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Thanks to Montgomery County for another half-hearted attempt to help develop downtown Wheaton. Soon the ribbon will be cut for a new pedestrian crossing connecting the Wheaton Triangle parking lot to ... well, nothing. The connection empties onto the sidewalk on Georgia Avenue. Not at a traffic light. Not even at an intersection. Georgia Avenue is one of the deadliest roads in the Washington, D.C. area for pedestrians. Most die trying to cross between intersections in the twilight or at night.

Do Montgomery County officials think that pedestrians won't be tempted to cross Georgia Avenue when they get to the top of the stairs of this new pedestrian connector? Think again. The pedestrian connector is just more window dressing for Wheaton.

County officials have no real plan in place for development. County officials continue to approve the construction of cheap, low-quality commercial space that will stand empty or become an incubator for sure-to-fail small business start-ups. What does the county give us? Awnings and a pedestrian connector without a traffic light. Give us a serious plan, a plan that preserves the open space of the triangle by moving parking underground. A plan that relocates the county services on Reedie Drive so that the prime real estate can be used to attract a serious commercial anchor. In the meantime, put a traffic light at the top of the pedestrian connector on Georgia Avenue before someone gets killed.

Dan Thompson, Silver Spring