For Immediate Release: Thursday, October 8, 2020
The closure to vehicular traffic on Newell Street runs from East-West Highway to Kennett Street and is intended to provide more outdoor space for the local community. Acorn Park is one of the nine designated Picnic in the Park locations, a collaboration between Visit Montgomery’s MoCoEats and Montgomery Parks. The program allows park users to receive food and drink deliveries from participating nearby restaurants that make their menus accessible by scanning QR codes with a mobile device.
Each of the parks in the Picnic in the Park program has a designated "delivery zone" that is marked with a sign, along with multiple picnic areas that are physically distanced. Montgomery Parks has provided picnic tables for the Newell Street closure and intends to further activate the space for residents if the closure is continued into fall. Montgomery Parks increased trash collection and security services in Acorn Park to support the Picnic in the Parks program.
MCDOT’s traffic engineers evaluated the Newell Street area before instituting the closure and during the closure. No safety concerns or resulting congestion or traffic flow issues have been observed. However, some residents have expressed concerns over the impact of the street closure on commuting patterns relative to East-West Highway.
A complete list of all Shared Streets locations and initiatives, including maps, can be viewed at MCDOT’s Shared Streets website at montgomerycountymd.gov/dot/sharedstreets/.
For ongoing updates, follow @MCDOTNow on Twitter, visit the department website at montgomerycountymd.gov/mcdot, subscribe to MCDOT news releases or subscribe to MCDOT’s ‘Go Montgomery!’ newsletter.
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