How long do you think "walk" signals at crosswalks should last? Should it depend on the demographics of the neighborhood?

The Friendship Heights Transportation Management District Advisory Committee is working with transportation officials to increase the length of time that a walk signal lasts for signalized crosswalks on Wisconsin Avenue near medical buildings.

The committee is hoping to get the signals to reflect a 3.5-feet-per-second pedestrian crossing rate rather than a rate of 4 feet per second.

The slower crossing rate would be beneficial to many of Friendship Heights' residents, many of whom are senior citizens—it's a "naturally occurring retirement community," Ken Hartman, director of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, said at a meeting of the Quality of Life/Public Safety Committee of the Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board on Monday night.

And, Friendship Heights' senior citizens and many other people visiting the medical buildings might need a little extra time to cross the street, Jim Carlson, planning specialist for the Montgomery County Department of Transportation, said at a meeting of the Land Use/Transportation Committee of the Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board on Monday night.

Do you think pedestrian safety is a serious concern in Chevy Chase? Tell us in the comments.