Stuff TheBus School Supply Drive
 Members of DPW&T, the community, various organizations and County agencies dropped off school supply donations.
School starts for thousands of students in Prince George's County on Monday, August 31, 2020 and we want to help ensure their success. The Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPW&T) and the Office of Community Relations partnered to host a series of Stuff TheBus School Supply Drive events to help students start the year off right. Although Prince George's County Public Schools students will begin the year learning remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they will still require crucial school supplies. During three Wednesdays in August, transit vehicles from the Call-A-Bus fleet were stationed for safe, contactless drop-off at the DPW&T headquarters, 9400 Peppercorn Place, in Largo and at the Oxon Hill Park & Ride in Oxon Hill.
We collected an overwhelming number of useful supplies including backpacks, pencils, pens, notebook paper and crayons. Many people contributed to this worthy cause -- DPW&T staff, the Prince George's County Fire and Emergency Medical Service Department (PGFD), the Prince George's County Police Department (PGPD), the Prince George’s County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and generous members of the community.
The supplies donated were distributed at the Back 2 School Grab-N-Go event held by County Executive Alsobrooks and the Office of Community Relations on Saturday, August 22, 2020.
Thank you to everyone for your generosity!
Census Outreach
 Gloria Williams, a DPW&T staff member, donned a mask and gloves as she handed out DPW&T Swag Bags to participants as they pulled up in their vehicles.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 Census outreach events have been moved from indoor community venues to outdoor spaces. Drive-thru Census completion and community outreach events are an opportunity for residents to receive important information from County agencies, as well as an opportunity to complete the 2020 Census while keeping everyone safe.
Events were held at the Birchwood City Recreation Center in Oxon Hill, the Oakcrest Community Center in District Heights, the College Park Church of the Nazarene in College Park, the Langley Park Community Center in Adelphi and the Ebenezer Church of God in Hyattsville.
In addition to Census outreach, the events were used to distribute personal protective equipment (PPE), meals, backpacks and other school supplies in preparation for the upcoming school year.
We would like to give a special thanks to Gloria Williams from our Office of Transportation and Stephanie Walder from our Office of Engineering and Project Management for representing DPW&T at these events. They gave out hundreds of swag bags (as you can see in the photo, supplies were almost pouring out of the vehicle), answered questions and provided information about our agency, all with good cheer.
Bicycle Helmet Grab-N-Go
 DPW&T partnered with local agencies and organizations to give away bicycle helmets and safety information to youth from ages 5 to 18 years old as part of the Grab-N-Go Play program hosted by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), Prince George’s County Department of Parks and Recreation and XTREME Teens.
In addition to DPW&T, Safe Kids Prince George’s, the Prince George’s County Division of the Maryland-National Capital Park Police and the Prince George’s Countywide Bicycle and Pedestrian Community Advisory Group partnered to co-host these community events.
The events were held on Thursday, August 27, 2020 and Friday, August 28, 2020 at ten locations throughout the County. In addition to receiving helmets, participants were shown how to fit them to ensure proper use and protection. Face masks were worn and proper social distancing was observed during the event to help prevent the spread of germs.
Helmets are the most effective way to prevent serious head injury in the event of a bicycle crash, reducing the risk by 85%. It is a requirement in the State of Maryland for children ages 16 years old and under to wear helmets while riding bicycles, but we encourage all cyclists to wear them.
To find more information about helmet safety, visit the National Highway and Safety Administration's Bicycle Safety page.
To learn more about our roadway safety initiative, visit www.VisionZeroPrinceGeorges.com.
 Changes to enhance service on TheBus went into effect on Monday, August 24, 2020.
On Monday, August 24, 2020, Prince George’s County ramped up service on TheBus. These modifications align with service increases that the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) implemented on Metrobus and Metrorail, effective Sunday, August 23, 2020.
TheBus increased frequencies, reducing the wait time between buses to 30 to 40 minutes from 60 minutes on bus lines in operation during COVID-19 service reductions. Although the TheBus is still operating at reduced levels, as compared to early March 2020, these enhancements will enable residents, especially essential workers, to better connect to regional services.
DPW&T is also reactivating service on Route 34 (Suitland/Whitehall Square/Capital Crossing) with buses arriving every 15 minutes during peak hours and every 30 minutes during off-peak hours (9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.).
Additionally, Route 53 (Upper Marlboro) will merge with Route 51 (Courthouse/Upper Marlboro). On the newly revamped Route 51, buses will arrive every 30 minutes and provide service around the greater downtown Upper Marlboro area and a new peak hour only service (Route 51X) will operate solely between the Courthouse, County Administration Building and the Equestrian Center.
Reminder: Face coverings are required when traveling on TheBus and passengers must board through the rear doors, except persons with disabilities and those with mobility devices and strollers.
For the latest updates on TheBus service modifications, visit: Map Schedules
  Users can explore where and when traffic crashes, serious injuries and fatalities occurred in Prince George's County using the ArcGIS StoryMap.
Prince George’s County launched a new online tool with the ability to visualize pedestrian and traffic crash data in the County, helping County officials create safer roadways while providing accessibility and transparency to the public.
Designed for Vision Zero Prince George’s, the geographical data visualization tool was created by information science students from the University of Maryland’s College of Information Sciences (iSchool) as part of a collaboration between Prince George’s County and the University’s Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS) program.
“We are Prince George’s Proud to launch this innovative tool in collaboration with students from the University of Maryland, showing that we continue to come together as a community to find solutions to the challenges that we face,” said Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. “We know that the loss of even one life on our roadways is too many, and this will be another tool to help us prevent these tragedies.”
Using geolocation data provided by the County, in collaboration with the Maryland Department of Transportation, the ArcGIS tool creates a visual of where and when pedestrian and vehicular crashes have occurred across the County. Maps indicate the locations of crashes, including the date they occurred and severity of injuries, enabling viewers to zoom in on specific roadways or intersections.
The new tool can be accessed at VisionZeroPrinceGeorges.com, which is also a platform the community can use to provide feedback and suggestions.
 Responses to the 2020 Census will help determine allocation of funds used for roads.
The response deadline for the 2020 Census has been moved up to Wednesday, September 30, 2020.
The Census only takes 10 minutes to complete and you can respond online, by phone or mail, but the first two options are preferred to ensure your response is received immediately.
Take the 2020 Census now!
Online: http://my2020census.gov/
By Phone: 1-844-330-2020
The Fall Community Partners' is Going Virtual!
Due to social distancing mandates from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Fall meeting will be held virtually for the first time. The Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement (DPIE), Department of the Environment (DoE) and Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPW&T) will instead upload a joint presentation on September 24th, allowing residents to view it safely from wherever they are located.
The presentation will feature a Q&A section with questions from residents answered by representatives from each of the agencies. Residents are invited to submit a Community Partners' Meeting Question Form by August 31. Forms should be emailed to tlcollins@co.pg.md.us
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