The Dispatch November 2023 Edition

Prince George's County Maryland sent this bulletin at 12/01/2023 09:35 AM EST

November Edition 2023

Office of Transportation
Office of Highway Maintenance
Office of Engineering & Project Management
Office of Storm Drain Maintenance
Upcoming Events

Office of Transportation

Call-A-Bus On-Time Performance Drastically Increases as Part of the PGC Transit Transformation

DPW&T has raised their commitment to riders and the Prince George's County community, by dedicating resources and efforts to improve transit performance and the rider experience as mentioned in the PGC Transit Transformation (PGC TT). Transit Forward is one the key initiatives of PGC TT and is focused on transit scheduling, bus service quality, bus arrival/departures, etc. As of November 2023, On-Time Performance (OTP) was recorded at 97.3%, a major increase from October 2022 when the highest OTP was 80%. Community surveys and transit performance data were collected earlier this year to analyze the current state of Prince George's County transit systems. The data enabled changes to be implemented and significant improvements to be made in effort to better serve our community and our riders.

Vision Zero Partners with Street Smart for World Day of Remembrance and Road Traffic Victims

On Sunday, November 19, 2023, DPW&T was invited by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Government's (MW COG) Street Smart team to observe the World Day of Remembrance and Road Traffic Victims at the Mall at Prince George's. Street Smart's Testimony Wall provided first-hand insight to the impact that roadway tragedies have on families and loved ones of victims. DPW&T's Vision Zero team participated by setting up an information table including giveaways and swag, in an effort to engage with the community and to spread awareness about traffic and roadway safety.

Ride Smart Team Hosts Bikeride Event with MDOT and Greenbelt Police Department

Prince George’s County DPW&T’s Bike and Pedestrian Program (OEPM) and Ride Smart Team (OT) joined MDOT/SHA District III employees and City of Greenbelt Police at the Crescent Road and Ridge Road Capital Bikeshare Station in Greenbelt to co-host a very successful biking and walking Walktober event with over 40 participants. The DPW&T Team discussed Capital Bikeshare and the Ride Smart programs.

Office of Highway Maintenance

Countywide Residential Street Sweeping 2024 Program

DPW&T is implementing a new Residential Street Sweeping program that supports the County Executive's Beautification Proud Priority and will contribute to the creation of job opportunities within the County. This new initiative will aid in reducing the amount of litter in residential communities while enhancing the aesthetics of Prince George's County. The new program will be launched in two phases, beginning Spring 2024 and extending throughout the year. During Phase I, a total of 1,125 curb miles of roadway will be serviced each month. Followed by Phase II in Fall 2024, which will encompass servicing 1,563 curb miles. Residential areas will receive street sweeping services every 5 weeks during Phase I, and a similar schedule is anticipated for Phase II.

DPW&T Expands Roadside Vegetation Management: Vegetation Cutback Initiative

The Vegetation Cutback Initiative, a new program introduced by the Office of Highway Maintenance (OHM), aims to improve the visibility of County signage and enhance the overall roadway experience for motorists and cyclists. In order to ensure the safety of our roadways, the OHM team will work in collaboration with the Geographic Information System (GIS) team to address the visibility hazards caused by overgrown tree branches and other obstacles. This will be achieved through the use of herbicides, mowing, and the removal of trees using mechanical or manual resources. The effectiveness of the vegetation cutback efforts will be assessed on an annual basis through the evaluation of County signage.

Office of Engineering & Project Management

Vision Zero and Bike And Pedestrian Teams Host Traffic Safety Night at Local Elementary School

On Monday, November 6, 2023 the Cherokee Lane Elementary School hosted a Community Safety Night for students, parents, and faculty. During this event, DPW&T was represented by Tiffany Jennings, DPW&T’s Bike and Pedestrian Program, Marisol Peralta, Community Developer, and Natalie Roach, Vision Zero Coordinator. The team discussed with students, parents, and faculty about pedestrian and bicycle safety. In addition, they discussed the importance of being seen and alert, along with the importance of safety while walking, biking, and rolling to and from school. Additionally, Prince George’s County Officer Lobin was a primary speaker at this event and provided the audience with helpful tips regarding school safety, commuting to school, traffic safety, and the overall importance of attending school.

DPW&T Receives an Extra $1 Million in Funding For Bridge Project

DPW&T’s Office of Engineering and Project Management was successful in securing $1 Million in additional federal funding for the Brandywine Rd., Bridge Replacement Capital Improvement Program (CIP) project.The budget for this project increased to $5 Million, in which previously $4 Million in federal assistance was received. With this additional financial award, the project is officially 100% federally funded and paid. DPW&T extends its full gratitude to Unmesh Patel, P.E., Project Manager. Unmesh was instrumental in creating proposal documentation for funding submissions. We look forward to keeping the community updated as we progress throughout the project.

Office of Storm Drain Maintenance

Service Requests for Pond Maintenance Reduce by Thirty-One Percent in FY23

As part of DPW&T’s commitment to Environmental, Beautification, and Flooding Mitigation, the Office of Storm Drain Maintenance (OSDM) is continuously rehabilitating stormwater management (SWM) ponds. In FY23, service requests for "Pond Maintenance" decreased by 31%, thanks to the diligent work completed by the OSDM team. This includes removing sediment and debris, as well as performing vegetation management. In the previous year, OSDM removed approximately 52,000 cubic yards of sediment from SWM ponds. This functional maintenance helps to improve the aesthetics of the communities and aligns with the County Executive’s Beautification Proud Priority efforts. The OSDM team aims to continue reducing the number of service requests in FY24.

Upcoming Events

Winter Community Partners' Meeting

DPW&T will be the host agency for the winter session of the Community Partners’ Meeting being held on December 7, 2023 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. via Zoom. Register to attend the last Community Partners' Meeting of the year! We don't want anyone to miss out on the opportunity to stay current and up-to-date on new information from the agencies.

Please click the link to complete your registration: Click Here