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Pedestrian safety concerns persist in Montgomery County

By WTOP Staff

Ari Ashe, wtop.com

WASHINGTON – Crossing some roads in Montgomery County has proved to be a dangerous task for pedestrians.

Officials have recently cracked down on pedestrian safety and have seen promising results. Montgomery County officials say that since 2009, serious accidents involving pedestrians have dropped by 21 percent. In 2012, six pedestrians died, as compared to 19 in 2008.

However, some residents say more needs to be done to ensure the safety of pedestrians.

Barbara McCann, founder of the National Complete Streets Coalition, says Montgomery County officials are not doing enough to fix the core problems, especially at wide intersections that take a long time for pedestrians to cross.

“It’s a little bit like saying the bailing is working. We’re bailing the boat and we’re not sinking,” McCann says. “But there’s still a great big hole at the bottom of the boat and that hole is the failure to think about pedestrians during the initial planning process.”

Last week, McCann spoke to the Action Committee for Transit in Germantown, a portion of upper Montgomery County where there are a number of potentially dangerous intersections for pedestrians. One of the intersections includes Germantown Road near Wisteria Drive, which has up to nine lanes of traffic for pedestrians to cross.

Pedro Antonio Gomez, 34, was critically hurt at the intersection on Jan. 7.

Captain Thomas Didone, director of the Traffic Division with Montgomery County Police, says the county got approval to lower the speed limit along that stretch of road from 50 to 40 mph. But McCann believes that will not have much of an effect.

Ben Ross, with the Action Committee for Transit, also points to Route 355 at Shady Grove Road in Gaithersburg, which he says takes eight and a half minutes to cross.

“People will run because they’re not going to wait eight and a half minutes,” McCann says. “They’re going to look for a break in traffic and go for it.”

Allowing more time for pedestrians to cross wide intersections is a catch-22 for the Maryland State Highway Administration.

When the Highway Administration widens the road to ease congestion, it takes longer to cross the road. When it takes longer to cross the road, engineers need to give pedestrians more time to do it. However, when pedestrians have more time, it means red lights will last longer and traffic backs up.

Jeff Dunckel, coordinator for Montgomery County Department of Transportation Pedestrian Safety, says that upper Montgomery County was not built for pedestrians, so changes to improve safety are coming slowing.

He encourages residents who are worried about dangerous intersections to attend the Pedestrian, Bicycle and Traffic Safety Advisory Committee meetings every other month.

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(Copyright 2013 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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