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MoCo Rolls Out ‘YOLO’ Campaign To Discourage Distracted Walking

By WTOP Staff

YOLO campaign Facebook image, via MCDOT

Montgomery County on Wednesday rolled out a new campaign to discourage teens from looking at their smart phones or listening to music while crossing busy roads and intersections.

The effort, called YOLO (You Only Live Once), is being organized and promoted by the county’s Department of Transportation. On Wednesday, County Executive Isiah Leggett, MCPS Superintendent Joshua Starr and other officials held a press conference to announce the initiative at Seneca Valley High School in Germantown.

In October 2012, 15-year-old Seneca Valley student Christina Morris-Ward was struck and killed by a driver as she crossed the street a few blocks from the school. Officials said she was looking down at her phone.

The incident was one of a few in the fall of 2012 and winter of 2013 that spurred a number of Bethesda parents to start a petition pushing for traffic and road changes in school zones. In February 2013, a three-month old child in a stroller was hit and dragged from a crosswalk on Arlington Road near Bethesda Elementary School.

This week, Bethesda parent Wendy Leibowitz wrote Leggett, Starr and Council President Craig Rice calling the YOLO campaign “misguided because it does not focus on the real causes of pedestrian deaths.”

According to Leibowitz, the “fundamental cause” of pedestrian injuries and deaths is “the unsafe design of our roads.”

“The good news is that we know how to design roads to be safe for pedestrians and drivers alike. We ask you to use the considerable powers of your respective positions to encourage Montgomery County and the State of Maryland to redesign the roads around schools in the county so that children can safely use them to walk to and from school,” Leiobowitz wrote. “An additional cause of pedestrian injury and death is the unsafe and often illegal driver behavior encouraged by the unsafe road design. We believe that the best target for a public education campaign is drivers, not pedestrians.”

Seneca Valley students at the event on Wednesday signed a pledge to stay distraction-free while walking to school. County officials also highlighted a series of projects done over the past year by students, including at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, where students made and handed out wrist bands reminding people to make eye contact with drivers.

According to Leibowitz, pushing teen pedestrians to pay more attention is only part of the equation.

“Please refocus your energies into programs that will do the most to keep students safe: lowering speed limits in school zones; redesigning roads to be safer for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists; and driver education,” she wrote.

On Saturday, the Action Committee for Transit is hosting a “Bethesda Vision Zero Walk” starting at the Bethesda Library on Arlington Road. The group will point out “what works for pedestrians and what does not.”

Photo via MCDOT

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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