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Fort Washington, who works in Silver Spring and often walks to nearby restaurants for lunch.

"You definitely have to watch where you're going," said another pedestrian trekking to lunch.

Lucy Yee, owner of the Shanghai Restaurant on Ramsey Avenue, said she frequently sees people walking in the middle of the street because the sidewalks are closed from construction.

"It's definitely an issue that needs to be resolved," she said. "But you can't control everything and everyone."

The situation recently compelled County Councilman Derick Berlage (D-Dist. 5) of Silver Spring to draft an internal memo of concern to both the local Regional Services Center and the county Department of Public Works.

"What measures have been taken to accommodate pedestrians and what other measures can be instituted to further protect those trying to get around on foot?" Berlage wrote in the memo. "Given the expected levels of construction activity over the next several years, I hope you will review this matter in detail ..."

Berlage, in a phone interview, said he believes wooden scaffolding or some barrier between pedestrians and traffic should be erected near construction sites to protect those on foot.

"We all know there's going to be a lot of work going on in [downtown Silver Spring]," Berlage said. "But what we need to do is ensure the safety of pedestrians. If there is a sidewalk that is torn up, we shouldn't just abandon them."

Susan Hoffmann, a spokesman for the Regional Services Center, said scaffolding and barriers are unnecessary, arguing that accidents are often caused by pedestrian error, rather than mistakes by motorists.

Nevertheless, beginning this fall, the regional center will place signs in parking garages and on sidewalks, cautioning pedestrians of the construction and imploring walkers to use alternate footpaths, Hoffmann said.

"People really need to be aware of the signs, of where they can walk and where they can't," she said. "If people are walking in the street, then they're foolish."

Restaurateur Yee, meanwhile, said she is worried the flood of construction projects on the horizon may plague pedestrians for years to come, as well as suffocate rush-hour traffic in the downtown area. "It's going to be a mess," she said.