STUDENT PETITION FOR SAFER STREETS IN KENSINGTON AND WHEATON

To: The Maryland State Highway Administration, Montgomery County, and MCPS

We, the students of Albert Einstein High School and other nearby schools, are calling for immediate action to improve pedestrian safety along University Boulevard West, Connecticut Avenue, and Veirs Mill Road.

These roads are part of our everyday lives. We walk them to get to school, after-school programs, jobs, sports, or to catch the bus. But every time we use them, we’re put at risk. These roads are dangerous. Cars speed through them. Crosswalks are too far apart or nonexistent. Sidewalks are missing. Lighting is poor. We’ve all had close calls or know someone who has. Even worse, our friends have been seriously injured or killed by reckless drivers.

We are often told that students are careless or distracted, but that’s not fair. We’ve been taught for years how to cross safely, to look both ways, to stay in the crosswalk. We know how to use technology responsibly. We are paying attention. What we need is for drivers to do the same—and for the roads themselves to be designed to keep us safe. Programs that only focus on student behavior feel condescending and ignore the real problem: unsafe infrastructure and unchecked speeding.

We demand real action from the Maryland State Highway Administration to protect students and our community. Specifically, we call for

-  More safe crossings, especially near schools, bus stops, and apartment buildings, with pedestrian signals, flashing beacons, and better lighting.

- The installation of speed cameras by October 1st in both directions on University Boulevard near their former location, on Connecticut Avenue near Rock Creek Palisades, and on Veirs Mill Road between Pendleton Drive and Schoolhouse Circle.

- Lowering the speed limit on Connecticut Avenue to 35 mph between Randolph Road and University Boulevard.

- Increased enforcement to stop dangerous driving and educate drivers—not just students.

- Sidewalk construction on Veirs Mill Road between Pendleton and Schoolhouse Circle, where pedestrians currently have no safe place to walk and cross

- Immediate safety improvements around the new Northwood High School before it reopens—including safe crossings, lighting, and traffic controls.

We should not have to fear for our safety on our way to and from school. We deserve streets that value our lives—not just the speed of cars.

Please take our concerns seriously and act now.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned Students