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MISSION STATEMENT

Through the use of data-informed and equitable approaches, Montgomery County will systematically update the roadway network and build a culture of safety through purposeful education and enforcement campaigns to eliminate serious injury and fatal collisions from Montgomery County roadways.

LINKAGE TO COUNTY RESULT AREAS

  • Safe Neighborhoods
  • Easier Commutes

PROGRAM CONTACTS

Contact Wade Holland, Vision Zero Coordinator at 240.777.2623; Michael L. Paylor of the Department of Transportation at 240.777.2190; Capt. Warren Jensen of the Department of Police at 240.773.6600; Neil Greenberger of the Office of Public Information at 240.777.6532; or Gregory Bruno of the Office of Management and Budget at 240.777.2773 for more information regarding this initiative's operating budget.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Vision Zero is an international initiative that relies on data-informed and equitable approaches to improve the design of roads, conduct targeted education and enforcement, and change policies to end serious and fatal traffic crashes. Montgomery County adopted Vision Zero as the successor to the successful Pedestrian Safety Initiative in 2016. The County's Action Plan recommits the County to improving pedestrian safety and expands the collaborative effort to improving safety for drivers and cyclists. The goal of the 2030 Action Plan is to eliminate serious and fatal collisions by 2030. The target will be achieved by completing 45 action items in the areas of complete streets, a multi-modal future, and a culture of safety. To learn more about Vision Zero and to read the 2030 Action Plan, visit https://montgomeryCountymd.gov/visionzero/.

RESULTS

According to preliminary data, there were 252 serious and fatal collisions in 2023, a 32 percent reduction compared to the pre-Vision Zero five-year average (2012-2016). To continue moving towards our long-term goal of zero serious and fatal crashes, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) continued reviews of roadway segments along the High Injury Network (HIN) including Lost Knife Road, Crystal Rock Drive, and Randolph Road. MCDOT is partnering with the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) to enhance safety on MD 97 (Georgia Avenue) and MD 185 (Connecticut Avenue) in Aspen Hill, which will make it safer for people walking and biking. MCDOT continued installing protected bicycle lanes across the County. During fiscal year 2023, MCDOT and MDOT SHA had eight bikeway projects completed or under construction, four completed design projects with construction pending, and nineteen projects under design. Educational efforts have been conducted in HINs, pedestrian collision hot spots, as well as targeted to high-risk groups including a new Spanish language campaign for helping drivers and pedestrians understand the newly installed pedestrian hybrid beacons in the County. These efforts were conducted in coordination with enforcement efforts and have been used to change unsafe pedestrian and driver behaviors. Engineering improvements, along with education and enforcement, have modified perceptions of risk and responsibility on the roads and sidewalks. For a full update, see the FY23 Vision Zero Annual Report available on the Vision Zero website by using the following link: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/visionzero/Resources/Files/FY23_Vision_Zero_Annual_Report.pdf.

County Council approved $142.3 million in FY25 expenditures in support of Vision Zero. The FY25 Approved Operating Budget includes $64.8 million for Vision Zero initiatives. In addition, the Capital Improvements Program (CIP) includes $77.5 million in expenditures for FY25.

Services dedicated to improving traffic safety include general program offerings, as well as targeted services. These services address current critical needs and the desired outcome of reducing serious and fatal collisions. Below are some of the major County government programs currently supporting Vision Zero.

Department of Transportation
  • Continue expansion of traffic signals and Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons (PHBs) to increase pedestrian and bicycle visibility and safety. Over 50 new PHBs and signals have been installed by the County and State since the first Vision Zero Action Plan in 2018.
  • Conduct bus stop safety audits along corridors throughout the County, focused on HIN corridors and road segments with high numbers of transit/bus stops and high pedestrian crossing volumes to improve safety and accessibility for transit users.
  • Improve the ability of students to walk or bike to school safely through enhanced facilities as part of the Safe Routes to Schools program. This includes the evaluation and assessment of traffic and operational safety proximal to County schools.
  • Participate in regional Street Smart education campaigns to enhance pedestrian safety. The campaigns use transit/bus shelters, transit-related advertising, and gas station advertising throughout the County to promote safe behaviors and raise awareness about the importance of bicycle and pedestrian safety. The four-week media campaigns, proffered twice yearly, are also coordinated with targeted enforcement actions. Since 2015, this campaign was modified and broadened to a County-wide, year-round effort to also reach teenage and senior populations.
  • Implement traffic calming improvements including the installation of pedestrian refuge islands, curb extensions, speed humps, and improved signing and markings. Where traffic calming has been employed in areas with collisions, there has been a measurable reduction in vehicles traveling above the posted speed limit and a 44 percent reduction in pedestrian-vehicle collisions.
  • Modify traffic signal phasing along some multilane roadways, such as Shady Grove Road, to regulate when left turns are permitted. By changing left-turn phasing and restricting left turns against opposing traffic, left-turn crashes at signalized intersections have been reduced. This initiative began at intersections where fatal crashes associated with left turns were documented, but this treatment is anticipated to be expanded to other signalized locations within the County.
  • Improve sidewalk connectivity to transportation, commercial and employment areas, and medical facilities throughout the County. New funding is focused on accelerating sidewalk construction near schools.
  • Provide curb ramps for sidewalks and other accessibility enhancements on County roadways through the ADA compliance program.
  • Completed construction of Woodmont Avenue Phase One, Emory Lane and Muncaster Mill Road Shared Use Path, White Flint West Workaround, and the Glenmont/Aspen Hill Neighborhood Greenway. Montgomery Avenue Phase 2B and the Capital Crescent Trail along the Purple Line were under construction as of the end of FY23.
  • MCDOT hosted a Vision Zero Youth Ambassador program with over 30 high school students to create the next generation of traffic safety leaders and develop projects that impact safety in their communities.
  • Conduct evaluations of pedestrian and bicycle facilities in eight of the County's twenty-eight Bicycle and Pedestrian Priority Areas (BiPPAs) and construct improvements to pedestrian and bicycle connectivity and safety in these BiPPAs. Design is on-going for pedestrian and bike facilities along Veirs Mill Road and Purple Line stations in Silver Spring and Langley Park.
  • Update streetlighting, signing, pavement marking, and traffic signal standards and investigate Complete Street guidelines that seek to address crucial Vision Zero core concepts.
  • Coordinate with M-NCPPC to review and approve trail crossings and intersections, projects that enhance safety at many mid-block crossings throughout the County.
  • Coordinate with MDOT SHA to implement many safety improvements throughout important High Injury Network corridors. This year MDOT SHA advanced projects along Old Georgetown Road and New Hampshire Avenue.
Department of Police
  • Manage and analyze a database of collision data used to inform policy and program decisions through the Police Traffic Operations Division, such as the identification of high crash locations, locations for traffic calming improvements, and groups and areas at high risk of being involved in serious and fatal collisions.
  • Prioritize enforcement of pedestrian safety and traffic safety laws in the High Injury Network and areas around elementary, middle, and high schools in coordination with MCDOT's pedestrian safety education activities. Overall, enhanced enforcement of pedestrian and traffic safety laws helps modify perceptions of risk and responsibility on the road, can change behavior, and contribute to building a culture of safety.
  • Ran a successful Holiday Alcohol Task Force from November 2023 to January 2024 with 143 arrests for driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol and/or drugs. During the task force, MCPD partnered with MCDOT and Alcohol Beverage Services (ABS) for a safety campaign providing safe alternatives to driving impaired.
  • Coordinate with municipal, Maryland Transportation Authority, and State Police for joint efforts to address excess speed and car races.
  • Continue to implement Countywide speed, red-light, and school bus camera enforcement to slow traffic to posted speed limits. MCPD's contract is expanding the fleet of red-light and speed cameras available at approved locations across the County.
  • Montgomery County Police have been instrumental in helping reduce the number of pedestrian collisions by:
    • administering special pedestrian crosswalks;
    • operating safe streets corridors;
    • conducting holiday and school enforcements; and
    • dedicating regular on-duty police enforcement in HINs to issue warnings to pedestrians and motorists.
Office of Public Information
  • Elevate Vision Zero events, campaigns, and safety messaging through timely press releases, media advisories, and posts on social media.
  • Continue the bilingual education of the public, in cooperation with Montgomery County Police Department and all departments represented on the Vision Zero Steering Committee regarding the three main causes of fatal and serious-injury crashes:
    • Distracted drivers;
    • Impaired drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians; and
    • Crosswalk issues, i.e.; drivers turning right (or left) into pedestrians and pedestrians crossing mid-block on major roadways.

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