Evening star., 1955-01-05
Blind Grade Crossing Stays
Unguorded Despite Protests
Neither County
Nor B. go. Act on
Rockville Danger
By BiIl ToIbott

"A dangerous grade crossing
near Rockville. Md. used by a
constantly increasing volume Of
trafiic, goes virtually unguarded
while county and railroad Of
ficials wait for each other to
make the first move.
After two years Of protest.
ing, residents Of the Viers Mil
Village, Randolph Hills and
Montrose sections of Mont
gomery County still have to con-
tend with the Baltimore 81 Ohio
Railroad crossing on Randolph
road.
The road, which runs from
viers Mill road to the Rockville
pike near the intersection Of the
Old Georgetown road. crosses
the tracks approximately one
half mile from Montrose Ele-
mentary School
View Obscured.
Banks and underbruSh at the
four corners of the crossing OBJ
struct vision In all directions.
A stop sign and the usual
white railroad crossing sign are
the only warnings for the 1900
drivers who travel the road daily.
The tracks are on the Metro
politan Branch Of the B. 81 o.,
the railroads main line to the
West. They carry 26 passenger
and 10 freight trains daily.
No Accidents Reported.
w. M. Murphey, superintend-
ent of the B. 81 O. Baltimore
division, said yesterday he con-
siders traffic on Randolph road
scarity and that "any person who
Is careful can avoid accidents
there"
Records of the Montgomery
County Police Department do
not reveal any automobile e-train
accidents at the crossing. But
this has not diminished the po-
tential danger in the opinions Of
those who have to use it.
Sergt. German Butler, police
co-ordinator Of safety patrols in
the Rockville area, terms the
crossing extremely dangerous. !"
He places his top schoolboy
patrolmen there to protect the
pupils who make the crossing
each day on their way to and
from school and cautions them
periodically about the danger.
Mrs. Grace B. Howes, principal
of Montrose School, considers
the crossing IAN awful place"
Civic Units Concerned.
II worry every day." she said,
"until see those children cross
the tracks and go on home"
The Montrose Parent Teacher.
Association and the Viers Mill
Wheaton Post, No. 260, Of the
American Legion, are equally
concerned. About q year ago the
Legion post wrote a letter to
county officials asking that gates
and blinker lights be placed at
the crossing. accompanying the
letter was a petition Of about
100 names.
A. Methol Brown Of Montrose.
leader Of the Legion driVes said
there is Just no way YOU can
tell whether anything is coming
until you get almost on the
tracks. But we never have got
ten any satisfaction from our
letter"
County officials have been
struggling with the problem for
several years.
Otto Steeger. assistant trafiic
engineer Of the county's Depart
ment Of Public Works, has a file
of correspondence on the cross
ing. On November "a the de-
partment wrote B. q o. officials
describing 1t as a dangerous
intersection because of sight re,
strictions and heavy volume Of
traffic" The letter requested the
installation Of automatic gates.
But we never have heard
anything from the B. 81 o." Mr..
Steeger said.
Mason A. Butcher, acting
county manager. said the coun-
ty has been writing the B8sO
concerning the problem for over
o year. But all we get are ac-
knowledgements," he said. I'VE
never have had q definite propo-
sition from them"
Mr.. Butcher pointed out that