With 16 pedestrian and bicyclist deaths and nearly 500 injuries on roads this year on Montgomery County, Maryland, Council President Evan Glass cites safer travels among his top priorities for 2023.
“Whether you are biking walking, rolling and, yes, even driving, we need to make our streets safer for everybody … my goal is to make sure that we can more safely and efficiently travel throughout the county and throughout the region,” said Glass, who is also the new chair of the council’s Transportation and Environment Committee.
Glass said that work on a number of projects aimed at improving road safety will continue in 2023.
“We need to rethink our road design, and that includes building more sidewalks, including more HAWK signals and also building bike lanes and other infrastructure where possible,” Glass said.
HAWK lights are pedestrian-activated red lights intended to stop traffic so people can safely cross. Glass said more of these lights will be installed at major intersections and on major thoroughfares. The council president also hopes to curb speeding in the county by raising the number of automated traffic enforcement cameras in areas with a high number of crashes.
Another transportation goal for the county’s top lawmaker is to grow the county’s bus rapid transit network. There are a few Flash BRT projects in the works on stretches of Viers Mill Road, New Hampshire Avenue and MD Route 355 as well as the second phase of the BRT already in operation on Route 29.
“We’re also going to be making progress on our bus rapid transit network to make sure that we have high-speed bus connectivity in areas where people are more reliant on public transportation so that we support them and reduce traffic congestion,” Glass said.
In addition to improving transportation, Glass also wants to do more in the new year to expand the county’s stock of affordable housing and to reduce homelessness.
“If we want to continue making Montgomery County one of the most diverse places in this county and a welcoming place for all, we have to make sure there is housing available for people at all price levels,” Glass said.
The council president also plans initiatives to improve public health and in particular to provide more mental health resources for county residents.
