A Path to Pedestrian Safety on Norwood Road

Are you tired of dodging cars and trucks as you walk or bike to school? You may be in luck. Earlier this spring, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) held a community meeting at Blake High School to discuss constructing a new shared-use path along Norwood Road. If the construction proceeds as planned, Blake students will no longer be forced to walk and bike in the grass or the road, avoiding vehicles as they zoom past.

The path will run along Norwood Road, between New Hampshire Avenue, and connect to the existing sidewalk leading to Norbeck Road. MCDOT planners presented a plan for the project, while community members provided input and voiced their concerns.

Several people raised concerns about the shared-use path cutting through property, impacting utilities, or requiring the road to be widened. The planners assured the meeting attendees that the impact on property was minimal, and they had already considered these factors in their plan.  Overall, the reaction was generally in favor of the proposed path, and many agreed that the safety of pedestrians and cyclists was a top priority.

As a student who frequently walks or bikes to school, Blake sophomore Luke Sodani says the path is “certainly necessary and should have been created years ago.” Sodani says he and other students like him are thankful for the proposed path, as it will “greatly increase [their] ease of going to school.”

Needless to say, the path will be a major win for pedestrians and cyclists in the community. Safer and more convenient, the MCDOT’s plan marks a path forward to a better future at Blake High School.