'Barnes Dance' Coming to Montgomery County, Maryland

A press release from the Montgomery County Government announced a big change implemented by the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT).

The press release announces a change to the intersection at Arlington Road and Bethesda Avenue in Bethesda. MCDOT changed the traffic signals to block vehicular traffic in all directions, "allowing pedestrians to cross all legs of the intersection at the same time."

According to the press release, the all-direction crosswalk is a component of a larger safety plan for the Arlington Road corridor. "Last fall, MCDOT restriped all the crosswalks and made other repairs to improve pedestrian infrastructure on Arlington Road. Since then, traffic signals at Moorland and Edgemoor Lanes were modified to increase walk time and include leading pedestrian intervals (LPI), which provide the walk signal to pedestrians prior to the green signal for traffic in the same direction." 

"All Direction" crosswalks, also known colloquially as "Barnes Dance" and "Pedestrian Scramble" crosswalks, have already gained popularity in nearby Washington, D.C. Los Angeles has also adopted a few Pedestrian Scrambles at intersections around the city.