Residents of the Accokeek area are frustrated with Maryland state officials for not properly maintaining their roadways, such as neglecting to cut grass 3 feet tall and taller in certain areas along Route 210.
Many of those living in southern Prince George's County are asking why the state is ignoring the tall grass along its roadways.
Brinson Evans said the area has not had a 100 percent cut in months. Evans said the area is supposed to be on a six-week cycle, but it has never been close to that.
“What's going on with the grass on 210 all the way up to Fort Washington? It's just not in Accokeek,” Evans said.
Evans is a member of the Roadway Advocacy Committee for South County, a committee of residents dedicated to improving Route 210.
Evans said the committee formed about two years ago and meets quarterly with the Maryland State Highway Administration. He also said while they've seen a number of improvements, the grass has been an ongoing issue.
A major issue the group focuses on is that the neglect in mowing the medians and sides of roadways with grass three feet and higher appears to stop at the Charles County line.
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“Our issue has been why don't we get the same service as Charles County on a Maryland state road,” Evans said.
He said the committee received an answer from Maryland Department of Transportation about the issue saying the county was struggling to hire contractors, however Evans said he is skeptical of this response.
A spokesperson with the Prince George's County Executive's Office said the office shares concerns about the appearance of state roads and recently met with the MSHA to discuss mowing and litter collection.
Evans said the lack of maintenance has gotten so bad that one resident has started cutting grass along a service road himself so pedestrians can safely walk.
“There is no way we should have to cut our own grass,” he said.
In response to News4’s questions, the MSHA is taking swift action, saying it will cut the grass on 210 from the Beltway to the Charles County line starting Thursday.
The administration also said the following:
“Typically, the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) uses a six-week mowing and litter collection cycle across most of our roads. This summer, grass along our roadways has grown rapidly due to above average rainfall, along with hot and humid conditions. Our maintenance crews are scheduled to begin the next MD 210 mowing cycle on Thursday, August 18, 2022. Mowing operations will begin at the Charles County line and move north to the Capital Beltway. We continue to encourage citizens to report any issues with state roadways via our customer service link, which is available here."
The Prince George's County Executive's Office released the following statement:
“When our office receives emails or calls about State roads that need maintenance work, or when those calls come in through PGC311, we flag the issue for the State Highway Administration. We share our residents’ concerns about the state of SHA roadways because they are gateways to our County and Maryland. In this specific instance, we are happy to hear that SHA will deploy mowing resources to MD-210 next week.
“In response to a number of concerns from County residents about the appearance of State roads in the County, our office recently coordinated a meeting with SHA, our Department of Public Works & Transportation, and other partners to discuss litter collection, mowing, and other maintenance issues on State-maintained roads. We will continue to collaborate with the State to ensure we can effectively address our residents’ concerns.”
Residents in the area told News4 that they are excited about the state finally coming to cutting grass and that they hope it will continue.
