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Can you cross Rockville Pike in 8 seconds?

The pedestrian light at the Bou Avenue crosswalk allows just 8 seconds before it begins flashing red.

Eighty-three year old David Schoenbaum loves good bagels.

The problem is that the walk from his apartment in Rockville to the nearby Bagel City Bakery requires Schoenbaum to cross 6 lanes of Rockville Pike.

Schoenbaum is among those who find it infuriating that the pedestrian light at the Bou Avenue crosswalk allows just 8 seconds before it begins flashing red.

"You should not have to win an Olympic medal just to get a bagel," Schoenbaum says.

But there is progress to report. Last week, with the urging of County Council member Roger Berliner, who also lives nearby, the Montgomery County added 6 seconds of flashing red "don't walk" before releasing traffic.

"You still can't get to the median before it begins flashing red," Schoenbaum says.

Friday morning Schoenbaum joined the Action Committee for Transit to stage a "bagel walk."

The group says pedestrian safety should be a top priority on Rockville Pike as county planners seek to encourage high density condo, apartment and residential development in the area.

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