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EDITING IN PROGRESS PLEASE USE COMMENTS

Suggestions compiled by Alicia Wilson and J. McCray

Need airphoto map.

SITE DESCRIPTION

The intersection of Nicholson and Ager Road, which is in Ward 4 and 5, has apartments on the southeast and southwest corners, a large park and playground on the northeast corner, and a landscaping/gardening store on the northwest corner. The apartment complexes are fairly high density and have several buildings and parking lots. The Kirkwood apartment building (on the southwest corner) has an access road that runs parallel to Ager and extends almost all the way to the metro station. Many pedestrians cross Ager at this point to get to the West Hyattsville metro station and find the high speeds of vehicles on Ager to be quite frightening.

Ager has two broad lanes of traffic each way, with an additional left turning lane for southbound turns onto Nicholson. A raised concrete median divides the two sides of the road.

There is a faded striped crosswalk on the south side of the intersection, extending past the access road in front of the Kirkwood apartments. It is difficult to see, and there are no other signs to alert vehicles to the presence of pedestrians. No other roads have a crosswalk marked at this intersection. The curb does not have cut-outs from the crosswalk for strollers or wheelchairs

There are two bus stops on Ager at this intersection - one northbound just after Nicholson, and one southbound, just before Nicholson. In the Southbound bus stop there is a significant shoulder for the bus to pull over; but the northbound does not have one.

There are no bike lanes on any part of Ager or Nicholson but Ager is wide enough to support a bike lane, and the proximity to the Northwest Branch trail should make this an easy access point to the trail.

On Nicholson eastbound from the intersection, there is only a sidewalk on the south side of the road - on the side where the apartments are. The road borders the NW Branch trail, but has no bike access curb cut outs or paths to reach the trail from the road. Lighting on that part of the road also appears to be minimal, which would be quite dangerous, given the open park on one side.


RECOMMENDATIONS

• Increase visibility of pedestrian crosswalk and/or install a full traffic signal to allow for crossing
• Improve signage to alert Ager vehicles to pedestrians and bikers
• Add bike lanes on both Ager and Nicholson
• Add curb cut-outs and a path connection? to the Northwest Branch trail
• Pave path from Ager Rd bridge to NW Branch Trail
• Improve lighting on Nicholson to ensure that the park area is not a magnet for crime because of the lack of lighting.
• Add pedestrian "island" at median of Ager

JURISDICTIONS

City road (Nicholson) with SHA highway (Ager)?
Wards - This intersection lies in Hyattsville Wards 4 & 5

ACCIDENT HISTORY
According to a State Highway Administration report, in the past 5 years, the intersection has seen the following incidents:

2001 - none
2002 - none
2003 - none
2004 - 1 injury accident
2005 - none
Total - 1 injury accident = 1 total accident