Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett today announced that, starting next July, $4.8 million from the County’s speed cameras will be used to fully fund his Pedestrian Safety Initiative. The Initiative outlines a comprehensive approach to pedestrian safety that, for the first time, provides the County with a blueprint for action based on measurable strategies.

“My Pedestrian Safety Initiative outlines a strategic plan that protects the lives of our families, those who walk, those who bicycle, and -- yes -- those who drive,” said Leggett. “But without full funding, transforming our pedestrian environment will be delayed. Despite the serious budget shortfalls we are experiencing, I have found a way to jumpstart the significant expansion of our pedestrian safety efforts by using revenues from the speed camera program. Every resident deserves a truly walkable community, and I am committed to improving the pedestrian environment for future generations.”

The Pedestrian Initiative details seven strategies to reduce pedestrian collisions, with a price tag of about $4.8 million in recurring annual costs. Its strategies and recommendations are being supplemented through analysis by the CountyStat process and public input to ensure that funded projects are the ones that will have the greatest impact on improving pedestrian safety. CountyStat will provide input to the Pedestrian Safety Task Force, headed by Montgomery County Department of Transportation Director Art Holmes. The Task Force will prioritize funding for the specific projects identified in the Initiative.

In fiscal year (FY) 2008, speed camera net revenues were $6.2 million. Total net revenues for FY 2009 are projected to be $7.5 million.

The Pedestrian Safety Initiative was an interagency, cooperative effort between the County Executive, Councilmember Valerie Ervin as the County Council representative on the Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee, and the Montgomery County Planning Board.

“I am so proud to be working with the County Executive on an issue that is a top priority for me—creating safe, walkable communities in Montgomery County,” said Councilmember Valerie Ervin, who serves on the County’s Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee and represents Kensington, Takoma Park, Silver Spring and Wheaton. “While no one likes to get a speeding ticket, speed cameras are an essential piece of the pedestrian safety puzzle because drivers, who are aware of the speed cameras, generally reduce their rate of speed and this minimizes collisions and limits injuries.”

Specifically, seven strategies are designed to increase pedestrian mobility and safety in order to reduce pedestrian-related crashes, injuries, fatalities, and their associated social and economic costs; and ensure that all areas of the County provide safe and convenient travel options for pedestrians.

The Strategies are:

Strategy 1: Target pedestrian safety improvements in High Incidence Areas

Strategy 2: Assess and improve pedestrian network and connectivity needs

Strategy 3: Increase emphasis on pedestrians and bicyclists during the planning process

Strategy 4: Identify and implement corridor and intersection modifications and traffic calming treatments

Strategy 5: Upgrade pedestrian signals

Strategy 6: Assess and enhance street lighting

Strategy 7: Modify pedestrian and driver behavior through enhanced enforcement and educational efforts

The Initiative sets out timeframes and budgets for new and enhanced efforts to achieve each strategy. However, because of budget constraints, the FY2009 budget included additional funding only for a portion of Strategy 1.

In April 2007, the County began collecting fines from the speed camera program. The program is designed to enforce speed limits in designated speed enforcement zones located in residential areas and school zones with a speed limit of 35 miles per hour (mph) or less using both mobile speed enforcement vehicles and fixed cameras. Violators receive a civil citation and a $40 fine. No license “points” are assigned, and insurance providers are not notified of the citation. Under State law, revenues from speed cameras must be used for public safety programs.

“Enhancing pedestrian and traffic safety is exactly how these funds were intended to be used,” said Delegate Bill Bronrott (District 16, Bethesda), a chief sponsor of the speed photo enforcement legislation approved by the General Assembly in 2005. “It makes sense for those who break the law to help pay for sorely needed education, enforcement and engineering projects that will make our county more pedestrian-friendly.”

A survey conducted in Montgomery County by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety six months after the speed cameras were installed found that the proportion of drivers traveling more than 10 mph above posted speed limits declined by about 70 percent at Montgomery County locations with both warning signs and speed camera enforcement, 39 percent at locations with warning signs but no speed cameras, and 16 percent on residential streets with neither warning signs nor speed cameras. Public opinion surveys found 74 percent of Montgomery County drivers thought speeding on residential streets was a problem. Six months after enforcement began, 60 percent of drivers were aware of the camera program and 62 percent supported it.

The press event was held at the site of the first fixed speed camera at the intersection of Randolph Road and Bluhill Road, where both Wheaton High School and the Wheaton/Glenmont Pool are located. From May 2 to August 15, 2007, police monitoring the intersection with the mobile speed camera van issued an average of nearly 50 citations an hour to drivers who exceeded the 35 mph speed limit by more than 10 mph. Of all the school locations monitored that summer, the Wheaton High School intersection was by far the worst.

This is the fourth of five press events that Leggett is holding during the first two weeks in September to highlight pedestrian safety and the progress the County is making on its pedestrian safety priorities. Leggett has designated the week of September 1 as “Pedestrian Safety Week” in Montgomery County.

For more information on the County’s pedestrian safety program, go to www.montgomerycountymd.gov/walk.