Month: November 2022 Page 1 of 3

The Prince George’s County Animal Shelter is running low on enrichment items such as dog and cat toys, supplies for kennels, leashes for volunteers and staff, treats, and critter supplies. They would greatly appreciate the public’s help with donations of these items. Click here to view the Animal Shelters’ Amazon wishlist.

All items can be shipped to 3750 Brown Station Road. Upper Marlboro, 20772. If you would like to drop off donations physically, you can do so at the same address during their hours of operation, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM Tuesday through Fridays and 10:00 AM from 4:00 PM on Saturdays. No appointment is needed to donate, and the donation bins are in the front lobby.

Monarch Preschool College Park will hold an Open House on Friday, December 9th. Please see below for details.

Last week, all existing traditional street lights were replaced with energy-efficient LED lights on the 9400, 9500 and 9600 blocks of 52nd Avenue, between Lackawanna street and Huron Street.

For several months, the City has been working with Pepco to replace all 150 WATT High-Pressure Sodium (HPS) fixtures on 52nd Avenue with 150 WATT / 3000 Kelvin LED fixtures on all 13 utility poles on these two blocks of 52nd avenue. A total of 4 new 150 Watt LED fixtures were installed as part of this project.

LEDs are up to 50 percent more energy efficient than traditional sodium bulbs and can last 15 to 20 years. And there are other unexpected benefits such as the existence of LED Controllers. Better street lighting could make riding public transportation easier by reducing the perception of danger and improving road visibility. That means more LED streetlights can lead to better public safety!

Other local areas in the DMV region, including Montgomery County and Takoma Park in Maryland and Fairfax County and Arlington in Virginia, have tested the technology. D.C. hopes to convert all 75,000 of its warm, yellow streetlights to cheaper, more energy-efficient LED bulbs by 2022.

About two years ago, City replaced all sodium lights on 53rd avenue with energy efficient 3000K LED lights.

The new LED lights will make the pedestrians, dogwalkers, bicyclists and Metro commuters on these two streets feel much safer.

Previously, the City installed 16 new 150 WATT LED streetlight fixtures along Rhode Island Avenue, in Old Town, between Campus Drive and Calvert Road. The new LED streetlight fixtures on 53rd Avenue are the same as the ones installed in Old Town. The Old Town project took about two years to complete from start to finish.

The City is working with Pepco to replace traditional lights with LED lights on the city streets.

I want to thank our City engineer and Public Works staff for their important work on this project!

I’ve recently learned that the MDOT SHA is working on a concept development study to consider adding an additional lane along northbound US 1, between Cherry Hill Road and Edgewood Rd.

This would include shifting the median between Cherry Hill Road and Edgewood Road, repurposing the shoulders along US 1 Northbound between the I-95/I-495 Southbound On Ramp and Off Ramp that ends as an exit only lane to the I-95/I-495 Northbound On Ramp, and adding a traffic signal at the I-95/I-495 Southbound Off Ramp.

These improvements are anticipated to improve overall traffic operations at the intersection and along northbound US 1 during the midday and evening rush hours.

The plan is currently in the concept stage. According to the SHA, the detailed design, if pursued, is expected to take at least two years to complete and would then qualify for construction funding at that time. As part of the design, the SHA will evaluate modifications of the traffic signal to address the operation of the gas station side of the intersection. MDOT SHA said they will keep us posted on their progress.

MOM’s Organic Market has an extra boost of holiday cheer knowing MOM’s customers diverted 17 tons of holiday lights from the landfill!

Recycled lights are broken down through melting and shredding to recover raw materials that are repurposed into roofing and construction materials, piping, car batteries, other electronics, lead wheel weights, flatware, jewelry, and more!

Please learn here for more.

The Prince George’s County Planning Department recently awarded a consultant contract for the Route 1 Land Development Study in Beltsville to Smart Growth America and the Neighborhood Design Center. This Study looks at the Subregion 1 Plan area along the Route 1 Corridor boundary from Quimby Avenue to Sunnyside Avenue, adjacent to the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center and the immediate surrounding neighborhoods, to develop a strategy that brings in various partners to formulate and consider how to create sustaining relationships that realize the vision outlined in the Subregion I Plan for this area, with the focus of bringing about coordination among the industrial and commercial land for sale close by to the surrounding neighborhoods. This coordinated effort ultimately focuses on improving the area’s visual appearance and ensuring a pedestrian-friendly, safe, and enjoyable place to walk.

The Study will bring together experts across various disciplines to focus on: Neighborhood Revitalization, Real Estate Development, Complete Streets, and Design Guidelines. It will also engage local stakeholders to create recommendations for future development that align with the Approved Masterplan and Sectional Map Amendment for Subregion 1.

Two meetings will be held in early December with home construction firms in order to engage local stakeholders and create recommendations for future development aligned with the approved Masterplan and Sectional Map Amendment.

There is a project webpage that has more information about the project, including a map of the study area, upcoming meetings and events, and a link to a community survey.

For additional information, please review the study website here.

[Source: CM Dernoga’s office]