More News

Pedestrian-themed television show dishes out safety tips

Bethesda man’s cable access show is picked up by the DISH network and will begin airing this month

Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2006

Click here to enlarge this photo Brian Lewis⁄The Gazette John Z. Wetmore, producer and host of ‘‘Perils for Pedestrians” stands at the intersection of Bethesda and Woodmont avenues in Bethesda. He says the intersection is dangerous for pedestrians because it is too wide and cars drive through it too fast.

Even as a child, the subject weighed on him.

While other kids likely pondered the injustices of homework or the merits of all-day recess, Wetmore thought about sidewalks.

‘‘I started grade school in Evanston, Ill., and walked to school starting in kindergarten,” he said. ‘‘I moved to Bethesda in the middle of sixth grade. There were no sidewalks and even though it was the same distance, all of a sudden I had to ride the bus to school.”

Decades later, Wetmore, 49, is still thinking about sidewalks — and bike trails, intersections and other issues that affect pedestrians and bicyclists.

Nearly 10 years ago, he turned that concern into a cable access television show called ‘‘Perils for Pedestrians,” which addresses problems and solutions when it comes to getting around without a car.

Starting this month, ‘‘Perils” will have a whole new audience. The show has been picked up by the Universityhouse Channel (9411), an educational station on the DISH Network satellite system and will begin airing this month.

‘‘I’m very excited,” Wetmore said. ‘‘I have a big smile on my face.”

Previously, the show aired on cable access channels in 27 states, including Montgomery Community Television (channel 21) and Montgomery Municipal Cable (channel 16).

‘‘Being on the DISH Network, anyone with a dish anywhere in the world will be able to see the program,” Wetmore said.

But it will also continue to air on cable.

‘‘I’m not abandoning my cable viewers,” he said.

While the audience might grow, Wetmore said the show will stay the same.

‘‘It’s going to be the same program,” he said. ‘‘I’ll still interview public officials and advocates here, and when I get a chance, around the country. It’ll still be 28 minutes long.”

Wetmore makes a living by doing freelance video production. He works on ‘‘Perils” in his spare time, he said.

Since Wetmore started the show nine and a half years ago, he said public awareness of pedestrian issues has grown.

‘‘Awareness has been increasing,” he said. ‘‘You see it in a number of ways.”

He said the number of pedestrian advocacy groups has grown around the country, transportation professionals are paying more attention to the issues and the public health community has been concentrating on walking as a way to fight obesity.

‘‘Things had finally gotten to the point where people had to do something about it,” he said.

In Wetmore’s judgment, Montgomery County falls somewhere in the middle compared to other places when it comes to pedestrian issues.

‘‘There’s been some good changes,” he said. ‘‘But we still have a problem with sometimes more talk than action.”

He said he’s glad to see more sidewalks being constructed around the county, but he would like to see more funding in the county’s budget go toward sidewalks, bikeways and other pedestrian safety improvements.

He also said with the building of the Intercounty Connector and consideration of emergency evacuation plans, planners should not forget the importance of alternative modes of transportation.

‘‘Pedestrians are not being given the same priority as automobiles,” he said.

For more information, visit www.pedestrians.org.