Improvements scheduled for Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring
The Maryland State Highway Administration recently announced plans to revamp a one-mile section of Georgia Avenue between Forest Glen Metro and its intersection with 16th Street.
Preliminary plans call for the road to receive dedicated turn lanes and a two-lane bike path. The state will also install new sidewalks and narrow some lanes to even the flow of traffic.
The project is part of a long-term vision. Construction might not begin until 2025, according to some state highway officials. [WUSA9]
State panel votes to remove Confederate flag logo from plaque
The State House Trust voted to remove the Confederate flag from a plaque in Annapolis that honors both sides of the Civil War.
The state will pay more than $2,400 to change the plaque in front of the State House. The memorial will retain language honoring Confederate soldiers and a sentence that says there was no determination “who was right and who was wrong” in the Civil War.
The plaque will remain despite the objections of House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones, the first black woman ever elected to the position. Jones proposed removing the plaque entirely as one of her first actions after being elected speaker in May. [Baltimore Sun]
Sen. Chris Van Hollen raises concerns over guardrail safety
U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland is demanding better road safety after meeting with the parents of three teenagers who died in separate crashes with guardrails.
The senator recently authored a letter to the Federal Highway Administration, pressuring the agency to improve its oversight of guardrails and other roadside equipment. The letter also was signed by Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin.
A 2016 report from the Government Accountability Office found potential conflicts of interest between guardrail manufacturers and crash test labs. The report recommended that the Federal Highway Administration develop a third-party system for confirming the results from crash tests.
Cardin’s letter asks for an update on the implementation of those suggestions. [NBC 4]
Today’s weather
Thursday will be partly cloudy with a high of 73 degrees.
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