Prince George’s County Local Updates
Nearly three months ago, two children were hit and killed by a driver on their way to Riverdale Elementary School. The victims’ families said there was no organized process for pickup and dropoff, including no crossing guards.
To help prevent such a tragedy from occurring again, Congressman Glenn Ivey (D- District 4) secured $11 million to improve road safety, including nearly $10 million for Mount Rainier to implement their Vision Zero plan and $768,000 for Riverdale Park and Edmonston to develop transit that is more pedestrian and biker friendly.
He announced this funding at a press conference on Feb. 5 at Thomas Stone Elementary School alongside Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld and the Mayors of Mt. Rainier, Riverdale Park, and Brentwood.
“Too often, aging infrastructure contributes to accidents that cause serious injuries and even death for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians,” said Ivey. “These funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which we fought to pass, will upgrade our roads, make them safer for our communities, and shorten commute times for the millions of hardworking Marylanders who depend on public infrastructure every day. They will enable our local partners to improve safety and accessibility on roadways across our state.”
Crossing guards are under the purview of the Prince George’s Police Department. Police Chief Malik Aziz said the backlog is largely due to failed drug tests among applicants. Now, 18-year-olds and individuals without driver’s licenses can apply to help fill the countywide shortage of crossing guards.