Point-by-point; Point 2

2. DOT spends a disproportionally-small amount of its budget addressing accessibility issues.

Is it true? How much is spent on pedestrian infrastructure? How many pedestrians are there? How equitable are our distribution of funds and effort?

The fact of the matter is, if we don't know the answer to any or even most of these questions, how can we say we are working for progress?

I recently emailed my Councilmember and asked the questions listed above. The answer I got back was predictable - "We don't really know." I have spent considerable time looking for information that will back-up or refute this point, without much luck. if it is true that as many as 30% of people in Silver Spring don't drive, it seems to me that budgets should reflect that fact - where is the proof that DPS, DHCA, DOT, and other County departments are devoting the appropriate amount of attention to pedestrians and access for people with disabilities?. Not knowing comes from not finding out, and not finding out is a sign of neglect. I believe that County departments avoid the issues surrounding accessibility as much as possible.I believe they are embarrassed about their record, and are reluctant to do anything that may expose their decades of neglect.

Pedestrians are marginalized in budgets and efforts throughout Montgomery County. We are the forgotten - until someone gets killed or injured. In much of the decision-making process, Montgomery County pedestrians are casualty numbers and little else. The County only count us in two ways - as collisions, or as complainers. They count cars, but pedestrians are ignored. MCDOT can tell you how many people did not die last year, but they have no idea how many crosed Wayne Avenue and Fenton St.

In what they describe as a "data-driven process," Montgomery County chooses not to collect any data - other than collision data that is collect by the police. There are conveniently no numbers or data that will illustrate other problems - such as barriers for pedestrians with disabilities, like me. Proactive measures are deemed too-costly and actively worked against. DOT is proud to say that their sidewalk construction budget is more than $2 Million, but they budget almost three-times that amount every year in snow removal and storm cleanup. Money slated for new sidewalks is lost in a huge DOT budget. The issues of accessibility on County public right-of-way is just as important as the small role it plays in the overall transportation scheme.

So, I am ignored in so many ways by Montgomery County - until I get hit or complain. I am not important on the budget, I am not important in the statistics, and I am not worth the expense of accommodation. Montgomery County would have me leave it at that and do the best I can to survive their neglect. The same old barriers will keep going-up, again and again.

I am just not willing to accept that. It is unjust to neglect me or the thousands of other people who access public life through the sidewalks on the public right-of-way. I want to know how much Montgomery County spends on pedestrians, but I guess here is no answer to that question...