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This program encourages students to walk to school by providing safer routes through traffic engineering and enforcement efforts and pedestrian safety education and programming to students and parents. 

 Street Smart 2009 Campaign

In a regional show of force, elected officials and law enforcement leaders from Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia launched the 2009 Street Smart pedestrian safety campaign on March 25, 2009.  The kick-off was held at the District of Columbia's Reeves Center, at the bustling intersection of 14th and U Streets, NW.  New to this year's annual campaign is a focus on cyclist safety, complementing the overall education and enforcement efforts on pedestrian safety.  Brochures and posters from the campaign are being distributed throughout the region, along with a series of radio advertisements being aired this Spring.

Street Smart is an annual public education, awareness and behavioral change campaign in the Washington, D.C., suburban Maryland and northern Virginia area. The campaign uses radio, newspaper, and transit advertising, public awareness efforts, and added law enforcement, to respond to the challenges of pedestrian and bicyclist safety. The Montgomery County Police Department has been conducting additional enforcement and educational activities to promote this year’s campaign.

The Street Smart campaign was started by Montgomery County in 2002 using a $50,000 State grant awarded to the County and $50,000 in County funds. This seed money helped leverage what has become a $700,000 annual regional effort, which is directed by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and is supported by federal, state, county and local agencies from the Washington region.  For more information, visit the web site: 

www.mwcog.org/streetsmart/about.asp

To preview the briefing CLICK HERE 

Leggett Celebrates Opening of US 29 Sidewalk; Final Link Will Improve Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett (center) celebrated the completion of the last missing sidewalk segment along the east side of U.S. Route 29 between University Boulevard and Oak Leaf Drive.  The project will greatly improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety along Colesville Road, a busy six-lane roadway.  Joining Leggett at the ribbon cutting ceremony were (from left to right) Senior Planning Specialist Bob Simpson, Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT); State Highway Administration Assistant District Engineer for Special Projects Kate Mazzara; MCDOT Director Art Holmes; LABQUEST Chair Betsy Bretz; LABQUEST Transportation Committee Chair Mike Levin; .S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Management Analyst Latonia Parham and FDA Medical Officer Dr. Karen Weiss, representing the bicycle community.  See News Release for more info.

Leggett Joins Ervin in Celebrating Pedestrian Safety Improvements in Silver Spring; Announces Transportation Improvements to Benefit Seniors

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett joined County Councilmember Valerie Ervin and community members in celebrating a number of pedestrian safety and transportation improvements the County’s Department of Transportation (MCDOT) made that will enhance safety and improve access to public transportation for seniors and persons with disabilities.   

Montgomery County Police Captain Thomas Didone voiced the County's support of this year's regional Street Smart initiative at the March 25 kick-off event in Washington, D.C.

Rain did not dampen the spirits of those celebrating the completion of pedestrian safety improvements recently made in Silver Spring.  The improvements made to 2nd Avenue at Fenwick Lane and Cameron Street have rendered safer access to senior facilities and housing in downtown Silver Spring.  These improvements were comprised of added crosswalks, enhanced pedestrian refuge islands, improved pedestrian crossing signals that include audible alerts, and a series of ADA compliant curb ramps at the intersections.  The bus stop shelter at 2nd Avenue and Fenwick was relocated to afford better sidewalk access for the disabled and elderly, as well as placing transit passengers nearer the intersection's crosswalk. 

"I want to thank Silver Spring resident Shelia Cogan for her advocacy on this project, the Department of Transportation for completing the work in such a timely manner, and Jennifer Nettles of Downtown Silver Spring for helping with today's celebration," said Councilmember Ervin. 

County Executive Leggett noted, "my recommended operating budget for Fiscal Year 2010 increases spending on pedestrian safety by more than $4 million. . . With these additional funds, we'll be able to do more in Silver Spring and throughout the County."

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett's Pedestrian Safety Initiative, December 2007 (PDF)

On December 5, 2007, Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett announced his Pedestrian Safety Initiative, a strategic plan designed to reduce pedestrian collisions and ensure that all areas of the County provide safe and convenient travel options for pedestrians.  This initiative is the cornerstone of the County's Pedestrian Safety Program, building on the original recommendations of the 2002 Blue Ribbon Panel on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety,   This Pedestrian Safety Initiative (pdf) is built on seven key strategies with specific performance measures, time lines, and estimated budgets for achieving its recommended actions.

Mr. Leggett states, "I am committed to recreating Montgomery County into a model of a truly walkable community.  It's what every resident deserves.  Through this initiative, we are transforming our pedestrian environment for future generations and enhancing the high quality of life for which Montgomery County is known."

To fully fund his Pedestrian Safety Initiative, County Executive Leggett is proposing to use speed camera revenues - - the money collected from speeding fines - - to support the engineering, education, and enforcement actions proposed in the initiative.
 

Council Bill 35-08 Relating to Public Safety and Pedestrian Safety Funding

The Council, on November 18, 2008, introduced Bill 35-08: Miscellaneous Provisions – Funding for Public Safety Programs.  The Bill is sponsored by Councilmembers Andrews, Knapp, Ervin, Trachtenberg, and Floreen.  This legislation proposes to use revenues generated from police enforcement with speed cameras and traffic signal cameras to fund Fire and Rescue Apparatus, pedestrian safety programs, and traffic safety programs.  The Bill also allocates a portion of the revenues to municipalities that have a traffic control signal monitoring or speed monitoring devices but do not have a police department (Town of Poolesville).

The bill allocates net revenues from both speed cameras and red light cameras as follows:

• 50% to purchase emergency apparatus for use by Fire and Rescue Services
• 35% for pedestrian safety programs, with 75% of this 35% (26% of total net revenues) going to County programs and 25% of the 35% (9% of total net revenues) going to the Town of Poolesville
• 15% for traffic safety programs of the Montgomery County Police Department

On September 8, 2008, County Executive Isiah Leggett proposed using $4.8 million of speed camera revenues for funding the County’s pedestrian safety programs.  Bill 35-08 provides significantly less money to County pedestrian safety programs, with 9% of the speed camera revenues being directed to Poolesville, the one municipality with speed cameras, but no police department.

The County Executive opposes this legislation and believes the existing budget process should be used to determine the allocation of these resources based on a comprehensive assessment of needs, related costs, measurement data, and evidence of what works to improve public and pedestrian safety.

To view the Council information packet for this issue: CLICK HERE

New Pedestrian Safety Campaign Aimed at Non-Native English Speakers

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett holds up a copy of a new pedestrian safety video aimed at non-native English speakers, one of the groups at highest risk for pedestrian collisions.  Joining Leggett (at podium) were (from left to right) Montgomery College English-as-a-Second-Language teacher Nancy Newton, Darwin Bonilla, CASA de Maryland manager of Education and Leadership and Montgomery County Public Schools Board Member Dr. Judith Docca.  See Press Release for more info

View of Montrose Parkway from Montrose Road  (photo by Craig Lease)

As part of the overall Montrose Parkway West project, work started last winter on reconstructing a portion of Montrose Road. This work has required closing Montrose Road between Tildenwood Drive and East Jefferson Street and diverting traffic onto the parkway. Local traffic has had access from either side of the bridge to homes, churches, and synagogues, and a temporary pedestrian bridge on the north side of Montrose Road has provided walker access.

Now a new sidewalk is being constructed along the south side of Montrose Road starting from the parkway intersection and traveling east to Evelyn Drive. The temporary pedestrian bridge is being removed to make room for infill dirt connected with the new Montrose Road bridge over the stream below. Pedestrians and motorists should follow signs and use caution when walking or driving through this construction zone.

The parkway itself is done. We have made numerous adjustments to the signal timing and signage to improve the traffic flow. Thank you for your patience with the detour. The new bridge on Montrose Road will eliminate flooding and provide a safe crossing for wildlife. Montrose Road should be completed and fully re-opened by July. For more information, go to the Division of Capital Development’s website.

Walk Safe™: Keeping Pedestrians Safe in the “Danger Zone” is an English language instructional video designed to teach pedestrian safety concepts to non-native English speakers.  Five stand-alone modules promote basic pedestrian safety concepts, identify risky behaviors and situations, and explain terms, expressions and signage.  The video is accompanied by a Teacher’s Guide (pdf), worksheets and tools that suggest activities and comprehension checks. 

Help us evaluate the effectiveness of the video. Encourage viewers to take the pre-survey (pdf) before they watch the video and then, a week or two after, take the post-survey (pdf).

Pedestrian Safety Public Service Announcements (PSAs) of varying lengths promote pedestrian safety concepts to the general public. 

Organizations, ESOL teachers, and community groups may request a copy of the video by filling out a request form.

The term of the Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee was extended on June 19 from July 2007 to July 2012 by Council Resolution 16-192. Applications for new member positions as well as reappointments of existing members were due July 27. You can see the vacancy annoucement here. The next full meeting of the Committee will be Tuesday, September 18, 2007 at 7:00 PM in Rockville. Please see the meeting calendar for full details.