Specific Locations

Yesterday Opie and I went for a walk on Piney Branch Rd between Sligo Avenue and Sligo Creek Parkway. I took these photos along the way.

This stretch of sidewalk is in very bad condition. The walk is a patchwork of dips, jags, broken and blocked infrastructure. Poorly-marked, inconvenient, and dangerous in places. Un-kept vegetation blocks the way in serval places, and covers extreme drops in others. Fallen rail fences drop into 40-foot pits with water at the bottom. It is easy to see that utilities have preference over pedestrians here.








There is so much to see on this stretch. I took many photos, and they really need to be seen in order to be effective. Better to visit the site yourself. It is unbelievably BAD. I will be happy to visit the site with anyone and show you what I mean.It is embarrassing, really.

On Friday I spoke with someone from MDSHA for the first time on this issue. Linda Singer called from their ADA Office. She was very pleasant and interested. We talked for awhile, and she asked the question that MDSHA people always ask - " Where is the specific location?" I appreciate that question, until it continues to be asked despite the answer. The answer on Friday was that my complaint was based on a procedure - or rather, a lack of procedure to deal with accessibility issues and utility poles in ROWs across the state. Further, that MDSHA is discriminating against people who are not able to operate a motor vehicle by not providing for them in State ROWs. In fact, MDSHA is neglecting pedestrians in ROWS in other ways, too.

So, today the answer is little different. These photos show specific examples of what I am complaining about. I could walk all day on State ROW and take photos the whole way. Unfortunately, you can't get too specific about this. It's EVERYWHERE.