Reading the names of the 19 individuals who were killed last year walking or biking on the county roads, followed by a moment of silence, Montgomery County Council President Evan Glass announced the legislation creating safer streets for pedestrians and cyclists on the roadways.
In 2022, 19 pedestrians and bicyclists were killed, and 541 people were seriously injured on the County roads. Seven weeks into 2023, the County has had two fatalities and 25 injuries involving pedestrians and cyclists, according to the council’s data.
The Safe Streets Act of 2023, formally Bill 11-23, Motor Vehicles and Traffic – Traffic Control Signals, Devices, and Enforcement Action Plan, prioritizes pedestrians by enhancing walk times at crosswalks, prohibits “right turn on red” at busy intersections in downtown areas, and requires infrastructure reviews following incidents in school zones. The proposed legislation also requires the County Executive to provide an automated traffic enforcement plan, reads the legislation.
Glass, who chairs the Transportation and Environment Committee, is a leading voice for Vision Zero, a “strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all”.
The legislation will be formally introduced on Tuesday. The full text of the bill can be found here. A public hearing will be held on March 21 at 1:30 p.m.
