What We're Doing to Make Walking Safer

"Crossing the street should not be a death defying act. It comes down to education, enforcement, and innovative engineering working together to maximize pedestrian access and safety."

Delegate William Bronrott

The Three E's of Pedestrian Safety

Research indicates that the most effective traffic safety programs combine education, engineering and enforcement. In Montgomery County, schools, central business districts, and transit areas have been given highest priority because they represent areas with a significant number of pedestrians and high traffic volume.

Enforcement

The Montgomery County Police have initiated targeted crosswalk enforcement designed to increase driver compliance with the state law that requires motor vehicles to stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk. The program has received widespread media attention which has helped to spread the word that Montgomery County takes pedestrian safety seriously. In addition, police have targeted high traffic pedestrian areas for special enforcement of drunk driving, speeding and red light running. Pedestrians who violate laws may also be ticketed and are often given warnings and tips for safe walking.

Check out the Problem Reporting Page for additional information on laws affecting pedestrians and drivers.

Engineering

The County's Department of Public Works and Transportation, often working in conjunction with the Maryland State Highway Administration and Montgomery County Public Schools, has initiated numerous engineering projects to correct structural problems and enhance safety. Improvements include crosswalk striping, new sidewalks, signal improvements, bulbouts, medians, signage, sidewalk renovation, visibility improvements at intersections, and construction of pedestrian safety islands. The more than 6,000 bus stops in the county were evaluated in a recently completed study in an effort to make the bus stops easier and safer to reach by pedestrians.

The Department of Public Works and Transportation is now including countdown pedestrian signals where new signals are being installed. Other innovations include mid-road paddle signs and lighted crosswalks. Check out the Problems Reporting Page for additional information on traffic calming.

To ensure that future development is pedestrian friendly, the County Executive has established a Pedestrian Impact Statement which requires all County projects to submit a thorough analysis of pedestrian movement, access, and safety. Private developers are similarly required to include a pedestrian impact statement with their transportation area review plans, under the guidance of Park & Planning.

Education

In 2002, Montgomery County joined with other jurisdictions in the metropolitan area to initiate a regional Street Smart Public Education campaign. This campaign features radio ads and printed safety tips, as well as ads on all Ride-On and select Metro Buses. The Street Smart campaign has become an annual event.

With funds from the State Highway Administration, the county worked with representatives from the Latino community to create a unique education campaign to educate recent immigrants on the rules of the road. By utilizing the Health Promoters from the Latino Health Initiative and integrating partnerships with government agencies, businesses, and community organizations, this campaign.

Schools are a high priority of the Pedestrian Safety Initiative. After special curriculum was approved for use in the schools, the County has been assisting the Montgomery County Public Schools in a special crosswalk and parking lot safety program for K-2 students. In 2005, students from Montgomery Blair High School were trained so that they could teach the safe walking program to elementary schools in the Blair cluster. Kennedy High School students were trained in this program in 2006.

If your community association is having an event and you would like to have some pedestrian safety posters and tip sheets, please contact us. We appreciate your help in getting the word out!

For additional information on these topics, check out our Related Resources.