The below letter has been delivered to the Maryland State Highway administration. We are requesting that all of our member Homeowners/Condominium/Citizens/Civic Associations read and endorse this letter. We would also request that all Presidents of our members associations send a similar message/letter to Maryland SHA. As everyone who attends our meetings is very well aware – the Route 97 (Georgia Avenue) and Route 28 (Norbeck Road) intersection was severely congested – it’s now become dangerous. As GOCA President, I have endorsed this letter only after very careful deliberation. Here is the letter sent December 20, 2011:
Mr. Cedric Ward, P.E.
Ass’t. District Engineer, District 3
State Highway Administration
Following up on our meetings, and voluminous correspondence with you and others at the SHA concerning the NB-L turn lanes at Norbeck and Georgia (MD 28/97), please be advised that we will make available to any one suffering an accident at this intersection due to the NB – L turn situation, or misplaced turn signs (SB and NB), the entire chain of our correspondence and transcripts of all meetings we have had with SHA representatives and elected officials re the 97/28 turn situation. This is because we have observed and personally experienced motorists obviously frustrated by the NB-L turn long delays and backups who go out of the one left turn lane remaining and utilize the next (right) interior NB lane to turn. Since we have repeatedly advised you of the perilous situation prevailing at that intersection, we believe that this situation and the state’s failure to remedy this traffic situation “suffers and permits” a dangerous condition and is negligence in the extreme. The information we can and will provide could be useful to plaintiffs in such litigation brought against the state and/or others to reimburse for damages suffered thereby. To ensure that motorists are advised of our position we will erect a sign on private property nearby notifying motorists of our position, will distribute flyers to motorists and pedestrians at that intersection, and will advise the membership of all of the GOCA organizations (representing approximately 30,000 households) by email chains, that this info will be made available to them in the event they are involved in accidents at that intersection.
Our members who are attorneys strongly advise that this message be brought to the attention of the State Attorney General so that he may best advise you of the State’s potential exposure to liability for damages as a result of this continued negligence.
Frankly we are initiating this action to prevent more accidents, and ensure that persons who suffer losses or injury as a result of the dangerous situation created at this intersection know of the fact that they may seek recourse against the state. We have tolerated this dangerous situation long enough and believe that courts and juries will not look kindly on a defendant litigant that refuses to remedy a dangerous situation when repeatedly advised, in detail, concerning same.
If you need further information as to our position, or wish to discuss this further with us, please let me know and we would be pleased to discuss this with the SHA and/or the Attorney General’s office.
Arnold Gordon
President, Norbeck Meadows Civic Association
Matt Zaborsky,
President, Greater Olney Civic Association
Paul Jarosinski
President, Cherrywood Homeowners Association
This was posted in May of this year:
Montgomery County Councilmembers Nancy Navarro, Craig Rice, Marc Elrich, Roger Berliner, and Hans Riemer have requested Maryland SHA to restore the 2nd left turn lane from Maryland 97 North (Georgia Avenue) onto Maryland 28 West (Norbeck Road). Here is their letter:
LETTER TO PEDERSEN
Letter to SHA – Georgia and Norbeck ICC interchange left turn lane
We thank them for their support and will await a favorable reply from Maryland SHA!
Our May 18th Rally was held in response to the numerous complaints from Olney residents regarding the intersection of Georgia Avenue (Route 97) and Norbeck Road (Route 28). As everyone is aware who commutes along this route, the intersection has been altered by Maryland State Highway Administration. We’ve asked the SHA to restore an additional left turn lane onto Norbeck Road going west, as it was prior to the opening of the ICC, per this link: TrafficAlertforI-370andMD97MD28 – - - Note the lane configuration shown by Maryland SHA on page 2. Here is a video taken the time of our rally:
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=204_1305769232