Silver Spring Gets First 'Protected Intersection' On East Coast

SILVER SPRING, MD — The first "protected intersection" on the East Coast is coming to Silver Spring, say Montgomery County transportation officials.

The intersection — which is still under construction — will be located at Second Avenue and Spring Street near downtown Silver Spring. The goal: make high-traffic roadways safer for cyclists and pedestrians.

In order to do that, officials are building a number of safety features into the "protected intersection." The county's Division of Transportation Engineering took to Twitter to explain how it will work.

Thread:
You may have heard that Montgomery County is getting the first "protected intersection" on the east coast. But what is it? And how does it work?

We're glad you asked!

The intersection is under construction, and is at Spring St and Second Ave in downtown Silver Spring. pic.twitter.com/22UHiwVJct
— MC_DTE (@MoCo_DTE) August 1, 2019

According to officials, bike lanes on Second Avenue and Spring Street will meet at this intersection.

Here's where other safety features — like corner islands, advanced stop lines for bikes, and set-back crossings — will be located. All three elements aim to make the roadway safer.

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This intersection will be where two separated bike facilities converge.

On Spring Street, one-way separated bike lanes run east to Wayne Avenue, completed in 2017.

On Second Ave & Wayne Ave, a cycletrack is under construction south to Georgia Ave. pic.twitter.com/AU2c4c31EE
— MC_DTE (@MoCo_DTE) August 1, 2019

The chances you will survive a crash depends on speed, according to transportation officials. The higher the speed, the less likely you will make it out alive. That's why transportation officials have put in corner islands at this intersection. They will slow down vehicles turning right.

These corner islands also introduce lateral shifts for cyclists.

"This slows down cyclists traveling through the intersection. The combination of drivers turning right slowly and cyclists entering the intersection more slowly increases reaction time and reduces crash severity," officials said.

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The protected intersection is specifically designed to maximize safety for cyclists & pedestrians. It has several elements that work together to meet that goal.

The first major element is the corner island. pic.twitter.com/sp7txL8b4h
— MC_DTE (@MoCo_DTE) August 1, 2019

Advanced stop lines for bikes have also been incorporated into this intersection. These road markings will give cyclists a head start when the traffic light turns from red to green; and they will give drivers waiting to turn right better visibility of cyclists.

"Instead of looking over their shoulder or in their wing mirror, drivers can see cyclists through their passenger window," officials said.

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The second major element is the advanced stop line for bikes. pic.twitter.com/bI21cmX6A8
— MC_DTE (@MoCo_DTE) August 1, 2019

The third major element: set-back crossings. Like corner islands and advanced stop lines, set-back crossings will give cyclists and pedestrians a head start on their crossing.

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The third major element are the set-back crossings.

Now, let's go over how the three elements work together. pic.twitter.com/QClSUYTsYf
— MC_DTE (@MoCo_DTE) August 1, 2019

The next step in construction is milling and paving, which is scheduled to start on or around Aug. 11.