Instead of Safety, Md. Footbridge Brings Muggings

County spokeswoman Esther Bowring said police were shown designs in later phases of the project, when they also were being presented to the public. "People realized there were some issues," she said.

Bowring said officials tried to mesh safety concerns with the need to design a bridge that would crisscross three exit ramps and be accessible to the disabled.

Police have made no arrests in the robberies. Capt. Betsy Davis, who commands the Silver Spring police district with jurisdiction over the area, said she and her officers have stepped up patrols and have been in frequent contact with public works official Tim Cupples about lights that repeatedly failed.

They are looking into a variety of ways to make the bridge safer, including installing cameras and call boxes, Davis said. The lights are working now but might need to be brighter, she said.

Davis's staff also has been examining the bridge's design to see whether other solutions are possible. In the meantime, she has regularly contacted residents and neighborhood associations to keep them apprised of crimes and has cautioned residents to walk with heightened awareness.

"I am not happy about what is happening," she said.

Davis said the first two robberies might have been committed by the same person. About noon Nov. 7, a 59-year-old man walking north to the Forest Glen Metro station was robbed by a knife-wielding man; about 2 p.m. the next day, a 57-year-old man walking to the Metro was accosted by a man who pointed a gun at him. That victim fought back, hitting the suspect with a bag and apparently scaring him off.

On Jan. 11, a 37-year-old man was listening to an iPod while walking south from the Metro station about 6:30 p.m. He was accosted by a man with a gun who asked for money. When the victim said he had none, the man asked for his iPod. The victim instead hit the man with a briefcase, and the man ran off, Davis said.

The Linden Civic Association, which Warren heads, has scheduled a meeting tonight with police and public works officials to discuss the problems at the bridge.

"At this point, we are focused on trying to turn this into a positive situation," he said. "No one wants to see the county make an investment like that and have it go for naught."