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A stoplight enforcement program in New Carrollton has AAA Mid-Atlantic seeing red, but the automobile group praised the enforcement program in Montgomery County.

A Prince George's County District Court judge threw out 10 cases against motorists accused of running red lights in New Carrollton because the system there does not comply with state standards.

Several motorists in New Carrollton received tickets in the mail citing them for running a red light, even though they had stopped and the automated photos showed that they had, said Mahlon G. "Lon" Anderson, spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic.

The tickets were issued to motorists if their bumpers had crossed into the pedestrian crosswalk when they stopped, Anderson said.

A mobile automated enforcement camera is being used at three intersections in the Prince George's County community: Annapolis Road and 85th Avenue; Kenilworth Avenue at Decatur Street; and Annapolis Road at Edmonston Road.

New Carrollton officials contend the citations are proper for pedestrian safety, but Anderson said the enforcement cameras were intended to catch those who ran red lights.

Currently, 29 jurisdictions across Maryland use the automated enforcement system of cameras to ticket people who run red lights.

Prince George's County should follow the lead of Montgomery County, which uses embedded cameras for the automated enforcement and only tickets motorists who run the red lights, Anderson said.

"Montgomery County does it correctly," he said. "In fairness to Montgomery County, they run a very professional system. They've got criteria where they put [the cameras] where there's a documented history of red-light running. You've got to actually run the light to get the ticket."

County has new online system for traffic mitigation plans

Montgomery County Commuter Services added a new online program for employers to submit traffic mitigation plans and annual reports online.

The county requires the plans and reports for employers with 25 or more workers located in one of the county's Transportation Management districts in Silver Spring, Friendship Heights, Bethesda and North Bethesda.

The online system eventually will replace issuing the reports by paper. More information is available at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/commute or by calling commuter services at 240-773- 2989.

Pedestrian safety improvements made in Silver Spring

Montgomery County has completed pedestrian safety improvements to 2nd Avenue in Silver Spring.

County Executive Isiah Leggett and Councilwoman Valerie Ervin (D-Dist. 5) of Silver Spring will join pedestrian advocates at 10 a.m. Thursday outside Elizabeth House, at 1400 Fenwick Lane near the intersection of 2nd Avenue, to mark the event.

The pedestrian safety improvements include the installation of ramps for people with disabilities, upgraded crosswalk signals and the relocation of a bus stop shelter.

"The improvements made on 2nd Avenue are particularly important due to the high number of seniors living in adjacent buildings and for those who participate in Holy Cross Senior Source programs," Ervin said in a statement Tuesday.

The improvements were part of a 2006 pedestrian safety report.

Trend of driving less continues

A slight uptick in driving in Maryland in December turns out to have been a blip instead of the reversal of a national trend.

In January, for the 15th straight month, Americans drove less than they had the same month the year before, according to new figures from the Federal Highway Administration.

Nationally, motorists drove 3.1 percent fewer miles in January compared with January 2008, according to the data.

Maryland had seen a slight increase of 1.1 percent in driving in December, but in January, the figure declined 4.9 percent compared with a year earlier, said Ragina C. Averella, AAA of the Mid-Atlantic's manager of public and government affairs.

Motorists drove about 4 billion vehicle miles in January compared with 4.2 billion miles in January 2008.

People could be driving less due to layoffs and other financial hardships, Averella speculated.

"On the bright side, we're helping to save the Chesapeake Bay and reduce our carbon footprint by not driving as much," she said in a statement.