County Council President Evan Glass (D–At Large) today will formally introduce a bill intended to create safer streets for pedestrians and bicyclists.
The Safe Streets Act of 2023, formally titled Bill 11-23, Motor Vehicles and Traffic –Traffic Control Signals, Devices, and Enforcement Action Plan, is intended to “advance the county’s Vision Zero goals by eliminating serious and fatal crashes through the means of addressing specific transportation initiatives,” according to the council staff report.
“In 2022, 19 pedestrians and bicyclists were killed and 541 people seriously injured on Montgomery County roads,” reads a press release. “Seven weeks into 2023, the county has had two fatalities and 25 injuries involving pedestrians and cyclists.”
“Every pedestrian and bicyclist fatality is an avoidable and devastating loss to our community,” said Glass, who also chairs the Transportation and Environment Committee. “We must take bold steps to address roadway concerns and make our streets safer for pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers. The Safe Streets Act of 2023 will bring much-needed safety improvements to our roads, help advance our Vision Zero goals and prevent additional injuries and deaths in our community.”
Specifically, the bill would:
- Require an infrastructure review for pedestrian-related collisions within a county’s school zone
- Prohibit a driver of a motor vehicle from making a right turn on a red at certain intersections
- Require certain traffic control devices at crosswalks in the county’s downtown and town center areas
- Require the County Executive to provide an automated traffic enforcement plan, and
- Generally amend the law regarding motor vehicles and traffic control.
A public hearing on Bill 11–23 will be held on March 21 at 1:30 p.m.
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