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With so many drivers rushing from place to place on the roads, Montgomery County officials want motorists to look out for the slowest people on the roads: pedestrians.

Q: I've noticed a proliferation of "No Turn On Red" ("NOTOR") signs in the area — many of which are unnecessary and serve only to worsen the already worsening traffic congestion, commuter frustration, and pollution/wasted fuel from standing vehicles.

When right turns on red were permitted years ago, it was a great innovation; now it's subject to steady increases in "NOTOR" prohibitions (and those idiotic red turn arrows) which impede the proper flow of traffic.

While we wait for improvements in traffic management technology such as properly synchronized traffic signals — or even "smart systems" as in San Diego, where signals regulate traffic as the traffic cops of old (i.e., limited the time cars waited at red lights, especially when there is no cross traffic) — we should do all we can to remove obstacles to efficient traffic flow.

In the case of unnecessary "NOTOR" signs, what has gone up must come down! 

— Frank J. Finver, Bethesda

A: The county refers to "No Turn on Red" as NTOR. That's not the only way the county's view differs from Frank's.

The county Department of Transportation believes most of the No Turn on Red signs are needed because many intersections do not allow for enough visibility to see oncoming traffic.

And it's not always about the drivers.

In some of the urban areas of the county such as Silver Spring, Bethesda and Wheaton, the drivers have to share the intersections with pedestrians seeking to cross the road safely. Drivers looking to make a right on red are looking at oncoming traffic coming from their left and may not notice the pedestrians crossing from their right.

As to the improved traffic management technology, there is hope. The county has had computerized traffic signal controls for more than 20 years, but is in the process of a traffic signal system modernization project that will include next generation technologies.

"This will replace the current system and provide for more sophisticated intersection operation," said Tom Pogue, a spokesman for the county Department of Transportation.

Drivers will still have to keep a close eye out for pedestrians crossing though.

Pedestrian safety stressed

Piney Branch Road in Silver Spring is the most dangerous location for pedestrians trying to cross with the highest concentration of people struck by vehicles.

Between 2005 and 2007, 22 pedestrians were struck on Piney Branch Road between Flower Avenue and the county line.

On Tuesday, County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) announced a new safety effort to cut down the number of injuries and fatalities from pedestrian collisions that will designate that section as the county's first "High Incidence Area."

The move is a follow-up to the Pedestrian Safety Initiative Leggett launched last December.

The first step will select a team of experts to develop ways to make the road safer for pedestrians to cross, such as possible signal changes and sidewalk improvements.

Leggett has declared this week Pedestrian Safety Week. More details on the county's pedestrian plans are available at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/walk.

High tech hitchhiking

A new Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments' online service, Commuter Connections, will help commuters find people who want to carpool.

The web site, www.commuterconnections.org, was announced Tuesday by COG to help commuters find alternatives to driving alone to save on high gas prices and ease traffic congestion in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

"Commuters in this region face some of the worst traffic in the country as well as high gas prices," said Nicholas Ramfos, director of Commuter Connections, which began in 1974.

The system uses Google maps with potential carpool matches based on traffic routes.

COG officials also announced the metro region will participate for the first time in the international Car Free Day on Sept. 22 to encourage people to find an alternative to driving that day. COG hopes to have pledges from 10,000 people to not drive that day.

Ironically, if enough people participate in "Car Free Day" it would actually be a good day to drive.

Terrible traffic Tuesday

not so bad

For a long time the AAA of the Mid-Atlantic has had dubbed the day after Labor Day as Terrible Traffic Tuesday because of the high volume of traffic on the highways from the unofficial end of summer vacation season.

"It's T-3, Terrible Traffic Tuesday, We're back from vacation, we're back in our schools and offices and our roads are chocked full," said Mahlon G. (Lon) Anderson, AAA Mid-Atlantic's Director of Public and Government Affairs.

But with gas prices still high, more people than in the past have sought to carpool or use public transit such as Metro and MARC, making traffic less bad than in recent years, Anderson said.