FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS:

The Panel has organized its findings and recommendations to be consistent with the Three E's approach to pedestrian safety (Education, Enforcement and Engineering). An additional set of recommendations regarding legislative initiatives also has been included.

The Panel views this report as an Action Plan for the County's efforts to improve pedestrian safety and enhance the walkability of our community. To this end, two overall recommendations are key to achieving the Panel's mission:

1. Designate a senior level position within the Executive Branch of the County
government to coordinate and implement ongoing pedestrian and traffic safety
activities. A senior level position-possibly reporting to the County Executive and/or the
Chief Administrative Officer-is essential to elevate the importance, visibility, and
accountability of these efforts and to ensure the cooperation of all agencies. Additionally,
this individual should be accountable to lead the County's efforts in implementing the
recommendations of this report.

2. Establish a formal County Executive-appointed advisory board confirmed by the County Council, to oversee the implementation of the Panel's final report and to provide advice to elected officials and department directors regarding priorities and needs in the area of pedestrian and bicycle safety and access.

EDUCATION: FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Education Findings:

o Currently there is one pedestrian safety related question on the Maryland State written driver's Licensing Exam. This question is included on a random basis and therefore such a question does not appear on every licensing exam.

o Montgomery County Public Schools have no required unit on pedestrian safety education.

o The curriculum in traffic safety schools does not address pedestrian safety as an issue.

o Currently there is no section in the Driver's Handbook that deals exclusively with pedestrian/bicycle safety, nor are these handbooks available in other languages.

o Pedestrian safety education is not addressed in classes for newly arrived residents (e.g., ESOL classes).

o The Maryland State Motor Vehicle Accident Report currently does not collect data on ethnicity when pedestrian crash information is collected. The data on pedestrian fatalities and their country of origin can only be obtained from the State Medical Examiner's Office, where the ethnicity information is recorded on the death certificate.

Education Recommendations:

1. Montgomery County must take the lead in undertaking a comprehensive, ongoing public awareness/social-marketing campaign. To ensure the greatest positive impact on both drivers and pedestrians, the campaign should integrate:

2. Pedestrian safety curriculum should be included as a mandatory unit in school health programs/classes in grades K through 8. Currently, the material is available but left up to the teachers' discretion to include it in the classroom. Appropriate student measurement should determine the effectiveness of this addition to the safety curriculum.

3. Pedestrian safety segments should be included in all ESOL classes with appropriate student measurement.

4. The State should expand pedestrian safety material in the MVA handbook and private driver training schools course curriculum.

5. The MVA driver's exam should include mandatory questions about pedestrian safety.

6. A pedestrian safety segment should be included in driver improvement classes.

ENFORCEMENT: FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Enforcement Findings:

o For all pedestrian fatalities, 69% were not crossing in crosswalk.

o Alcohol as a pedestrian condition was a factor in nearly one-fifth of all pedestrian fatalities.

o For over half (56%) of those pedestrians killed, there was no pedestrian signal where the crash occurred.

o Between 1996-2000, 26 fatalities and 3,550 injuries occurred due to red light running.

o Costs for these red light running crashes from 1996-2000 totaled $333 million.

1 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Status Report, 36 (5), May 19, 2001
2 Statistics listed are courtesy of Maryland State Highway Administration, Office of Traffic and Safety, Traffic Safety Analysis Division
3 Statistics listed are courtesy of Maryland State Highway Administration, Office of Traffic and Safety, Traffic Safety Analysis Division
4 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Status Report 35 (5), May 13, 2000

Enforcement Recommendations:

1. Law enforcement agencies must step-up and maintain an ongoing and visible pedestrian and traffic safety enforcement effort to combat dangerous driver and pedestrian behavior, such as aggressive driving, drunk driving, red light running, excessive speeding and jaywalking.

2. Dramatically reduce excessive speeding through increased enforcement. The results of these efforts should be used as one of the major performance measures of law enforcement agencies in Montgomery County and the Department of Public Works and Transportation. The desired outcome should be an increase in the percentage of roads whose top operating speed (85th percentile) is at or below the posted speed limit.

3. Increase enforcement of pedestrian right-of-way in crosswalks: 

4. Increase resources and revenues to support Montgomery County's traffic safety enforcement.

5. Pedestrian traffic safety law violations must be aggressively adjudicated by the court system. In cooperation with representatives of the County's judicial, legal, law enforcement and executive branches of the government, the Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee should present to the County Executive and Advisory Board an annual report on pedestrian traffic safety violations and their outcomes.

6. Improve the collection and publication of data concerning traffic safety law enforcement.

7. Law enforcement agencies in Montgomery County should analyze the location of pedestrian deaths and injuries in cooperation with DPWT.

8. Expand the human and technological resources available to the County Police Department to enforce traffic safety laws. School crossing guards, bus drivers, County Transportation and Ride-On staff should be encouraged to report traffic violations of offending drivers by phone call or letter. Law enforcement technology should be routinely used throughout the County to step up traffic enforcement efforts, including red light cameras and speed monitoring devices.

9. Involve the public in traffic safety enforcement efforts. A central phone number should be posted on all County vehicles (police, Ride-On, DPWT, Park and Planning, school buses, etc.) for citizens to call to report unsafe driving by noting the vehicle's license plate number. There should be zero tolerance for County employees who do not scrupulously obey traffic laws and the public should be encouraged to report County employees that commit violations.

10. Continue an aggressive recruitment campaign to fill all County Police vacancies. These vacancies are currently significant and continue to grow in numbers, impacting resources normally devoted to pedestrian traffic safety enforcement efforts.

ENGINEERING: FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Engineering Findings:

o Make it easy for pedestrians to safely cross the street.

o Provide convenient and safe access parallel to roadways.

o Offer connectivity between neighborhoods, commercial, transit and recreational centers and educational facilities.

Engineering Recommendations:

1. Montgomery County and the State of Maryland should embrace and proactively implement a Pedestrian Safety Engineering Tool Box that contains many of the most effective and innovative engineering options available to make our County a safe and walkable community. These tools include countdown pedestrian signals, in-pavement crosswalk lights, traffic channelization, road diet devices and other traffic calming techniques. (SEE PAGES 39-47 FOR THE COMPLETE ENGINEERING TOOL BOX).

2. The Pedestrian Safety Engineering Tool Box solutions should address three primary needs of pedestrians: adequate pedestrian access parallel to roadways, the ability of all pedestrians to safely cross roadways, and safe walking routes that connect communities to schools, transit, recreational facilities, commercial and retail areas, and other communities.

3. Montgomery County's roadway, intersection, sidewalk, and streetscape design standards should be brought into full conformity with the most innovative, pedestrian-friendly national design guidelines. The State of Maryland should also embrace engineering options to maximize pedestrian safety and access.

4. M-NCPPC should include a section addressing pedestrian access and safety in all Master Plans and Sector Plans.

5. The County should require that all public and private construction projects include a "Pedestrian Impact Statement," including a process for review by the County to maximize pedestrian safety and access.

6. The County should continue enhancements of its collection and use of pedestrian and vehicular crash data. Success will be indicated when crash locations are mapped on a regular basis, by type for each year and groups of years, backed up by supporting analysis and detail, and are used to identify, design and prioritize solutions ranging from transportation facility reconstruction to enforcement actions. In addition, it is recommended that citizen complaints about troublesome pedestrian and traffic safety conditions be tracked and analyzed for potential problems.

7. Montgomery County should carry out a countywide "Safe Routes to Schools" program to maximize safety and access for students at all schools for limits set for bus service (i.e., two miles for high schools). A safe route to school should also be ensured for students walking to their school bus stops. The effectiveness will be measured by tracking pedestrian crashes and choice of walk access (as compared to driving, being dropped off, etc.) by students and their parents.

8. Reassess adequacy of all pedestrian signal timings. Where insufficient time exists to cross the street, additional time should be provided, or sufficient pedestrian refuge islands, additional pedestrian signals, and reliable, pedestrian-activated push buttons should be provided in the median to make a safe crossing. Pedestrians should be given priority at all traffic signals within business districts, school zones, recreation, and high-density residential areas. To reduce collisions, intersections with high pedestrian and motor vehicle volumes should have a dedicated signal phase. The effectiveness would be measured by tracking crashes at these locations.

9. Relocate inconveniently placed and mid-block bus stops closer to intersections to encourage transit-using pedestrians to use crosswalks. Ideally, all bus stops should be immediately adjacent to safe crosswalks. The effectiveness of this action will be measured by tracking collisions and use of crosswalks by bus patrons.

10. Provide safe ADA-compatible crossings at all bus stops. Where existing bus stops do not meet this criterion, an ADA-compatible crossing should be constructed, the bus stop should be moved or, as a last resort, the bus stop should be eliminated. An assessment of all existing bus stops should be completed in six months and necessary changes made in the following six months. The effectiveness will be measured by tracking crashes and use of crosswalks at these locations.

11. Public and major private building entrances, especially for schools and other facilities serving the youth and aged, should similarly be located with reference to safe ADA-compatible street crossings. Design review should guard against sitting major entrances where crossings are unsafe. Existing problem areas, evidenced by pedestrian crashes or unsafe behavior, should be corrected with building retrofits, crosswalk additions or modifications, or the erection of pedestrian barriers (least desirable unless temporary).

12. Install additional traffic signals in Central Business Districts (CBD's) and other high activity locations to give pedestrians more locations to cross streets safely by controlling traffic flow and speed.

13. Reduce the number of right-turns-on-red, or limit them to off-peak hours, at intersections within Central Business Districts, other high-density areas, and frequent crash "hot spot" locations. The effectiveness of this change will be measured by tracking collisions at these locations.

14. Undertake a review of the speed limits on County and State roads to ensure that speed limits are realistic and reflect operating conditions and adjacent development patterns. Where the average speed is in excess of the posted speed limit, remedial engineering measures should be undertaken to reduce speeds. Conditions that would require full-time enforcement of the speed limit should be eliminated.

15. Include public compliance with the posted speed limits as part of the performance measures of both the Police Department and the Department of Public Works and Transportation. The desired outcome measure should be an increase in the percentage of roads whose 85th percentile operating speed is at or below the posted speed.

16. Road widening projects should anticipate potential speeding problems that often develop during non-peak hours, and include a plan to control speeds as part of their design. Developers should design their on-site roads in such a way that future speeding problems are avoided.

17. Replace all pedestrian crossing signs with the new florescent yellow/green signs in all school zones by the end of calendar year 2002. Funding was eliminated from the FY02 budget at the point when only 40 percent of the old signs had been replaced. The effectiveness of these signs will be measured by tracking crashes at these locations.

18. "Stop for Pedestrians" paddle signs should be placed at the roadway centerline at all unsignalized crosswalks in CBD's and other areas of high pedestrian activity to reinforce pedestrians' right-of-way. Signs should be posted at the gateways to CBD's and other commercial areas noting the maximum fine for failure to yield to pedestrians ($500), similar to what is done for littering, which has a maximum $1000 fine.

19. Fully fund the County's crosswalk re-striping program, shorten the current five-year re-striping cycle to every two years along major highways and arterials, and annually in school and transit zones. Agencies receiving permits for work in the roadway should be required to post a bond and replace pavement markings within three days of completing repaving operations. Failure to replace the pavement markings should result in loss of the bond and a freeze on any future permits until the work is done.

20. The lighting policy for State roads should be revised to reflect the recommendations of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), which is the policy being adopted by DPWT. An assessment of the existing lighting levels of all State roads should be done and remedial measures taken where needed, giving priority to transit routes and commercial and high-density pedestrian and residential areas.

21. Once DPWT's lighting policy revision has been finalized, an assessment of the existing lighting levels of all major highways and arterials should be done and remedial measures taken where needed, giving priority to transit routes and commercial and high-density residential areas.

22. Adopt American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) recommendations for barriers to protect pedestrians on bridges and along roadways. Where a guardrail is located behind the sidewalk, it should be relocated to the curb line.

23. Locate ADA-compliant handicap ramps to provide the safest and shortest crossing for pedestrians. Each corner of an intersection should have two ramps.

24. Designate the pedestrian safety coordinator as the staff person responsible for disseminating ADA information within DPWT.

25. Provide adequate funding to DPWT for necessary pedestrian traffic safety engineering changes to meet the current challenges..

Legislative Recommendations:

1. Establish a "Homicide by Aggressive Driving" statute.

2. Establish a "Felony hit-and-run" statute. Currently, fleeing a scene of a fatal or serious-injury crash is only a misdemeanor.

3. Enact legislation to allow the use of photo enforcement cameras to ticket vehicles exceeding the posted speed limit.

4. Support legislation (HB 130) that would increase the State's share of building sidewalks and bicycle paths along State roads to 80%. Currently, the State has a 50/50 share with the counties and municipalities.

5. Double the fines against traffic law violators in school zones.

6. Remove the "must appear" in court provision in Maryland law [TR § 21-502, Pedestrians' right-of-way in crosswalks, (2) and (c)]. This significantly reduces the amount of time police officers must spend in court, and will encourage more active enforcement of this failure-to-yield-to-pedestrian law.

7. Increase penalties against repeat offenders of traffic safety laws.

8. Increase penalties against repeat offender drunk drivers, drunk drivers who test more than twice the .08 BAC legal limit, and suspected drunk drivers who refuse to take the BAC test.

9. Institute new penalty targeted at drivers blocking crosswalks and intersections (Don't Block the Box). While the offense (at intersections) is technically the same as red-light-running, the new fine should be set without points on the license to encourage substantial police enforcement.

10. State and County should enact budgets that increase funding for traffic safety enforcement, education and engineering.

11. The County should conduct a thorough review of Maryland State pedestrian traffic safety law violations to determine if the severity of the penalty/punishment is commensurate with the offense to ensure it serves as an effective deterrent.

Vision Statement and Overview

VISION
Montgomery County will be a a community where people of all ages and abilities can walk, bike, use transit, and/or travel by motor vehicle safely and comfortably in a pedestrian-friendly environment.

Montgomery County has grown to be the most populous jurisdiction (873, 341 residents) in the State of Maryland and is the second largest jurisdiction in the Washington Metropolitan region. Forty percent of the County's population are minorities. A large majority (72.5%) of commuters in the County drive alone, 9% carpool, and 13% use mass transit.1 About 560,000 passenger vehicles are registered in the County and almost 7,000 motorcycles. There are 657,994 licensed drivers in the County2; almost one-quarter of the County is not licensed to drive.

There are about 12,000 reportable collisions each year in Montgomery County. During the years 1997-1999, the number of pedestrian collisions increased from 369 to 416. During this period, the number of pedestrians killed increased from 11 to 18.3 Pedestrian fatalities as a percentage of all traffic fatalities in Montgomery County have exceeded State figures for the last four out of five years.

Approximately a quarter of these fatalities have occurred at intersections. Analysts have attributed this to higher vehicle speeds along roadways and midways between intersections, drivers reacting too slowly when a pedestrian appears unexpectedly where there is no crosswalk or traffic signal, and the mistaken belief by jaywalkers that a pedestrian always has the right-of-way.

In 1999, pedestrians involved in police-reported motor vehicle crashes had the following characteristics:4

In addition to the obvious concern over the increasing number of injuries and deaths, there continues to be a growing awareness of the public health benefits of walking. Heart and cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes are all leading causes of death in the United States. Walking can reduce the risk of all of these. A recent study by the National Institutes of Health showed that two simple lifestyle changes, walking 30 minutes a day and eating less fat, could significantly reduce the incidence of diabetes by over 60%.5 Other statistics show that since 1960 there has been a steady increase in (1) the number of miles spent behind the wheel of an automobile, (2) the number of hours spent watching television, and (3) the number of sedentary jobs in the workforce.6 A recent report by the U.S. Surgeon General on obesity asserts that dealing with overweight and obesity issues is the responsibility of not just the individual, but also that of the community."When there are no safe, accessible places for children to play or adults to walk, jog, or ride a bike, that is a community responsibility." 7

There is also a growing public awareness of pedestrian safety issues in general. In a 2001, National Louis Harris Poll conducted by Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, a survey of 1,001 adults found that 67 percent feel that more attention should be addressed to making it safer to cross the street. In the related matter of traffic congestion, the County is also facing numerous transportation challenges as a result of rapid growth in travel and development, according to a study conducted by the Federal Highway Administration. Population increases as predicted by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments will bring the Metro area population from 4 million to 5.4 million by the year 2025. This population growth translates into increases in the number of daily trips, higher amounts of total miles driven, greater traffic congestion, and longer traffic delays.

On any given day, most people in Montgomery County are both a motorist and a pedestrian. Some choose to rely solely on walking for recreational and commuting purposes. For many others, they must walk because they are not old enough to have a driver's license, or they are unable to drive due to physical medical restrictions or socio-economic constraints.

Regardless of age or ability, innovatively designed pedestrian-friendly communities give people safe and convenient access to schools and recreational facilities, transit, commercial and retail centers, and government buildings and services. Further, studies show that an enjoyable walking environment in retail and commercial areas enhances the economic vitality of the area.

5 National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institute of Health, 2001
6 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Physical Activity
7 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General's call to action to prevent and decrease overweight and obesity. [Rockville, MD]: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Office, Office of the Surgeon General; [2001].

Mission Statement and Objectives

MISSION:
To develop a comprehensive plan (including roles, responsibilities, and funding) to reduce traffic-related crashes, injuries, fatalities, and associated economic costs in a pedestrian-friendly environment.

In June 2000, Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan appointed the Blue Ribbon Panel on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety. The County Executive charged the Panel with formulating a coordinated plan to improve pedestrian and traffic safety in the County. The Panel was asked to address the interrelated problems of pedestrian safety and access, road design, intersection safety, and traffic management.

OBJECTIVES

In order to accomplish the mission of the Panel, the following broad objectives were identified:

MEASURING RESULTS

In order to determine the County's progress in achieving the vision of making Montgomery County a better place to walk, the Panel has recommended the following key measures:

The Panel believes that it is important to develop a limited number of key measures that can be used to track the overall success of the program, such as construction of more sidewalks, a decrease in excessive speeding and an increase in funding for education, enforcement and engineering. This approach will serve to keep decision-makers and the public focused on the main objectives.

County managers may wish to develop additional measures to assess how well the parts of the program they are managing are succeeding. Additional potential measures could include change in average speeds due to traffic calming projects, photo red-light violations per intersection monitored, the number of aggressive driving citations, and level of pedestrian activity.

THE PANEL

The Panel is comprised of 40 members to whom the issue of pedestrian and traffic safety is of special concern. From community advocates to State and County officials, these members represent a wide array of agencies and organizations, in both the public and private sectors, in Montgomery County, the State of Maryland, and nationally as well. (For a complete listing of the Blue Ribbon Panel members, see Appendix A).

The Panel met regularly from June 2000 to October 2001. Panel meetings were open to the public. Panel committees-Engineering, Enforcement, and Education-also met frequently, hearing from speakers and key stakeholders in the County and State.

One of the first steps taken by the Panel was to establish a Pedestrian Safety Web link on the Montgomery County home page (www.montgomerycountymd.gov). The site contained information of Panel meetings, community forums, links to additional resources, and a link (pedestrian.safety@montgomerycountymd.gov) for the public to contact the Panel directly with concerns, complaints, and suggestions. From August 2000 through October 2001, the Panel received nearly 200 letters of correspondence.

The Panel held two community forums, one in the down County region and one in the up County region, in order to hear directly from the community about their concerns and issues. Nearly 100 people total attended both forums. A summary of the community input can be found in Appendix B. In order to involve the broadest public representation, flyers announcing the forums were printed in Spanish as well as English and interpreters were available at both meetings.

The Panel heard presentations from key local pedestrian safety advocates and several nationally recognized experts in the field (see Appendix C). In addition, the Panel traveled to Northern Virginia to view first hand pedestrian safety enhancements in Arlington County and the City of Alexandria.

Representatives of the Panel traveled to Oakland, California to attend and participate in a national conference on pedestrian safety. In addition, several Panel members traveled to the Seattle area to attend the "Footprints and Bike Tracks" Conference and spent several days visiting surrounding jurisdictions to view modern engineering safety designs. The State of Washington is nationally recognized as being in the forefront of creating innovative programs and facilities to improve pedestrian and traffic safety.

Since June 2000, Montgomery County and the Blue Ribbon Panel have collaborated on several educational and media campaigns to raise the profile of pedestrian and traffic safety with the public. A list of the education activities can be found in Appendix D.

In January 2001, the Panel issued an Interim Report containing preliminary recommendations that primarily focus on assuring additional funding in the County's FY02 Operating Budget to enhance pedestrian safety. Specifically, the budget expanded pedestrian safety efforts by increasing the photo red light enforcement program-adding an additional 15 cameras, rotated among 20 additional camera sites; adding a new pedestrian/bicycle safety coordinator in the Department of Public Works and Transportation; adding traffic and crash data analysis staff within the Montgomery County Police Department to assess critical pedestrian and traffic crash statistics; and allocating $50,000 for a comprehensive public education campaign to reduce pedestrian injuries and deaths. For the Interim Report, please refer to Appendix E.

In addition, the Panel endorsed a County grant application submitted to the Maryland State Highway Administration for additional funds to support the countywide public education and enforcement campaign. In August 2001, the County Executive and the County Police Chief received notification of the award of a combined $90,000 in State funds to conduct public awareness and enforcement activities for greater pedestrian safety.

INTERIM REPORT TO ENHANCE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY

In January 2001, the Panel submitted preliminary recommendations to the County Executive that were urgently needed to reduce preventable deaths. Of those recommendations, the following actions have been taken.

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM

Pedestrian safety and access has become a primary concern for residents throughout Montgomery County. In response, the County must make substantial investments in the traffic-engineering arena in order to reduce pedestrian deaths and injuries and increase the walkability of our communities.

To this end, the Panel took the opportunity to offer advice and recommendations to the County Executive in July 2001, as the County was beginning the budget planning and preparation for the Capital Improvements Program (CIP) for FY03 (See Appendix F).

Satisfied that various intersections could be improved through relatively minor adjustments, such as a change in traffic signal patterns or permanent markings, while others would require more complex engineering, the Panel recommended that the next capital budget contain sufficient funding to carry out a series of highly visible pedestrian enhancements.

These safety and access improvements should feature innovative, state-of-the-art engineering design, such as elements of the Engineers Tool box developed by the Panel, including crosswalks with flashing embedded lights, countdown pedestrian crossing signals, and more.

A second element of the CIP funding should target "hot spot" locations identified as having the highest concentration of pedestrian crash incidents or the potential for such incidents, such as in high density pedestrian areas like Central Business Districts or near schools, transit stops or commercial areas. A large number of these locations involve State highways, therefore coordination with the State Highway Administration (SHA) will be important.

FINDINGS

Efforts to make Montgomery County a pedestrian-friendly, walkable community must focus on the "Three E's": education, by way of programs designed to reach motorists and pedestrians; enforcement, which applies laws related to enhanced pedestrian safety, and engineering, through innovative technology that creates safe, accessible routes for pedestrians.

By making pedestrian travel safer, easier and more convenient, other important objectives are achieved, including improving health and fitness, decreasing local vehicular congestion and pollution, and making the community more appealing to businesses, permanent residents and tourists.

Following the Panel's formation in June 2000, a great amount of research and data on pedestrian and traffic safety at County, State, and national levels has been collected and analyzed. In addition, citizen comments and observations provided anecdotal information.

EDUCATION FINDINGS

o Currently there is one pedestrian safety related question on the Maryland State written driver's Licensing Exam. This question is included on a random basis and therefore such a question does not appear on every licensing exam.

o Montgomery County Public Schools have no required unit on pedestrian safety education.

o The curriculum in traffic safety schools does not address pedestrian safety as an issue.

o Currently there is no section in the Driver's Handbook that deals exclusively with pedestrian/bicycle safety, nor are these handbooks available in other languages.

o Pedestrian safety education is not addressed in classes for newly arrived residents (e.g., ESOL classes).

o The Maryland State Motor Vehicle Accident Report currently does not collect data on ethnicity when pedestrian crash information is collected. The data on pedestrian fatalities and their country of origin can only be obtained from the State Medical Examiner's Office, where the ethnicity information is recorded on the death certificate.

8 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Status Report, 36 (5), May 19, 2001

ENFORCEMENT FINDINGS

o For all pedestrian fatalities, 69% were not crossing in crosswalk.

o Alcohol as a pedestrian condition was a factor in nearly one-fifth of all pedestrian fatalities.

o For over half (56%) of those pedestrians killed, there was no pedestrian signal where the crash occurred.

o Costs for these red light running crashes from 1996-2000 totaled $333 million.

9 Statistics listed are courtesy of Maryland State Highway Administration, Office of Traffic and Safety, Traffic Safety Analysis Division
10 Statistics listed are courtesy of Maryland State Highway Administration, Office of Traffic and Safety, Traffic Safety Analysis Division
11 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Status Report 35 (5), May 13, 2000

ENGINEERING FINDINGS

o Make it easy for pedestrians to safely cross the street.

o Provide convenient and safe access parallel to roadways.

o Offer connectivity between neighborhoods, commercial, transit and recreational centers and educational facilities.

PANEL RECOMMENDATIONS

The Panel has organized its recommendations to be consistent with the Three E's approach (Education, Enforcement and Engineering) to pedestrian safety. An additional set of recommendations regarding legislative initiatives also has been included.

The Panel views this report as an Action Plan for the County's efforts to improve pedestrian safety and enhance the walkability of our community. To this end, two overall recommendations are key to achieving the Panel's mission:

1. Designate a senior level position within the Executive Branch of the County
government to coordinate and implement ongoing pedestrian and traffic safety
activities. A senior level position-possibly reporting to the County Executive and/or the
Chief Administrative Officer-is essential to elevate the importance, visibility, and
accountability of these efforts and to ensure the cooperation of all agencies. Additionally,
this individual should be accountable to lead the County's efforts in implementing the
recommendations of this report.

2. Establish a formal County Executive-appointed advisory board confirmed by the County Council, to oversee the implementation of the Panel's final report and to provide advice to elected officials and department directors regarding priorities and needs in the area of pedestrian and bicycle safety and access.

EDUCATION RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Montgomery County must take the lead in undertaking a comprehensive, ongoing public awareness/social-marketing campaign. To ensure the greatest positive impact on both drivers and pedestrians, the campaigns should integrate:

2. Pedestrian safety curriculum should be included as a mandatory unit in school health programs/classes in grades K through 8. Currently, the material is available but left up to the teachers' discretion to include it in the classroom. Appropriate student measurement should determine the effectiveness of this addition to the safety curriculum.

3. Pedestrian safety segments should be included in all ESOL classes with appropriate student measurement.

4. The State should expand pedestrian safety material in the MVA handbook and private driver training schools course curriculum.

5. The MVA driver's exam should include mandatory questions about pedestrian safety.

6. A pedestrian safety segment should be included in driver improvement classes.

ENFORCEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Law enforcement agencies must step-up and maintain an ongoing and visible pedestrian and traffic safety enforcement effort to combat dangerous driver and pedestrian behavior, such as aggressive driving, drunk driving, red light running, excessive speeding and jaywalking.

2. Dramatically reduce excessive speeding through increased enforcement. The results of these efforts should be used as one of the major performance measures of law enforcement agencies in Montgomery County and the Department of Public Works and Transportation. The desired outcome should be an increase in the percentage of roads whose top operating speed (85th percentile) is at or below the posted speed limit.

3. Increase enforcement of pedestrian right-of-way in crosswalks:

4. Increase resources and revenues to support Montgomery County's traffic safety enforcement.

5. Pedestrian traffic safety law violations must be aggressively adjudicated by the court system. In cooperation with representatives of the County's judicial, legal, law enforcement and executive branches of the government, the Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee should present to the County Executive and Advisory Board an annual report on pedestrian traffic safety violations and their outcomes.

6. Improve the collection and publication of data concerning traffic safety law enforcement.

7. Law enforcement agencies in Montgomery County should analyze the location of pedestrian deaths and injuries in cooperation with DPWT.

8. Expand the human and technological resources available to the County Police Department to enforce traffic safety laws. School crossing guards, bus drivers, County Transportation and Ride-On staff should be encouraged to report traffic violations of offending drivers by phone call or letter. Law enforcement technology should be routinely used throughout the County to step up traffic enforcement efforts, including red light cameras and speed monitoring devices.

9. Involve the public in traffic safety enforcement efforts. A central phone number should be posted on all County vehicles (police, Ride-On, DPWT, Park and Planning, school buses, etc.) for citizens to call to report unsafe driving by noting the vehicle's license plate number. There should be zero tolerance for County employees who do not scrupulously obey traffic laws and the public should be encouraged to report County employees that commit violations.

10. Continue an aggressive recruitment campaign to fill all County Police vacancies. These vacancies are currently significant and continue to grow in numbers, impacting resources normally devoted to pedestrian traffic safety enforcement efforts.

ENGINEERING RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Montgomery County and the State of Maryland should embrace and proactively implement a Pedestrian Safety Engineering Tool Box that contains many of the most effective and innovative engineering options available to make our County a safe and walkable community. These tools include countdown pedestrian signals, in-pavement crosswalk lights, traffic channelization, road diet devices and other traffic calming techniques. (SEE PAGES 39-47 FOR THE COMPLETE ENGINEERING TOOL BOX).

2. The Pedestrian Safety Engineering Tool Box solutions should address three primary needs of pedestrians: adequate pedestrian access parallel to roadways, the ability of all pedestrians to safely cross roadways, and safe walking routes that connect communities to schools, transit, recreational facilities, commercial and retail areas, and other communities.

3. Montgomery County's roadway, intersection, sidewalk, and streetscape design standards should be brought into full conformity with the most innovative, pedestrian-friendly national design guidelines. The State of Maryland should also embrace engineering options to maximize pedestrian safety and access.

4. M-NCPPC should include a section addressing pedestrian access and safety in all Master Plans and Sector Plans.

5. The County should require that all public and private construction projects include a "Pedestrian Impact Statement", including a process for review by the County to maximize pedestrian safety and access.

6. The County should continue enhancements of its collection and use of pedestrian and vehicular crash data. Success will be indicated when crash locations are mapped on a regular basis, by type for each year and groups of years, backed up by supporting analysis and detail, and are used to identify, design and prioritize solutions ranging from transportation facility reconstruction to enforcement actions. In addition, it is recommended that citizen complaints about troublesome pedestrian and traffic safety conditions be tracked and analyzed for potential problems.

7. Montgomery County should carry out a countywide "Safe Routes to Schools" program to maximize safety and access for students at all schools for limits set for bus service (i.e., two miles for high schools). A safe route to school should also be ensured for students walking to their school bus stops. The effectiveness will be measured by tracking pedestrian crashes and choice of walk access (as compared to driving, being dropped off, etc.) by students and their parents.

8. Reassess adequacy of all pedestrian signal timings. Where insufficient time exists to cross the street, additional time should be provided, or sufficient pedestrian refuge islands, additional pedestrian signals, and reliable, pedestrian-activated push buttons should be provided in the median to make a safe crossing. Pedestrians should be given priority at all traffic signals within business districts, school zones, recreation, and high-density residential areas. To reduce collisions, intersections with high pedestrian and motor vehicle volumes should have a dedicated signal phase. The effectiveness would be measured by tracking crashes at these locations.

9. Relocate inconveniently placed and mid-block bus stops closer to intersections to encourage transit-using pedestrians to use crosswalks. Ideally, all bus stops should be immediately adjacent to safe crosswalks. The effectiveness of this action will be measured by tracking collisions and use of crosswalks by bus patrons.

10. Provide safe ADA-compatible crossings at all bus stops. Where existing bus stops do not meet this criterion, an ADA-compatible crossing should be constructed, the bus stop should be moved or, as a last resort, the bus stop should be eliminated. An assessment of all existing bus stops should be completed in six months and necessary changes made in the following six months. The effectiveness will be measured by tracking crashes and use of crosswalks at these locations.

11. Public and major private building entrances, especially for schools and other facilities serving the youth and aged, should similarly be located with reference to safe ADA-compatible street crossings. Design review should guard against sitting major entrances where crossings are unsafe. Existing problem areas, evidenced by pedestrian crashes or unsafe behavior, should be corrected with building retrofits, crosswalk additions or modifications, or erection of pedestrian barriers (least desirable unless temporary).

12. Install additional traffic signals in Central Business Districts (CBD's) and other high activity locations to give pedestrians more locations to cross streets safely by controlling traffic flow and speed.

13. Reduce the number of right-turns-on-red, or limit them to off-peak hours, at intersections within Central Business Districts, other high-density areas, and frequent crash "hot spot" locations. The effectiveness of this change will be measured by tracking collisions at these locations.

14. Undertake a review of the speed limits on County and State roads to ensure that speed limits are realistic and reflect operating conditions and adjacent development patterns. Where the average speed is in excess of the posted speed limit, remedial engineering measures should be undertaken to reduce speeds. Conditions that would require full-time enforcement of the speed limit should be eliminated.

15. Include public compliance with the posted speed limits as part of the performance measures of both the Police Department and the Department of Public Works and Transportation. The desired outcome measure should be an increase in the percentage of roads whose 85th percentile operating speed is at or below the posted speed.

16. Road widening projects should anticipate potential speeding problems that often develop during non-peak hours, and include a plan to control speeds as part of their design. Developers should design their on-site roads in such a way that future speeding problems are avoided.

17. Replace all pedestrian crossing signs with the new florescent yellow/green signs in all school zones by the end of calendar year 2002. Funding was eliminated from the FY02 budget at the point when only 40 percent of the old signs had been replaced. The effectiveness of these signs will be measured by tracking crashes at these locations.

18." Stop for Pedestrians" paddle signs should be placed at the roadway centerline at all unsignalized crosswalks in CBD's and other areas of high pedestrian activity to reinforce pedestrians' right-of-way. Signs should be posted at the gateways to CBD's and other commercial areas noting the maximum fine for failure to yield to pedestrians ($500), similar to what is done for littering, which has a maximum $1000 fine.

19. Fully fund the County's crosswalk re-striping program, shorten the current five-year re-striping cycle to every two years along major highways and arterials, and annually in school and transit zones. Agencies receiving permits for work in the roadway should be required to post a bond and replace pavement markings within three days of completing repaving operations. Failure to replace the pavement markings should result in loss of the bond and a freeze on any future permits until the work is done.

20. The lighting policy for State roads should be revised to reflect the recommendations of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), which is the policy being adopted by DPWT. An assessment of the existing lighting levels of all State roads should be done and remedial measures taken where needed, giving priority to transit routes and commercial and high-density pedestrian and residential areas.

21. Once DPWT's lighting policy revision has been finalized, an assessment of the existing lighting levels of all major highways and arterials should be done and remedial measures taken where needed, giving priority to transit routes and commercial and high-density residential areas.

22. Adopt American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) recommendations for barriers to protect pedestrians on bridges and along roadways. Where a guardrail is located behind the sidewalk, it should be relocated to the curb line.

23. Locate ADA-compliant handicap ramps to provide the safest and shortest crossing for pedestrians. Each corner of an intersection should have two ramps.

24. Designate the pedestrian safety coordinator as the staff person responsible for disseminating ADA information within DPWT.

25. Provide adequate funding to DPWT for necessary pedestrian traffic safety engineering changes to meet the current challenges.

LEGISLATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Establish a "Homicide by Aggressive Driving" statute.

2. Establish a "Felony hit-and-run" statute. Currently, fleeing a scene of a fatal or serious-injury crash is only a misdemeanor.

3. Enact legislation to allow the use of photo enforcement cameras to ticket vehicles exceeding the posted speed limit.

4. Support legislation (HB 130) that would increase the State's share of building sidewalks and bicycle pathways along State roads to 80%. Currently, the State has a 50/50 share with the counties and municipalities.

5. Double the fines against traffic law violators in school zones.

6. Remove the "must appear " in court provision in Maryland law [TR § 21-502, Pedestrians' right-of-way in crosswalks, (2) and (c)]. This significantly reduces the amount of time police officers must spend in court, and will encourage more active enforcement of this failure-to-yield-to-pedestrian law.

7. Increase penalties against repeat offenders of traffic safety laws.

8. Increase penalties against repeat offender drunk drivers, drunk drivers who test more than twice the .08 BAC legal limit, and suspected drunk drivers who refuse to take the BAC test.

9. Institute new penalty targeted at drivers blocking crosswalks and intersections (Don't Block the Box). While the offense (at intersections) is technically the same as red-light-running, the new fine should be set without points on the license to encourage substantial police enforcement.

10. State and County should enact budgets that increase funding for traffic safety enforcement, education and engineering.

11. The County should conduct a thorough review of Maryland State pedestrian traffic safety law violations to determine if the severity of the penalty/punishment is commensurate with the offense to ensure it serves as an effective deterrent.

DATA

From 1997-1999, there were 41 pedestrian fatalities in Montgomery County. More than half of these deaths involved persons born outside of the U.S.12

Locations with an above-average number of pedestrian collisions 13

# of pedestrians struck 1997-1999 - Location - Community
11 - Wisconsin Circle/Wisconsin Ave.- Friendship Heights
9 - Carroll Ave./Piney Branch Rd. - Takoma Park
8 - Viers Mill Rd./Atlantic Ave.- Rockville
5 - Georgia Ave./Colesville Rd. - Silver Spring
5 - University Blvd./Amherst Ave. - Wheaton
5 - East-West Hwy./Colesville Rd. - Silver Spring
4 - Layhill Rd./Georgia Ave. - Glenmont
4 - Twinbrook Pkwy. /Viers Mill Rd. - Rockville
4 - Piney Branch Rd./Garland Ave. - Silver Spring
4 - Piney Branch Rd./Barron St. - Takoma Park

12 Montgomery County Police Department, 1997-1999
13 Maryland Department of Transportation, State Highway Administration, Office of Traffic and Safety,
Traffic Safety Analysis Division


14

The following maps indicate the approximate locations in Montgomery County where large numbers (clusters) of pedestrian crashes occurred in 1999. Darker colored clusters represent a higher density of crashes. Data representing all pedestrian crashes, pedestrians under 16 years of age, and pedestrians over 55 years of age is provided in the following graphs.

15 Image data not available

16 Image data not available

Research demonstrates that while there are more children involved in traffic crashes (as motor vehicle passengers) than are hit by cars, childhood pedestrian injuries are more likely to be serious. Studies have shown that children under the age of ten years old are not yet capable of crossing a roadway alone. Young children have not fully developed an awareness of the direction of sound (e.g., an approaching car), peripheral vision, focus and concentration levels, or a proper judgment of a car's speed and distance until after the age of ten.18

17 Maryland State Highway Administration, Office of Traffic and Safety, Traffic Safety Analysis Division
18 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

19 Image data not available

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that individuals 80 years and older have the highest pedestrian death rates per 100,000 people. 21 Overall, pedestrians age 65 and older are more than 5 times as likely to die in crashes than pedestrians aged 14 or less. This population is at particular risk for pedestrian injury due to their reliance on walking as a primary means of transportation, as well as cognitive and physical processes that become slower as age increases.

19 Map data and statistics courtesy of University of Maryland National Study Center for Trauma and EMS. 1999. Maryland Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System. Funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration DTNH22-00-H-07012
20 Maryland State Highway Administration, Office of Traffic and Safety, Traffic Safety Analysis Division
21 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Highway Loss Data Institute


Montgomery County Fatalities & Pedestrian Fatalities
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
All Fatalities 22 69 49 53 47 49 56
Pedestrian Fatalities 23 18 15 11 12 18 16
Percent Pedestrian Fatalities 26% 31% 21% 26% 37% 28%

Statewide Fatalities & Pedestrian Fatalities 22
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
All Fatalities 684 614 610 606 598
Pedestrian Fatalities 128 123 105 101 119
Percent Pedestrian Fatalities 19% 20% 17% 17% 20%

The above charts reflect the comparison between County and State pedestrian fatalities, and the percentage of all traffic fatalities that pedestrian deaths represent. As noted earlier, pedestrian fatalities as a percentage of all traffic fatalities in Montgomery County have exceeded State figures since 1995.

Charts 24 and 25 demonstrate where Montgomery County ranks in the number of pedestrian injuries and fatalities among the surrounding jurisdictions of Prince George's County, District of Columbia, Arlington and Fairfax Counties, and the City of Alexandria.

24 Image data not available

25 Image data not available

22 Maryland State Highway Administration, Highway Safety Office
23 Montgomery County Police, Collision Reconstruction Unit
24 MD State data courtesy of MD State Highway Administration; D.C. data courtesy of D.C. Police Department, Major Crash Unit, and the District Division of Transportation; VA State data courtesy of Virginia Department of Transportation

PEDESTRIAN SAFETY ENGINEERING TOOL BOX

The tools exist for revolutionizing pedestrian-traffic safety and creating walkable communities. Providing engineers with these proven innovations would not only enhance the quality of life, but also put Montgomery County among pioneering jurisdictions around the nation who are at the forefront of walkability engineering. The Panel recognizes that rarely will a single tool box item solve a problem on its own, and a combination of these engineering solutions should be tailored to the specific problem.

The following items are a listing of engineering and design options that positively impact pedestrian safety:

1. Additional/Modified Signage

2. Barriers can direct pedestrians to the desired crossing location while preventing the pedestrian from crossing at an undesired or less safe location.

• Fences
• Shrubbery
• Uncomfortable median surfaces

• Grass strips
• Bicycle lanes

4. Chokers are curb extensions that narrow a street by widening the sidewalks or planting
strips, effectively creating a pinch-point along the street.

Appendix D - Public Education Pedestrian Safety Campaign Activities

January 15, 2001

The Honorable Douglas M. Duncan
Montgomery County Executive
101 Monroe Street
Rockville, MD 20850

Dear Mr. Duncan:

When you established the Montgomery County Blue Ribbon Panel on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety last year, you charged the Panel with submitting a comprehensive countywide set of inter-related recommendations to significantly reduce pedestrian injuries and deaths. While the Panel's final report is not due until December, you encouraged the Panel to issue interim recommendations for the County's current FY 2002 budget cycle and the 2001 General Assembly session.

The Panel has been meeting regularly and we have had several presentations from local and national pedestrian-traffic safety specialists. We have also heard from County department and agency heads who are stakeholders in the County's pedestrian safety activities. Future Panel meeting will include public forums where experts and citizens will have an opportunity to testify.

We all agree that crossing the street in Montgomery County should not feel like a death-defying act. Yet from 1997 through 1999, more people were killed trying to cross the street than in homicides in Montgomery County. The Panel members share your commitment to taking meaningful steps to prevent these needless tragedies in the future.

I am please to present you with the attached set of preliminary recommendation that have emerged thus far from Panel discussions, presentations, and research for your consideration and inclusion in the FY02 Operating Budget. Keeping in mind the "Three E's " approach (Education/Enforcement/Engineering), we have also included recommendation in other pedestrian-traffic safety areas that deserve immediate attention.

We share your goal of making our streets and communities safe and walkable, and we applaud your leadership on this vitally important public health and safety concern. Again, thank you for this timely opportunity to submit this interim set of recommendations to encourage greater pedestrian safety within the context of the County's FY02 budget.

Sincerely,

(Original Signed)

Delegate William A. Bronrott
Chair, Montgomery County Blue Ribbon Panel on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety

July 19, 2001

The Honorable Douglas M. Duncan
Montgomery County Executive
101 Monroe Street, 2nd Floor
Rockville, Maryland 20850

Dear Mr. Duncan:

While the final report of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety is not due until December, we have taken the opportunity on several previous occasions to communicate recommendations to you and other elected officials on a variety of topics: the FY02 Operating Budget, the need for crosswalk re-striping in school zones, State and County legislation and so forth.

We would now like to offer our advice and recommendations to you as the County begins the budget planning and preparation for the next Capital Improvements Program.

The Panel has held two public meetings that gave us an opportunity to hear from experts and citizens about pedestrian and traffic safety issues. The Panel as a whole and its various committees have met numerous times over the past year to explore the status of pedestrian safety in Montgomery County, and to examine where there is room for improvements with respect to the Three E's (Education, Enforcement and Engineering). Even though the recommendations in this letter will address only one of the Three E's-Engineering-it is our firm belief that all Three E's are necessary to achieve results.

This fall we will visit two jurisdictions in the Washington region and some model communities on the West Coast to observe firsthand the innovative pedestrian safety steps they have taken, and to evaluate their applicability to Montgomery County. We are also engaged in the process of benchmarking in order to benefit from the best practices of other communities.

If Montgomery County is to succeed in reducing pedestrian injuries and deaths and in making our community safe and livable, investments in each of the Three E's approach will be essential. It is particularly important that we take this timely opportunity now, as the County prepares the next capital improvements budget, to invest in some sorely needed traffic engineering enhancements.

We agree with the County's engineering professionals and law enforcement personnel that some intersections can be improved through relatively minor adjustments such as a change in the traffic signal patterns, and enhanced visibility of signals, signage and pavement markings. Other intersections will require more complex engineering fixes, including the shifting of bus stops to safer locations.

It is our strong recommendation that the next capital budget contain sufficient funding to carry out a highly visible set of pedestrian enhancements in a concentrated area of the County -- perhaps in an area of one of the central business districts or other highly dense areas. These enhancements might include greater pedestrian access to transit facilities, more sidewalks, additional streetlights, pedestrian refuge islands, barriers that prevent dangerous crossings, intersection bump-outs, innovative electronic technology, etc. This approach would succeed in improving pedestrian safety and result in encouraging more walking and the use of public transit in a more pedestrian friendly environment. It would also serve as a pilot project to showcase a variety of enhancements and techniques that could be replicated elsewhere in the County if they are evaluated and determined to be successful.

A second element of CIP funding would target several "hot spot" locations identified as having a significant number of crashes and injuries or having the potential for such incidents. Again, a variety of traffic engineering tools could be utilized depending upon the specific circumstances. A large number of these locations involve State highways, therefore coordination with SHA will be important.

We appreciate your leadership and the priority you have placed on pedestrian and traffic safety. We look forward to transmitting our final recommendations to you in December. In the meantime, we respectfully request that the County take full advantage of the next CIP to begin the long-term investment in making our community the most safe, walkable and livable jurisdiction in the state and region.

Sincerely,

(Original Signed)

William A. Bronrott
Chair

Appendix G

February 13, 2001

The Honorable Blair G. Ewing
President
Montgomery County Council
100 Maryland Avenue
Rockville, Maryland 20850

Dear President Ewing and Members of the County Council:

On behalf of the members of the Montgomery County Blue Ribbon Panel on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety, I am writing to convey the Panel's support for the goal and intent of Council Bill 1-01 Streets and Roads-Snow Removal. Passage of such legislation would enhance pedestrian access and safety in our residential neighborhoods. Among those that would benefit most from this legislation are elderly citizens, citizens with disabilities, and school children who walk to school-three segments of our population most in need of protection

Panel members have expressed concern about the enforcement and implementation of this legislation. Some have commented that this is an issue of civic responsibility that may be difficult to legislate. While we recognize the clear benefits to public safety, some Panel members want to raise their concerns with thew legislation and urge the Council to carefully consider these issue, as well as those raised by others, during the Committee work sessions.

Again, the Panel supports the intent of this legislation and commends the bill sponsor and Council members for taking steps to introduce this bill. We ask that you carefully consider the above-mentioned concerns when the bill comes up for consideration. Thank you for this opportunity to share our views.

Sincerely,
(Original Signed)
Delegate William A. Bronrott, Chair

Appendix H

January 24, 2001

The Honorable Douglas M. Duncan
Montgomery County Executive
101 Monroe Street, 2nd Floor
Rockville, Maryland 20850

Dear Mr. Duncan:

I was pleased to see you recent public statement in support of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety's preliminary recommendations. The Panel members were delighted to receive recognition for their hard work thus far.

At the January 22 meeting of the Blue Ribbon Panel, we further discussed the need to move forward quickly with the recommendation that can be acted on now. We hope that the key County department directors have received copies of the recommendation with a directive to move forward promptly.

The Panel members asked that I transmit to you several amendments and refinements to our FY02 budget recommendations to clarify our intent on several key issues.

It is crucial that the pedestrian-bicycle safety and access professional within the Department of Public Works and Transportation is a

With regard to public education, it is important that addition funding be made available this year to carry out a public communications campaign that includes resources for both education AND enforcement. The stepped up enforcement has proven to be an essential component in successful programs in other jurisdictions. We ask the County to consider using revenue from the red light camera fines as a funding source for enforcement activities such as police overtime.

Additional funds for sidewalk construction should be included in the FY02 budget and County and State highway officials should be instructed to identify locations where constructing sidewalks would enhance pedestrian safety and access.

We hope these comments will help to further clarify our recommendations. If there are any questions or a need for additional information, please have the appropriate staff contact me or our staff director Gail Nachman.

Thank you again for your leadership in this important issue. I look forward to continuing our work to make our community a safer place to live and work.

Sincerely,
(Original Signed)
Delegate William A. Bronrott, Chair