May 18, 2005

Dear Councilman Peters:

The Glenn Dale Citizens Association is concerned that the smooth and equitable flow of traffic in the area is often impeded when people hired by local houses of worship conduct traffic poorly. Although County Police generally conduct traffic, we are writing both our Councilmen and our State Senator because the problems mostly concern state highways. Three cases illustrate both good and bad traffic management.

On the positive side, it was long necessary to conduct traffic at the Episcopal School between High Bridge and Hillmeade Roads. The traffic has always been conducted quite professionally. For all practical purposes, the officer conducting traffic there had the same (or less) impact on the flow of eastbound traffic on MD-450 as would have occurred had a signal light been installed that only operated half an hour each day, after school closed.

More problematic is the way traffic has been conducted at the intersection of MD-193 and Prospect Hill Road. The attached letter from Monica Jerbi indicates that a police officer—evidently paid by Reid Temple AME Church—has conducted traffic at the intersection primarily for the benefit of Reid Temple, to the detriment of those not coming to or leaving the church. As a result, Ms. Jerbi was prevented from making a left turn from Prospect Hill to westbound MD-193 for 7½ minutes (three light cycles), even though allowing her to proceed would have only held cars leaving Reid Temple 10-20 seconds. When we first saw her letter we assumed that this was simply a case of poor officer training, but the attached correspondence with Corporal Rose is more troubling. He indicates that the County has no policy to ensure that police conducting traffic seek to minimize the delays of all concerned—and his interpretation of the policy is that off-duty police may conduct traffic in the best interest of the private party paying their off-duty salary. This situation is not the fault of the church. Rather, there is a conflict of interest when a policeman’s overtime job requires satisfying an employer whose interest is best served if the officer forsakes the public interest--unless there are clear guidelines protecting the public interest in an equitable flow of traffic.

Finally, traffic jams have often resulted on Friday afternoons when cars are leaving the mosque on MD-564 between Carter Avenue and Cipriano Road. One of our members observed that 3-4 cars were allowed to exit the mosque for every one car that was allowed to proceed west along MD-564. While it took 10 minutes to drive from Seabrook Shopping Center to the mosque, people leaving the mosque had to wait one minute or less before being directed to proceed onto MD-564.

We do not know whether the problem here is poor training, the lack of a policy, or incomplete implementation. But the current situation is unacceptable. In the District of Columbia and other jurisdictions, officers at signaled intersections work with the lights and—in effect—adjust the timing to reflect the actual flow of the traffic. When there is no signal, officers count the number of cars coming from each direction—with a reasonable share for people simply traveling on the through street. Those who attend an event that creates a traffic jam should not be given so much of a preference that they are the only people who do not get stuck in traffic, simply because event organizers are paying the police who conduct traffic.

If you have any questions about our concerns, please feel free to call me at 202-942-8459 ([email protected] ) or have your staff contact Jim Titus at 202-343-9307 ([email protected]). Thank you for all your efforts to move traffic in Prince George’s County.

Sincerely,

Henry Wixon,

President

cc: Councilman Tom Hendershot
Senator Leo Greene
Charlie K. Watkins, District Engineer, SHA

May 18, 2005

Senator Leo E. Greene

Miller Senate Office Building, 2 East Wing

11 Bladen St.

Annapolis, MD 21401 - 1991

Dear Senator Greene:

The Glenn Dale Citizens Association is concerned that the smooth and equitable flow of traffic in the area is often impeded when people hired by local houses of worship conduct traffic poorly. Although County Police generally conduct traffic, we are writing both our Councilmen and our State Senator because the problems mostly concern state highways. Three cases illustrate both good and bad traffic management.

On the positive side, it was long necessary to conduct traffic at the Episcopal School between High Bridge and Hillmeade Roads. The traffic has always been conducted quite professionally. For all practical purposes, the officer conducting traffic there had the same (or less) impact on the flow of eastbound traffic on MD-450 as would have occurred had a signal light been installed that only operated half an hour each day, after school closed.

More problematic is the way traffic has been conducted at the intersection of MD-193 and Prospect Hill Road. The attached letter from Monica Jerbi indicates that a police officer—evidently paid by Reid Temple AME Church—has conducted traffic at the intersection primarily for the benefit of Reid Temple, to the detriment of those not coming to or leaving the church. As a result, Ms. Jerbi was prevented from making a left turn from Prospect Hill to westbound MD-193 for 7½ minutes (three light cycles), even though allowing her to proceed would have only held cars leaving Reid Temple 10-20 seconds. When we first saw her letter we assumed that this was simply a case of poor officer training, but the attached correspondence with Corporal Rose is more troubling. He indicates that the County has no policy to ensure that police conducting traffic seek to minimize the delays of all concerned—and his interpretation of the policy is that off-duty police may conduct traffic in the best interest of the private party paying their off-duty salary. This situation is not the fault of the church. Rather, there is a conflict of interest when a policeman’s overtime job requires satisfying an employer whose interest is best served if the officer forsakes the public interest--unless there are clear guidelines protecting the public interest in an equitable flow of traffic.

Finally, traffic jams have often resulted on Friday afternoons when cars are leaving the mosque on MD-564 between Carter Avenue and Cipriano Road. One of our members observed that 3-4 cars were allowed to exit the mosque for every one car that was allowed to proceed west along MD-564. While it took 10 minutes to drive from Seabrook Shopping Center to the mosque, people leaving the mosque had to wait one minute or less before being directed to proceed onto MD-564.

We do not know whether the problem here is poor training, the lack of a policy, or incomplete implementation. But the current situation is unacceptable. In the District of Columbia and other jurisdictions, officers at signaled intersections work with the lights and—in effect—adjust the timing to reflect the actual flow of the traffic. When there is no signal, officers count the number of cars coming from each direction—with a reasonable share for people simply traveling on the through street. Those who attend an event that creates a traffic jam should not be given so much of a preference that they are the only people who do not get stuck in traffic, simply because event organizers are paying the police who conduct traffic.

If you have any questions about our concerns, please feel free to call me at 202-942-8459 ([email protected] ) or have your staff contact Jim Titus at 202-343-9307 ([email protected]). Thank you for all your efforts to move traffic in Prince George’s County.

Sincerely,

Henry Wixon,
President

 
cc: Councilmen Peters and Hendershot
Charlie K. Watkins, District Engineer, SHA

May 18, 2005

The Glenn Dale Citizens Association is concerned that the smooth and equitable flow of traffic in the area is often impeded when people hired by local houses of worship conduct traffic poorly. Although County Police generally conduct traffic, we are writing both our Councilmen and our State Senator because the problems mostly concern state highways. Three cases illustrate both good and bad traffic management.

On the positive side, it was long necessary to conduct traffic at the Episcopal School between High Bridge and Hillmeade Roads. The traffic has always been conducted quite professionally. For all practical purposes, the officer conducting traffic there had the same (or less) impact on the flow of eastbound traffic on MD-450 as would have occurred had a signal light been installed that only operated half an hour each day, after school closed.

More problematic is the way traffic has been conducted at the intersection of MD-193 and Prospect Hill Road. The attached letter from Monica Jerbi indicates that a police officer—evidently paid by Reid Temple AME Church—has conducted traffic at the intersection primarily for the benefit of Reid Temple, to the detriment of those not coming to or leaving the church. As a result, Ms. Jerbi was prevented from making a left turn from Prospect Hill to westbound MD-193 for 7½ minutes (three light cycles), even though allowing her to proceed would have only held cars leaving Reid Temple 10-20 seconds. When we first saw her letter we assumed that this was simply a case of poor officer training, but the attached correspondence with Corporal Rose is more troubling. He indicates that the County has no policy to ensure that police conducting traffic seek to minimize the delays of all concerned—and his interpretation of the policy is that off-duty police may conduct traffic in the best interest of the private party paying their off-duty salary. This situation is not the fault of the church. Rather, there is a conflict of interest when a policeman’s overtime job requires satisfying an employer whose interest is best served if the officer forsakes the public interest--unless there are clear guidelines protecting the public interest in an equitable flow of traffic.

Finally, traffic jams have often resulted on Friday afternoons when cars are leaving the mosque on MD-564 between Carter Avenue and Cipriano Road. One of our members observed that 3-4 cars were allowed to exit the mosque for every one car that was allowed to proceed west along MD-564. While it took 10 minutes to drive from Seabrook Shopping Center to the mosque, people leaving the mosque had to wait one minute or less before being directed to proceed onto MD-564.

We do not know whether the problem here is poor training, the lack of a policy, or incomplete implementation. But the current situation is unacceptable. In the District of Columbia and other jurisdictions, officers at signaled intersections work with the lights and—in effect—adjust the timing to reflect the actual flow of the traffic. When there is no signal, officers count the number of cars coming from each direction—with a reasonable share for people simply traveling on the through street. Those who attend an event that creates a traffic jam should not be given so much of a preference that they are the only people who do not get stuck in traffic, simply because event organizers are paying the police who conduct traffic.

If you have any questions about our concerns, please feel free to call me at 202-942-8459 ([email protected] ) or have your staff contact Jim Titus at 202-343-9307 ([email protected]). Thank you for all your efforts to move traffic in Prince George’s County.

Sincerely,

Henry Wixon,

President

cc: Councilman Doug J.J. Peters

Senator Leo Greene

Charlie K. Watkins, District Engineer, SHA