Montgomery County Planners Present Pedestrian Safety Proposals

Planners in Montgomery County presented a set of recommendations aimed at making the region safer for pedestrians, particularly aging people and transit-dependent residents, reports Katherine Shaver in the Washington Post.

“Building sidewalks more quickly — and before residents have to ask — is one of dozens of recommendations they presented this past week for the first countywide “pedestrian master plan” aimed at retrofitting a suburb designed for cars.” Other suggestions include improved street lighting, more shade trees, and smaller county vehicles that are safer for pedestrians.

To ensure equity in deploying improvements, “Planners say they will use public input and safety data to prioritize improvements based on where they are needed most, rather than catering to residents who press for them most persistently.” 

As Shaver notes, “About 11 percent of all trips in the Washington region are made by foot or bicycle, according to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. Even as the region has opened new trails, added bike racks to buses and incorporated pedestrian and cycling facilities into larger transportation projects, COG officials say, safety remains a problem.” Pedestrians remain highly vulnerable: “While they were involved in 4 percent of all Montgomery collisions between 2015 and 2020, they suffered 27 percent of severe injuries and fatalities, planners say.”