Traffic Study Has Some Upset

Sabra, Wang & Associates presented to the second half of their citywide traffic study report on July 19 to the City Council at a public hearing.

Some residents are still talking about it.

"I was really quite surprised and shocked that the [Hyattsville] City Council would support a plan that would … add capacity to our streets," said resident Hugh Turley at a Sept. 7 council meeting.

"I don't see how you can be on the side of the people on this. I really wish you had thought about the citizens that are here now. Let's get the traffic out of our town and not through our town."

Applause erupted from parts of the audience after Turley spoke.
One suggestion the traffic study offers is to lift the one-way restriction along Queensbury Road.

"After we looked at all the traffic data … we did suggest to lift the access restrictions during peak hours," said Paul Silberman, of Sabra Wang. "It's diverting a lot of traffic onto other neighborhood streets that are not designed to carry that pattern of traffic."

The report suggests the city create a conditional one-way peak area cutlet using Oglethorpe Street.

Some residents like Queensbury Road resident Nina Faye don't like the alternative.
"You seem to fail to consider that part of the community goes to University Park Elementary (school) … and [some kids] have to cross Queensbury Road to do that," Faye told Silberman. "This proposal is not making our neighborhood safer."

Resident Scott Wilson, who lives just off Queensbury Road, said that making the roads one-way would increase the speed of traffic on them.

"[It is] unbelievable to me that we would pay somebody something to do that to our city," he said. "Instead of messing up a few people … they're going to mess up a whole bunch of people."

Other recommendations include using 44th Place and Queensbury Road to navigate traffic away from the often clogged intersection of Baltimore Avenue and East West Highway in Riverdale Park.

"It's not in your city, but it does tremendously influence travel patterns in your city," Silberman said. "It's projected to get a lot worse."

Faye said that plan is opposite of what the area residents want.

"Why on earth would we want more traffic," she said.

To access the full report visit www.hyattsville.org