IF YOU THINK TRAFFIC IS BAD NOW…

IF YOU THINK TRAFFIC IS BAD NOW…

The 203,000 square foot Wal-Mart under discussion for the intersection of Routes 210 and 228 is five times the size of the Giant and Safeway Stores (each has about 40,000 square feet).

Studies in other locations indicate that a store of this size would add at least 900 car trips per hour – well over 9,000 per day! Even the "smaller" store (at 135,000 square feet) now under consideration by the developer would mean at least 600 car trips per hour.

This doesn’t even count delivery truck trips, which will be numerous for a store of this size.

Traffic congestion in the area is already severe.

The Maryland State Highway Administration rating the five intersections with Indian Head Highway (Route 210) from the Beltway south as "F" (the worst) both at morning and night rush hours.

The next intersection at Swan Creek is listed as "D" and Old Forest Road as "C" in the morning and "D" in the evening.

Other intersections in Accokeek are currently less congested, but a project to widen Route 228 to four lanes where it insects with Route 210 is underway. This can only be expected to increase traffic on 210 all along the corridor, as people cross over from Route 301.

No study of the impact of such a huge Wal-Mart on traffic -- either car or truck -- is available, or even planned, as far as we know. But thousands of extra trips per day on an already crowded road will make a dramatic change in all of our lives.
Let your elected officials know how you feel about spending even more time in your car!

Questions? Suggestions? New ideas? Email us at liveable210@radix.net.