Yelling and Screaming and Rate Hikes....OH MY!!

Last night I decided to attend a meeting of a citizens group called Citizens Involved. Have served for three terms on the City of Takoma Park Public Safety Citizens Advisory Committee and one of the founders of the same city's Emergency Preparedness Committee, I was very pleased to hear that this Citizens Involved group was around. In fact, my first impression of them from (credit where it's due and all) Just Up the Pike, led me to believe that these people wanted to change things in the East County area. Hell, I thought they may even like to know my experiences as an appointed member to a public committee that attempted to do what they (so I thought) wished to do. Much to my unpleasant surprise, the meeting last night left me with a bad taste. First, the organizer of this Citizens Involved wished to discuss the BGE rate hike. To facilitate this, she invited some member of the Maryland Public Service Commission, BGE folks, and a host of other peddlers of green energy (it should be noted that the person presenting on solar power was, I'm pretty sure, under the influence of some controlled substance. I hope so at least.) The poor guy from the State got slammed hard by the geriatric residents, as well he should but this was not HIS PERSONAL fault. Ms. York utterly failed to follow her own agenda which itself turned a meeting that may have had some decent outcome into little more than her own infomercial spot. Tempers ran so hot that I was concerned the meeting would end in fisticuffs.

What is the point of this organization? What are they trying to accomplish? No one was invited (or at least showed up) that could do anything to address the concerns of those gathered. Not one elected official. I'm glad to know that Ms. York is so fond of green power. Perhaps she should start a Citizens for Green Power group or at least re-name Citizens Involved because they certainly aren't involved in much more than bitching and moaning. I am going to email Ms. York asking that MY concerns be added to the next meeting agenda. I highly doubt they will be as I'm sure she is already preparing next month's line up.

In short, Citizens Involved is little more than a forum Ms. York uses to show off her own ideas, or leanings. (i.e., the green energy and wholesale power peddlers) She does not bother to invite people that may help or for that matter care. This, coupled with Ms. York's total inability to lead a school of goldfish much less a meeting, left me with the overwhelming feeling that, like the Briggs-Chaney Interchange, Citizens Involved is a disorganized Cluster Fuck.
I'll be at the next meeting. Mainly to see if my concerns are on the agenda. Hell, I may start my own citizens' group.
Stay tuned (those few people that read this) for updates and Ms. York's response to my email.

Lights, Cameras,......CONGESTION!

This blog was never going to be about just traffic. However, it seems that traffic is on my mind more than ever as of late. That said I decided that it is high time I update this blog. Oddly enough, I have gotten emails and comments from readers--other than myself. Amazing. I really thought no-one bothered to read this. But enough of that on to the real post.

It seems that the glorious designers of the new Briggs-Chaney/ Rt 29 overpass thing (I prefer the term cluster fuck) saw it necessary to install not one but two stop lights within about 25-50 feet of each other. This alone is not a problem in my mind as this is a huge intersection and a light is needed, hell even two lights are okay the problem is no one bothered to time the damn things so they cycle in unison. This is causing many cars to be stuck in this intersection as they come off Rt 29 and the cars on Briggs-Chaney (that light now being green) can't move though the intersection. Gods forbid an emergency vehicle needed to get though there. I know that stop light timing can't be easy but this has been like this for weeks now. Anyone else having a problem at that intersection? (yes that was a shameless request for more comments....those comments keep me doing this)

Also, as if we need another reminder that the area is growing way too fast, try traveling east on Briggs-Chaney (toward Old Gunpowder Road and I-95) one morning. It seems that when that Cross-Creek development was put in traffic was light enough for only a stop sign to be needed at that intersection. That same stop sign now backs traffic up to the MoCo Police Station at times. A light is needed there. I have no idea how old that development is but I doubt it's been there more than five years.

My bottom lines:
Please read this and comment
The area is growing faster than the roads, other infrastructure, and Police can handle
Development has totally fucked up Briggs-Chaney road.

One side note, did you know that you can't have ammo shipped to MoCo? Nope, can't do it. Can have it shipped to areas with higher crime rates like Baltimore Co or PG Co though. Stupid.

Traffic traffic and more traffic

Sorry it's been a while since my last post......my new job is keeping me busy.

Today I am simply going to rant about traffic in the general RT29 Briggs Chaney Road area. There is a new ramp going in to 29 from Briggs Chaney. Very nice maybe now I won't worry about dieing while attempting to merge off of 29 north. However one still may not make it up the ramp from 29 south and live to tell the tale. In fact, over the weekend I was traveling up said ramp to find that some moron had broken down on the ramp. Ok that happens and that fact alone did not lead me to believe that this driver had an IQ below 60. However, the fact that he moved a construction barrel behind the van and walked off did.

It seems that we are doing nothing but building roads up here. No new schools. No new office buildings really. And it's rather obvious (given this van situation above) that there are not enough county police officers to patrol all these new roads.

Anyone see an end in sight?