Fani-Gonzalez Leads Officials on Safety Tour of Wheaton

Councilmember Natali Fani-Gonzalez led state, county and Metro officials on a walking tour of Georgia Avenue in Wheaton in hopes of reducing pedestrian, bicyclist and vehicle crashes and deaths.

Calling Georgia Avenue one of the most dangerous roads in all of Maryland, Fani-Gonzalez urged everyone to work together and also provide funding to make the area safer.

There were five pedestrian fatalities and 51 crashes with serious injuries on Georgia Avenue, which is a state road, between 2015 to 2022, she noted.

Gov. Wes Moore and the state directors of the Department of Transportation and Commerce, along with almost every member of the county council and several state legislators joined together in a show of unity. Also on the walk were county planners and Westfield Mall representatives.

“This community is gathering together, because we want to bring change, Fani-Gonzalez said. “We want to make sure everyone who lives here can safely move around.”

WMATA Vice President Liz Price said the transportation organization has a 14-bay bus stop and a metro station in this area. WMATA has some land that they would allow to be purchased and built upon, which would bring millions of dollars in tax revenue over 30 years “if done right,” she said.

During the event, Moore vowed to make the area safer, both with short and long-term fixes, and promised to continue working with local officials.

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