Pedestrian Planning in Response to Worsening Safety Data

Faced with rapidly deteriorating pedestrian safety statistics, Montgomery County in Maryland is getting to work on a new Pedestrian Plan, following closely on the heels of work completed for the county's Bicycle Master Plan.

1 minute read

June 13, 2019, 6:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Pedestrians and Walkable Street

Nicole S Glass / Shutterstock

The Montgomery County Planning Department is launching a multi-year pedestrian planning effort, according to an article by Caitlyn Peetz.

The Pedestrian Master Plan that will result will complement the Bicycle Master Plan approved by the county last year, according to Peetz.

Similar to the process used to generate the Bicycle Master Plan, planners will perform a "comfort analysis" of the county's pedestrian infrastructure, assessing "each street’s pedestrian experience including factors like the street’s speed limit and sidewalk width," according to Peetz. "Then, planners will develop what is expected to be a lengthy list of recommendations to improve roads, from adding crosswalks to installing more lights at intersections."

The plan can come soon enough, according to Peetz, as vehicle collisions involving pedestrians increased by 14 percent so far this as compared to the same time period last year.

Tuesday, June 11, 2019 in Bethesda Magazine

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 21, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of California High-Speed Rail station with bullet train.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself

The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

May 19, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Flat modern glass office tower with "County of Santa Clara" sign.

Santa Clara County Dedicates Over $28M to Affordable Housing

The county is funding over 600 new affordable housing units via revenue from a 2016 bond measure.

30 minutes ago - San Francisco Chronicle

Aerial view of dense urban center with lines indicating smart city concept.

Why a Failed ‘Smart City’ Is Still Relevant

A Google-backed proposal to turn an underused section of Toronto waterfront into a tech hub holds relevant lessons about privacy and data.

1 hour ago - Governing

Pale yellow Sears kit house with red tile roof in Sylva, North Carolina.

When Sears Pioneered Modular Housing

Kit homes sold in catalogs like Sears and Montgomery Ward made homeownership affordable for midcentury Americans.

2 hours ago - The Daily Yonder