 Shorter daylight hours in fall and winter typically lead to a spike in crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists, and safety officials are asking commuters to exercise caution, watch out for each other, and obey traffic laws. On Friday, November 3rd, the Street Smart safety awareness campaign launched new ads, in English and Spanish, that feature pedestrians and bicyclists seen through a shattered windshield -- a reminder for drivers to slow down and for everyone to pay extra attention whether they are walking, biking, or driving.
This month, DPW&T will send Street Teams to high-crash areas, such as Indian Head Highway (MD-210) and Annapolis Road (MD-450), to help create a safer environment for all travelers.
Learn more about Street Smart at BeStreetSmart.net.
 DPW&T's Office of Transportation Associate Director, D'Andrea Walker, inspects a taxicab
On Saturday, October 21st and Sunday, October
22nd, DPW&T's Office of Transportation held a mass taxicab inspection to
ensure taxis operating throughout the County are operating in compliance with regulations.
In an effort to improve the
efficiency and quality of taxi service, County Council made updates to the Taxicabs and Limousines Code (Subtitle 20), which took effect earlier this year. Some of the most
significant changes include the phasing out of older
vehicles, an increase in Taxicab
Rates from $.25 per 1/7 mile to $.30 per 1/7 mile of a trip, and taxis are
now required to display a Passenger
Bill of Rights for customers. DPW&T staff members, with assistance from the Department of
Permitting, Inspections, and Enforcement (DPIE), completed the
two-day assessment. Inspectors examined the interior and exterior of the
vehicles and also certified the calibration of cab meters, capping
each approved meter.
To see more
photos/videos from the mass taxicab inspection, click here.
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To help Prince Georgians better understand the major roadway projects happening in the County, DPW&T's Office of Engineering & Project Management recently launched an interactive web map for the Department’s Capital Improvement Program projects, which can be found here.
Once you’ve clicked on the map link, click the “Home” button on the left of your screen to see the outline of the County with the current CIP projects.
The map features active CIP projects in the County, and lists information about the projects such as a description, cost, and councilmanic district.
 DPW&T's Office of Highway Maintenance's, Santos Turcios, is all smiles after finally getting a tough plant out of the ground
On Saturday, October 28th, approximately 70
schools, 60 communities, and eight municipalities participated in the
seventh annual 'Clean Up,
Green Up' -- the bi-annual County-wide community clean-up and
beautification program.
Volunteers freshened up community entrances, and other
public spaces, by planting trees, shrubs, and plants and picking up litter.
The program is a great example of Prince George’s County
government and County residents working together to keep the County beautiful. Resources are available to help provide
landscaping ideas, planting materials, proper planting instructions for trees,
shrubs and flowers, as well as litter collection supplies. Community
organizations and groups are encouraged to participate by planning early in
each season. The next 'Clean Up, Green Up' is slated for the spring of 2018.
To
see more photos/videos from this fall's 'Clean Up, Green Up', click here.
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 DPW&T Deputy Director, Gwendolyn Clerkley, presenting at the Snow Summit at the Laurel-Beltsville Senior Center
For three days in October (16th, 17th, and
23rd), DPW&T hosted Snow Summits throughout Prince George's County to help
residents prepare for Old Man Winter.
Folks had their snow-related questions answered and heard useful
information about the upcoming winter season from a range of
experts, including the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway
Administration, Department of Permitting, Inspections, and Enforcement, Office
of Community Relations (311), Office of Emergency Services, Department of
Health, Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, Prince George's County Fire Department,
and Prince George's County Police Department.
You can find the Snow
Summit presentations here. To
see more photos from the Snow Summits, click here.
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 DPW&T’s state-of-the-art Traffic Response and Information Partnership (TRIP) Center
Beginning in the early morning hours of
Friday, October 27th, DPW&T led its annual Snow and Ice Dry Run in
preparation for the upcoming winter season.
From 4am until noon, DPW&T staff tested equipment, drove
snow routes, checked roadways for anything hazardous that could damage the
plows, and reviewed operational procedures to allow for adjustments and
improvements before inclement weather hits.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is cautiously
predicting a warmer than usual winter for this part of the country. But, as we
all know, you never know what winter will bring.
To see more photos/videos
from DPW&T's Snow and Ice Dry Run, click here.
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 DPW&T Public Information Officer, Paulette Jones, and Director Darrell Mobley, applaud a performance by the William Paca Elementary School Choir
On Wednesday, November 1st, DPW&T held its
4th annual Open House at its Office of Highway Maintenance facility on D'Arcy
Road in Forestville.
About 120 community members and elected officials attended the
event, received valuable information about DPW&T's services, and heard
about the Department's accomplishments over the past year.
Attendees were entertained by the William Paca Elementary
School choir, enjoyed a catered lunch and dessert, and collected fresh produce
from the on-site Farmers' Market.
Awards were presented to several community members who
have gone above and beyond in uplifting their communities.
To
see more photos/videos from DPW&T's 4th annual Open House, click here.
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* Community Partners Meeting on Wednesday, December 6th from 9am-11am at 8400 D'Arcy Road in Forestville.
If you would like to be added to DPW&T's Community Partners list, please e-mail the Department's Community Liaison, Courtney Ward, at cnward@co.pg.md.us
To learn about other events happening in Prince George's County, click here.
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