Traffic Plan for Parkwood Drive
The resident survey regarding the MCDOT concept plan for Parkwood Drive closed at midnight on Sunday, November 8. We are verifying the data and preparing to share the results with residents. This task will take several days to complete. Once residents have had an opportunity to review and discuss the results, we will share the survey with MCDOT for their review. A future meeting will be set with MCDOT and the KECA and PRA leadership to discuss the components of the plan that will be implemented.
PRA Meeting on Rock Creek and Rock Creek Trail
The PRA meeting on Rock Creek and the Rock Creek Trail was held on November 9. The guest speaker was Christine Ciabotti, Division Chief for Park Planning and Stewardship, Montgomery Parks.
The link to the recording of the session is here:
Shareable link: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/1Cd1Wk2hKWSxbDlR9n1Bw2CJUIdKffGIRL6tEWV-cP77mN8a4oOz-UR-3CIqYPkI.6NiAx6-A0PGeTXCd
Passcode: xWPt5+$U
Speed Humps on Parkwood Drive
County regulations require a special meeting to inform residents about the process for implementing speed humps. MCDOT relies on community feedback and discussions with the residents’ associations when deciding whether to add speed humps to a street. A copy of the regulation is here.
The community meeting on speed humps was held on October 28, 2026
The recoding of the meeting is here. https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/BslUgOozs4y1tWiRuKDAzg3VvFkvrU1g1LNkVWH6iK6TL78ChuPVM6pxSA7P08KY.EcfxMeXPFXh3Iss- Passcode: 1!Va1azJ
The actual meeting begins about two minutes into the recording; the first few moments include various comments from those who joined before the presentation started.
Please note that the meeting lasted almost two hours.
Some of the Pros and Cons of speed humps can be found in the MCDOT Design Decision Matrix, page 2. Additional information is available in this MCDOT Speed Hump Fact Sheet.
Revised Plan to Improve Pedestrian and Vehicle Safety on Parkwood Drive
- Background and Meeting with MCDOT
- Explanation of the Plan
- Residents’ Questions about the Plan
- Survey of Residents’ Opinions about the Plan
- MCDOT Traffic Studies Related to Parkwood Drive
Background
In its ongoing effort to respond to concerns about pedestrian and vehicle safety on Parkwood Drive, MCDOT sent a revised plan to the Parkwood Residents Association (PRA) and the Kensington Estates Civic Association (KECA).
MCDOT has scheduled a joint meeting of the associations at Kensington Parkwood Elementary School (KPES) from 6:30-9:00 PM on Thursday, October 1, to explain its plan. More details about the meeting content and format will follow. See below for how to submit questions about the plan before the meeting.
MCDOT has indicated that residents may accept the plan entirely, reject it entirely, or accept some components while rejecting others. This may inform the questions you want to ask. After the meeting, we will survey residents’ opinions of the plan and its various elements.
Explanation of the Plan
Parkwood Drive in 10 Sections. Diagrams of each section showing the traffic and safety elements proposed, starting at the intersection of Saul and Parkwood (p.1) and ending at the intersection of Parkwood and Brookfield (p.10).
Speed Hump Location Plan. Speed humps are included in the revised plan so that residents can decide IF they want to proceed with the installation of some or all of the proposed speed humps after receiving more information at the meeting. If they do, additional steps are required to ensure that 70% of the residents along the affected road segment concur with the decision to install the speed hump. Speed humps are regulated by separate rules and procedures that will be explained in more detail at the October 1 meeting. The pros and cons will also be discussed.
Explanation of Some of the Traffic-Calming Elements in the Plan. Brief descriptions of some of the technical components of the plan.
Residents’ Questions About the Plan
The department has asked the associations to compile a list of residents’ questions about the plan and forward them to MCDOT before the meeting so it can be better prepared to respond.
PRA has prepared the following form to collect residents’ questions. Please submit your questions using this form: https://forms.gle/VGQnPaiXR4cWQiRT9.
The PRA will consolidate all Parkwood residents’ questions, without attribution, and forward them to MCDOT before the meeting. We will also share the questions, again without attribution, to all residents via the listserv and to members by email.
The deadline for submitting questions is Tuesday, September 22. After that, send your questions to Jeff Griffith, Vice President, Parkwood Residents Association: jeffgpra@gmail.com
Survey of Residents’ Opinions About the Plan
After the meeting with MCDOT, the PRA will survey residents for their opinions about the plan, including its specific components. Please use the form above only for questions about the plan.
MCDOT Traffic Studies Related to Parkwood Drive
Vehicle Speeds on Parkwood Drive: MCDOT Study and Findings
On September 16 and 17, 2025, when schools were in session, MCDOT conducted a 48-hour data collection on Parkwood Drive between Westbrook Lane and Puller Drive. It tracked the number and percentage of vehicles traveling at a range of specific speeds (e.g., 25-30 mph) at specific hours going in both northbound and southbound directions. Parkwood Drive is classified as a Neighborhood Connector (formerly Master Plan primary street).
With a 25 mph posted speed limit, the average vehicle speed recorded was 24 mph, with most vehicles traveling below 28 mph. A few vehicles were recorded traveling at speeds greater than 31 mph, and efforts to mitigate this activity are best addressed through enforcement by the Montgomery County Police Department.
The study was conducted in part to determine if Parkwood Drive qualified for Through Traffic Volume Access Restrictions in Residential Areas in accordance with Executive Regulation 17-94AM . To be a candidate for cut-through traffic restrictions, the roadway must meet the Regulation requirement of 400 vehicles per hour (vph) (see page 7 at the link provided). Our assessment found that the highest hourly volume was 354 vph. Therefore, MCDOT has determined that Parkwood Drive does not meet the eligibility criteria for through traffic access restrictions. It should also be noted that when restrictions of this type are imposed, they apply to residents as well as cut-through traffic.
Vehicle data collected September 16, 2025
Vehicle data collected September 17, 2025
Pedestrian and Bicyclist Crashes, 2015-2025
The MCDOT map shows one crash involving a pedestrian and one involving a cyclist between 2015 and 2025.
Vehicle Crash Data, 2025-2026
MCDOT table summarizes 6 vehicle crash incidents, 2015-2026
MCDOT Design Decision Matrix
The MCDOT decision making matrix lists the pros and cons of the various proposed changes, and why they decided in favor or against putting them on the revised plans.
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NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAMS: 2nd meeting, May 23, 2024
We held a follow-up meeting on the topic of Neighborhood Watch Programs [NWPs] on May 23, 2023, to discuss what, if anything, we might want to do, in addition to what we are already doing, to address our sense of an increase in criminal activities in Parkwood. [See next item on this page regarding the first meeting on NWPs held March 29, 2023.]
A summary of the discussion and action items that came out of that meeting can be found here.
The recording of the meeting is here. The passcode, which it is easiest to cut and paste, is ?3+X44G4
A link to some of the questions raised and to references to additional information about NWPs is here.
NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAMS: 1st meeting, March 29, 2023
We had an informative presentation and an interesting discussion at our PRA meeting on Neighborhood Watch Programs [NWPs] on Wednesday, March 29, 2023.
A summary of the meeting can be found here.
The Zoom link to the recording of the meeting along with the passcode is here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/L6UhU0tQJaMNGsdk2hmo-8VfSKi0gIKGkt1WnQpQVObRbkkiicrU0m4u5TQ-NmwR.Dc316akRUpR_vI7S
Passcode: gy$9#BxO [note that the last character is a capital “O”. Easier to cut and paste.]
A link to websites with more information regarding NWPs is here.
Based on the interest expressed, we will schedule a follow up meeting in May.
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Join the PRA
Membership in the Parkwood Residents Association is open to all residents of the Parkwood neighborhood located in Bethesda and Kensington, Maryland. Annual dues are just $10 per household and are put toward community activities. Full details on how to join or renew your membership can be found here.
PRA Listserve
The email list is open to residents of Parkwood. Non-resident individuals will be considered on a case-by-case basis, based on their specific association with Parkwood. Commercial solicitations are prohibited. You can access or join the listserve here.
Alternatively, to register for the PRA listserve, please go to the Google Groups website and enter “PRA-listserve” in the search box at the top of the screen. Select the PRA Listserve Group and then “Apply to be a member”. In the information box, please put your name and address or, if you do not live in Parkwood, put in the reason you would like to join the group. If your name and address are missing, your request will be denied. Most requests will be approved within 48 hours. You will receive a confirmation message when your email address has been added to the group. For more information and instructions for using the listserve, download this user guide.
Contact our listserve administrators with any problems or questions at residentsparkwood@gmail.com.
Things of interest
The Montgomery County Police Non Emergency Number is (301) 279 8000. Please use this number to report any minor incidents you see in the neighborhood. Theft from unlocked cars constitutes the majority of incidents within our community, please remember to lock your car when you leave it.
Help keep Parkwood beautiful. You can dial 311 to request mowing of common areas, or report it to the Beautification Comittee.
Montgomery County requires that dogs are leashed when off the owner’s property and that owners clean up after their pets. To assist, the PRA maintains six litter bag dispensers in Parkwood: one at the park entrance at Saul and Parkwood, one on the KP Elementary playground (at the backstop), one near the intersection of Wildwood and Dresden, one at the intersection of Wildwood and Parkwood Drive, one at the park entrance at the intersection of Parkwood and Westbrook and one at the easement entrance on Edgefield Road. A map of these locations can be found here. If you notice that a dispenser is empty, please send a message noting which dispenser needs to be refilled to residentsparkwood@gmail.com.
If you have content or suggestions for this site, please contact us at residentsparkwood@gmail.com.
