands, establish connections to existing sidewalks, address slope issues and improve drainage.

The Department of Transportation (MCDOT) continues efforts to improve the remaining 500 bus stops. Upgrading these stops is more complex, because many are on roads not originally built to accommodate pedestrians. MCDOT is also improving about 600 Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) stops and 900 stops shared between Metro and Ride On in Montgomery County.

Get more information from the news release.

Public Invited to Comment on Plan to Improve Accessibility at Recreational Facilities and Parks

Residents and community groups are invited to attend a public meeting to help develop a multi-year plan to improve accessibility for people with disabilities at recreational and park facilities throughout the County.

Hosted by the County’s Commission on People with Disabilities and the County-Wide Recreation Advisory Board, the meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 12, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., in the Executive Office Building, Lobby Level Auditorium, 101 Monroe St., Rockville.

More details about the public meeting are available on the website which will be updated regularly with information on the multi-year plan.

American Sign Language interpreter services will be provided. The meeting room is equipped with an assistive listening system. Anyone needing other auxiliary aids and services to participate in this event should contact the County’s ADA Compliance Office at least three business days in advance of the meeting. Call 240-777-6197, or TTY 240-777-6196 or email adacompliance@montgomerycountymd.gov.

For more information about the public meeting or about ADA compliance issues, contact Nancy Greene in the Department of General Services at nancy.greene@montgomerycountymd.gov, or 240-777-6197; or Bob Green, ADA Compliance Project Manager for M-NCPPC Montgomery Parks at bob.green@montgomeryparks.org, or 301-495-2571.

• Visit County calendar to sign up the event.