Driving Safety

The rules for any given road are determined by the designation the
County has assigned to it. It should be noted that within SOECA’s boundaries,
we do have roads managed by the State, such as Dale Drive and Wayne Avenue;
Sligo Creek Parkway is managed by the Maryland-National Capital Park and
Planning Commission; but most of our streets are managed by the County and
consist of the following types of roads:

• Principal Secondary Residential Street. This
  type of street is meant to carry both residential and through traffic. The
  speed limit on this road will be higher than on the next two types of roads and
  this road may well have lane markings.

• Secondary Residential Street. This
  type of street is meant to almost exclusively provide access to abutting
  properties in residential zones. As traffic is meant to be limited to homes
  along the street, the speed limit will be set at one of the County’s lowest
  levels and the road is not likely to carry lane markings.

• Tertiary Residential Street. This
  type of street is meant to provide access to a residential development with 75
  or fewer dwelling units. As with a Secondary Residential Street, this type of
  road will have a low speed limit and may not have lane markings.

To learn more about the County’s Department of Transportation and the many services it provides to residents of the county, follow this link.

Traffic Calming Measures

In our neighborhood we have speed limits, stop signs, speed humps, bump outs, and other means to slow down drivers and provide safe roads for drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Each technique used by the county has its own set of criteria to justify the measure.

To learn more about traffic calming measures in Montgomery County follow this link.

Street Signs and Paint Markings

To view MCDOT’s Frequently Asked Questions regarding sign installations or paint markings, follow this link.

Reporting Road Conditions to MCDOT

At the MCDOT website you can bring issues to the Department’s attention that need to be looked into and/or repaired. To report a situation that needs repair follow this link. 

Streetlights

Here is what MCDOT has to say about streetlights in Montgomery County:

“Streetlights illuminate Montgomery County roadways, bike paths and sidewalks for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists. By County law, developers are responsible for providing new streetlights and upgrading existing streetlights (underground-fed and/or overhead-fed) in new developments. Existing residential streets can have lighting installed on a block-by-block or street-by-street basis, if the existing level of lighting does not meet County standards.”

To learn more about the County’s streetlights, especially for maintenance, new installations, upgrades, and specifications follow this link.

How to Contact MCDOT

Division of Traffic Engineering and Operations
Traffic Engineering Design and Operations Section
100 Edison Park Drive, 4th Floor
Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878
Telephone: 240-777-2190
Fax: 240-777-2080