North Wheaton Traffic Survey:

Summary of Results
In the summer of 2015, the North Wheaton area embarked on a community visioning process managed by Montgomery
Housing Partnership. The goals of this process were to: identify common opportunities that could bring various segments
of the community together, to engage residents in a well-facilitated dialogue to build trust between various parts of the
community, neighborhood groups and partners, and to develop concrete plans to align the work of individual residents,
neighborhood groups, non-profit partners, and County departments. The first issue selected for further action by
residents was the need to develop and implement a community traffic plan.
The traffic survey was developed by a group of residents in association with Montgomery Housing Partnership with the
hopes to gather information regarding the communitys needs around mobility in the neighborhood. As of March 1, 2016,
we have received 526 responses, both online and via mail. Of these, about 10% were answered in Spanish. The survey
was representative of the geography of the area: all neighborhoods and streets were represented. Of those who
responded to the survey, the average years lived in the
neighborhood is 19.
250

The analysis of the results is as follows:

200
Parking

150

Even though the majority of residents did not think that

parking was disruptive of their day-to-day activities, many
expressed frustration with finding parking, particularly in
areas where people put out cones or trash cans to
reserve parking spaces.

100
50
0
Extremely Frequently Not usually

Never

Figure 1. Is finding parking difficult on your block?

Already Don't
have one have
one,
59%
41%

Figure 2. Would you like a driveway?

No
29%
Yes
27%

If I had
financial
assistance
44%

The number of cars on the street is the largest

challenge to finding parking. Of those who answered
the survey, 41% of them did not have a driveway
and rely solely on street parking. Out of those who
did not have a driveway, 70% expressed interest in
installing one, particularly if they had financial
assistance. Only 2% of those who have driveways did
not use them, indicating that the existence of
driveways reduces the number of cars parked on the
street.

The issue of parking seems to be predominantly focused on select sub-areas of the neighborhood. Streets repeatedly
mentioned as difficult ones to find parking in are: Centerhill St., Valleywood Dr., Andrew St., Bluhill Rd., Claridge Rd.,
Lindell St., Henderson Ave., Judson Rd., Mason St., Medway St., Grandview Ave., Munson St., Berry St., Blueridge Ave.,
Dalewood Dr., Edwin St., Floral St., Hardy Ave., and Milton St. These streets are predominantly in the Connecticut Avenue
Estates neighborhood (see map).

Other concerns regarding parking have to do

the ways in which cars were parked: some are
parked in driveways blocking the sidewalk; some
block visibility because they are too close to
corners and some are parked on medians and
lawns.

with

Unsafe Driving Behaviors and Traffic

During the survey, respondents were asked if
had witnessed unsafe driving behaviors in the
neighborhood. We provided three options
(speeding, not stopping for pedestrians and
ignoring stop signs) and allowed for respondents

they

to

add other behaviors that they considered to be

Figure 3. Map of Parking Difficulty
unsafe. As figure 4 demonstrates, most people
have witnessed speeding and ignoring stop signs around the neighborhood. Only 38% of respondents, however, witnessed
cars not stopping for pedestrians.
Along with these unsafe behaviors, residents reported witnessing actions such as: driving the wrong way on one-way
streets, people walking in the street due to lack of
sidewalks, aggressive driving, and heavy commercial
100%
vehicles parked in the neighborhood, or using the area for
80%
thru traffic.
60%
40%
20%
0%
Speeding

Ignoring Stop Not stopping

Signs
for pedestrians

Figure 4. Which unsafe driving behaviors do you regularly see

in the community?

Residents also mentioned that there are some streets in the

neighborhood that, when cars are parked on both sides of
the street, are too narrow or unsafe for 2-way traffic. This
also makes visibility difficult when making turns, endangering
the safety of pedestrians and automobiles. The streets that
were most mentioned as being too narrow for 2-way traffic
are: Livingston St., Galt Ave., Henderson Ave., Andrew St.,
Parker Ave., Hardy Ave., Brightview St., Lindell St., Medway
St., Dawson Ave., and Mason St.

Pedestrian Safety
Along with the parking and traffic concerns, respondents to the survey expressed concerns for pedestrian safety. From
sidewalks to lighting, residents are concerned about the walkability of the neighborhood. Out of all responses, 48% said
that there were streets that needed sidewalks. Most of the streets identified are located in the Wheaton Hills
neighborhood. The streets are Elnora St., Galt Ave., Fenimore St., Judson St., Blueridge Ave., Parker Ave., and Henderson
Ave. (see map). Some of the streets that lack sidewalks have bus stops or lead to schools or school bus stops, making them
high pedestrian traffic areas.
Another item that concerned residents of the neighborhood was street lighting. 41% of respondents said that there was
not adequate lighting in the area. The streets that were mentioned the most with regards to lighting were: Grandview
Ave., Henderson Ave., Judson St., Livingston Ave., Claridge Rd., Dawson St., Blueridge Rd., Lindell st. and Medway St.

Another concern that was mentioned in the responses with regards to

pedestrian safety was that there are not enough crosswalks on Veirs Mill
Rd., Georgia Ave., or Randolph Road.
Conclusions and Next Steps
Through this survey, residents expressed concerns regarding a variety of
issues both relating to traffic and the overall state of the neighborhoods.
With regards to traffic, residents were mostly concerned with: parking
and possible solutions to address the limited space; they were
concerned with unsafe driving behaviors such as speeding and ignoring
stop signs; and with pedestrian safety specifically the need for sidewalks
and better lighting.
Residents also talked about some specific changes they would like to see
with regards to traffic: more stop signs, particularly four-way stops (some
places mentioned are: throughout Grandview Ave., Galt St., Goodhill Rd., Andrew St., Judson Rd., Fenimore Rd. , at the
corner of Arcola Ave. and Parker Ave. and Livingston St. and Henderson Ave.) more parking enforcement, crosswalks
(near Highland Elementary School, at every bus stop, and at Centerville St. and Veirs Mill Rd.), more adequate speed
bumps (along Valleywood Dr., Munson St., Claridge Rd., Galt St. and between Floral St. and Goodhill Rd.) enforcement of
speed limits, tree trimming for visibility and repaving of streets.
Figure 5. Map of Sidewalk Need

In addition to traffic concerns, the survey also explored other issues that arose through the Community Visioning Project.
At the end of the survey, we asked participants to rate the most important issues affecting their community as a guide for
the next set of issues for the committee to address. The number one concern was safety, followed by cleanliness and
caring for the neighborhood.

60%

A Cleaner
Community

50%

A Safer Community

40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Figure 6. Community Priorities

A More Social
Community
A More CrossCultural Community
A More Cared for
Community

These conclusions lead us to propose the

following next steps: develop a plan for adding
sidewalks/addressing sidewalk repair, assess
lighting challenges in the streets mentioned,
follow-up regarding areas suggested for stopsigns, install additional enforcement efforts for
one-way streets, and explore initiating a
driveway loan program. While pursuing these
traffic improvements, we will begin to map out
a plan with the community around safety
improvements/enhancements.