Vision Zero Annual Report Shows 11 Percent Reduction in Serious and Fatal Crashes Compared to Pre-COVID Years

Montgomery County's annual report for the "Vision Zero Initiative" includes details on progress made in Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) on 127 projects undertaken between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024. Serious and fatal crashes dropped 11 percent compared to the pre-COVID-19 years of 2015 to 2019. The reduction was driven by a 28 percent decline in serious and fatal crashes on high-injury network (HIN) corridors, which are prioritized for safety interventions under the Vision Zero Action Plan.

The "Vision Zero Initiative" is the County's multi-departmental effort to end serious and fatal crashes on roadways by 2030. The complete FY24 Vision Zero annual report can be found on the County’s Vision Zero website.

"We need our streets to work for everyone whether walking, biking, using an assistive device or driving," said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. "Our investments in new crossings, speed management and targeted law enforcement are paying off with a reduction in serious and fatal incidents in our high crash areas. We can make our Vision Zero goal a reality through these projects, campaigns and with your help. Keep yourself and everyone on the road safe by putting your phone away while driving, obeying the speed limit, buckling up for every trip and every seat and never driving while impaired."

A priority in the Vision Zero 2030 Action Plan is creating more protected crossings by adding traffic signals and pedestrian beacons to crosswalks. Along with projects, the County continues building a culture of safety through events, outreach and focused law enforcement activation.

"While there is much work to be done to reach the ultimate Vision Zero goal, City, County and State agencies are dedicated to making our streets safer by design," said County Vision Zero Coordinator Wade Holland. "We are advancing projects--big and small--across the County and working with lawmakers in the General Assembly to remove barriers to implement safety programs and hold dangerous drivers accountable."

Highlights for the year included:

• 10 projects underway on high injury network (HIN) corridors. HIN corridors represent three percent of the County roads and 41 percent of serious and fatal injuries.
• Eight traffic signals and pedestrian hybrid beacons were installed. The devices provide a red signal for drivers to safely allow people on foot and on bike to cross.
• 29 bikeway projects are underway. The majority of projects will connect to future Purple Line and bus rapid transit projects to make car free trips safe and convenient.
• 6.7 miles of new sidewalk constructed.
• Outreach staff held 259 engagement events at grocery stores, the Motor Vehicle Administration and at schools to engage residents on safety projects and provide important safety guidance.
• Closed the loophole in Noah’s Law, which will require more impaired drivers to install ignition interlocks in their vehicles and reduce repeat drunk driving offenses.
• 15,795 traffic stops for excessive speeding by law enforcement and 360,363 speed citations from automated enforcement.

"We are committed to the safety of all our roadway users, and we are striving to make changes to our roads as quickly as we can," said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. "That is why the Vision Zero funding is so crucial. I am thankful that the County Executive and the Council have been working together to allow for increases in this funding to advance the safety of our residents. I am saddened by every report of another crash resulting in serious injury or loss of life and remain committed to the work we’re doing to reduce and eliminate these tragedies. In addition to making our facilities safer, these projects can also provide assets for our communities. As one example, our team designing bus rapid transit along Veirs Mill Road also is advancing crucial pedestrian and bicycle safety upgrades including new sidewalks and traffic signals."

The FY24 report is the third under the Vision Zero 2030 Action Plan that outlines the projects and activities necessary to reach the Vision Zero goal of ending serious and fatal crashes. The initiative’s FY25 work plan is underway with projects across the County.

"As first responders, we see firsthand the damage caused by life-altering crashes to both lives and property," said Police Chief Marc Yamada. "Our officers, along with our automated enforcement program, continue to enhance our efforts to improve traffic safety by working to reduce speeds and keeping impaired drivers off our roads. As we look towards the end of 2024, holiday get togethers are upon us, so please plan a safe ride home. Remember, the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) offers free $15 Lyft credits as a way to make certain that you have a guaranteed sober ride home and to ensure that you and your family are all present at your family dinner tables this holiday season."

To learn more about Vision Zero efforts and how to get involved, visit the Vision Zero website.

Vision Zero Youth Ambassadors Program Seeking High School Students for Program to Improve Traffic Safety

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) is seeking up to 35 County high school students to serve as “Vision Zero Youth Ambassadors.” The project-based learning program teaches teens leadership skills, outreach and engagement techniques to address traffic safety needs in their community. Applications are now being accepted through 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 2.

Interested public, private and home-schooled high school students can learn about the program and apply online.

The County’s Vision Zero Initiative aims to eliminate traffic-related severe injuries and deaths. Youth Ambassadors have an opportunity to help the County achieve this goal by becoming road safety leaders in their communities.

Applicants will be notified by Wednesday, Dec.18, if they have been accepted into the program. Selected ambassadors are required to attend in-person sessions. Program orientation will be held via Zoom from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 11. After the orientation session, ambassadors will participate in five in-person sessions. Sessions will be held from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturdays on the following dates:

• Session 1: Saturday, Feb. 8.
• Session 2: Saturday, March 15.
• Session 3: Saturday, April 5.
• Session 4: Saturday, April 26.
• Session 5: Saturday, May 10.

All sessions will be held at the Montgomery County Executive Office Building located at 101 Monroe Street in Rockville.

Youth Ambassadors are tasked with completing a safety-related group project that will ultimately culminate in a Safety Day event to educate Montgomery County residents about staying safe while walking, biking and driving. Resources and project guidance are provided by the County.

There is no cost to participate, and students can earn up to 35 Student Service Learning (SSL) hours. Additional SSL hours can be earned for participating in scheduled County outreach efforts promoting pedestrian and driver safety throughout the program’s duration.

The youth ambassadors will complete the program in mid-May 2025, after Safety Day. At a graduation ceremony, the students will reflect on their learnings and hear from special guests.

To learn more about the County's Vision Zero effort, click here.  

‘Holiday Task Force’ Activated to Detect Impaired Drivers with Sobriety Checkpoints and Saturation Patrols Through Jan. 13

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) and the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) have activated a “Holiday Task Force” to detect impaired drivers. Considering the start of the holiday season typically sees an increase in the number of fatal alcohol-related crashes, MCPD will establish sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols throughout Thanksgiving Weekend to New Year’s holiday period.

As part of Montgomery County's Vision Zero effort to prevent death and injury on its roadways, the County annually implements a Holiday Task Force in which police officers from multiple agencies devote time and attention to detecting impaired drivers. The Holiday Task Force began on Nov. 8 and will operate through Jan. 13.

The extended Thanksgiving holiday is one of the most heavily traveled times of the year and the evening before Thanksgiving historically is one of the busiest nights for bars and restaurants, with high drinking rates. MCDOT and MCPD remind residents that high-risk activities, combined with the sheer number of drivers on the road, make it an especially dangerous time for alcohol-related collisions.

“Unfortunately, impaired driving is a real threat to our community, and that threat increases during holidays like Thanksgiving,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “The Wednesday before Thanksgiving—Thanksgiving Eve—is an especially high-risk night for impaired driving. If you choose to drink, plan out a safe ride home beforehand. Every day, about 37 people die nationally from impaired driving crashes. That is one person killed every 39 minutes. In Montgomery County alone, there were 291 impaired drivers arrested during the 2022 Holiday Task Force. Hurting yourself, and potentially others, driving while intoxicated will not only ruin the holidays, but your entire life. Enjoy the holidays, but please, drive sober.”

The night before Thanksgiving is especially dangerous as it has been dubbed “Blackout Wednesday” or “Drinksgiving.” These nicknames have come to describe a cultural phenomenon in which friends gather the night before the holiday for drinks, and as a result, drunk driving-related crashes increase.

“This year, AAA estimates that over 49 million Americans will travel by car over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend,” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. “A larger number of people on the road, coupled with higher drinking rates, makes for a more dangerous travel period. The fact that 31 percent of all our roadway fatalities involve drunk drivers is staggering. Driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol is extremely dangerous for everyone on our roads.”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that 190 people were killed during the 2021 Thanksgiving holiday period (6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 24, through 5:59 a.m. Monday, Nov. 29). Additionally, more than four times as many drivers involved in fatal crashes were alcohol-impaired during nighttime than during the day.

Buzzed driving is drunk driving. Every year, more than 10,000 people are arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) offenses in Maryland. Penalties for a first-time DUI conviction in Maryland could include jail time, significant fines and license points, mandatory ignition interlock and license suspension.

“As we enter the holiday season, the Montgomery County Police Holiday Task Force is taking measures to enhance road safety. Our officers will be conducting sobriety checkpoints across Montgomery County,” said Police Chief Marcus Jones. “I urge everyone to prioritize the safety of themselves and others by refraining from drinking and driving. Plan ahead, whether it's designating a driver, utilizing public transportation or opting for a ride-share service. Let's work together to ensure a safe and joyful holiday season for everyone on our roads.”

Drivers can find a listing of local safe rides on the County’s Vision Zero website here.

The County is asking parents to emphasize to youth under age 21 that underage drinking can lead to serious consequences. Information about how to help prevent underage drinking, through communication and creating an action plan, is available from the Federal Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking website.

High School Students Can Apply to Vision Zero Youth Ambassadors’ Program to Improve Traffic Safety

Montgomery County’s Department of Transportation is seeking County high school students to serve as "Vision Zero Youth Ambassadors." The project-based learning program teaches teens leadership skills, the importance of roadway design, law enforcement, outreach and engagement techniques to address traffic safety needs in their community. Applications are being accepted through Friday, Dec. 15.

Interested public, private and home-schooled high school students can learn about the program and apply here.

The program supports the County’s Vision Zero Initiative, whose goal is to eliminate traffic-related severe injuries and deaths.

Students selected to be a youth ambassador are required to commit to the program that teaches them different aspects of Vision Zero and participate in hands-on projects that bring awareness to safety needs in communities around the County. Youth Ambassadors are tasked to complete a group project that encompasses engineering or education topics. Resources and project guidance are provided from the County to execute projects that will ultimately improve safety in their communities.

Montgomery County Public School students who participate in the program can earn up to 35 Student Service Learning credits.

The program will help students develop leadership skills, learn outreach and engagement techniques, gain social media engagement skills and other techniques to address traffic safety needs in their community. Ambassadors will also have an opportunity to meet County safety leaders and staff from the Department of Transportation.

Applicants to the program will be notified by Jan. 5 if they are accepted. The in-person orientation is scheduled for Jan. 20. On in-person session is scheduled each month through the graduation on May 18. The in-person sessions will take place at 100 Edison Park Dr. in Gaithersburg.

‘Lessons from La Abuelina’ Campaign Will Help Drivers and Pedestrians Safely Navigate New Crosswalk Devices

The Emmy award-winning campaign “La Abuelina” is joining the Vision Zero Initiative’s pedestrian safety team to educate residents throughout July and August about how to safely navigate the newly installed pedestrian hybrid beacons (PHBs) located across the County. After the animated character “La Abuelina” was used to urge Spanish speaking residents to get COVID-19 vaccinations, she will now be featured in English and Spanish social media posts and pop-up events located at PHBs to help explain how the traffic control devices offer extra protection to drivers and people walking, biking and rolling across the street.

“’La Abuelina’ was created during COVID-19 and was a great way to communicate with our Spanish speaking communities about prevention, testing and vaccinations,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “The campaign helped achieve high testing and vaccination rates and earned national and international media recognition, Due to this success, I requested her character be copyrighted by the County and used in other important public health and safety messaging. I am glad that she will now be a part of our Vision Zero efforts to promote pedestrian safety on our roads. With this new campaign, Abuelina is helping spread the word about the innovative new pedestrian hybrid beacons, so our residents know how and when to safely cross.”

Upcoming events will take place at the following locations while additional activities are posted on the campaign website.

• Saturday, July 29, Noon - 4 p.m. Plaza del Mercado, 2211 Bel Pre Road, Silver Spring
• Wednesday, Aug. 2, 4-8 p.m., Aspen Hill Shopping Center, 13661 Connecticut Avenue, Silver Spring
• Saturday, Aug. 5, Noon - 4 p.m., Aspen Hill Shopping Center, 13661 Connecticut Avenue, Silver Spring

A PHB is a traffic control device used at mid-block crosswalks or intersections to provide a safer crossing for pedestrians. It differs from a pre-timed traffic signal or flashing beacon because it remains inactive or “dark” until a pedestrian who wants to cross a street pushes the call button to activate the beacon. Once activated, the PHB initiates a yellow to red lighting sequence of flashing and steady lights that directs motorists to slow and come to a stop, thereby providing right-of-way to the pedestrian to cross the roadway before going dark again.

“Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons are an attractive and cost-effective option to meet pedestrian safety needs, typically at mid-block crossings or where traffic or pedestrian volumes are too low to warrant a standard traffic signal,” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. “When looking at locations for the beacons, we consider the volume of pedestrian traffic, the type of roadway, traffic speeds and sight lines. We have recently installed about 10 of them in the County and have another 10 planned.”

Vision Zero is Montgomery County’s initiative to eliminate all roadway-related fatalities and serious injuries. Vision Zero was adopted by the County for its proven methods for saving lives. At Vision Zero’s core is the ethical principle that it is unacceptable for people to be killed or seriously injured when moving within the transportation system. The people that design, maintain, operate and use the roadway network share a responsibility for safety to ensure that mistakes do not result in serious injuries or death.

“Last year Montgomery County had 566 crashes involving a pedestrian or bicyclist. Tragically, 19 residents were killed. This is why I introduced the Safe Streets Act, to make more of our roads safer for all users,” said County Council President Evan Glass, who also serves as chair of the Council’s Transportation and Environment Committee. “With 17 percent of our County’s population speaking Spanish at home, and an over representation among the Latino community for motor vehicle crashes—85 percent higher among the Latino population—culturally competent traffic safety messaging is imperative to saving lives.”

“La Abuelina Family and the COVID-19 Vaccine” was produced by Montgomery County’s Department of Health and Human Services’ Latino Health Initiative to encourage Latinos to take charge of their health and make well-informed decisions in response to COVID-19. The “La Abuelina” communications campaign, part of the County’s Por Nuestra Salud y Bienestar (For Our Health and Wellbeing) initiative, received a local Emmy Award in June from the Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) for the third consecutive year. The campaign’s TV PSAs have garnered more than 10 million views in the Greater Washington area since first airing during the fall 2020.

“PHBs give people walking and biking the power to stop traffic with the push of a button,” said Vision Zero Coordinator Wade Holland. “Because these devices are new to Maryland, there can be confusion for walkers and drivers about safely navigating through the crossing. ‘La Abuelina’ will enhance our existing PHB outreach with memorable and fun messages, so all our residents feel confident about safely activating and crossing a crosswalk with a PHB.”

For more information on the “La Abuelina” pedestrian safety campaign, visit the campaign.

Vision Zero Annual Report Released Highlighting Accomplishments and Celebrating Completion of Phase 1 of the Bethesda Bikeway

Montgomery County this week released its annual report for the Vision Zero Initiative to end serious and fatal crashes on roadways by 2030. The Fiscal Year 2022 report details progress made on 114 tasks and projects that were undertaken during the year.

The report was released at a ribbon cutting for Phase 1 of the Bethesda Bikeway at Woodmont Avenue. The bikeway has pavement separated from the roadway which will make that section of Bethesda safer for bicyclists.

The complete FY22 Vision Zero annual report can be found on the County’s Vision Zero website.

“We need our streets to work for everyone whether walking, biking, using an assistive device or driving. That is why I have continued to increase funding for our traffic safety projects,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “In FY22, we spent $101.5 million on Vision Zero and this year I have increased the budget by 23 percent to $123.1 million. We can make our Vision Zero goal a reality through these projects, campaigns and with your help. Keep yourself and everyone on the road safe by putting your phone away while driving, obeying the speed limit, buckling up for every trip and every seat and never drive impaired.”

While there is much work to be done to reach the ultimate Vision Zero goal, FY22 represented a crucial year for the program with new initiatives started and key projects underway.

Highlights for the year included:

• Nine projects underway on High Injury Network (HIN) corridors. HIN corridors represent 3 percent of the County roads and 41 percent of serious and fatal injuries. Four safety audits, two project designs and three construction projects were completed.
• Eight pedestrian hybrid beacons were installed. The devices provide a red signal for drivers to safely allow people on foot and on bike to cross.
• 27 bikeway projects are underway. Four already have been completed, including the installation of the second and third protected intersections at Bethesda and Woodmont avenues in Bethesda and at Cameron and Fenton streets in Silver Spring.
• Seven miles of new sidewalk constructed.
• 40,000 resident engagements across 90 events and five safety campaigns. This includes bike safety rodeos for over 300 schoolchildren.
• More than $1 million secured by the County from State, Federal and regional grant programs for projects and focused law enforcement efforts.
• 18,154 traffic stops for excessive speeding by law enforcement and more than 300,000 speed citations from automated enforcement.

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT), which implements Vision Zero changes to County roads, such as pedestrian hybrid beacons, also was present to celebrate opening of Phase 1 of the Bethesda Bikeway.

“We are committed to the safety of all our roadway users,” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. “Safety is our highest priority, and we are striving to make changes to our roads as quickly as we can. That is why the Vision Zero funding is so crucial, and I am thankful that the County Executive and the Council have been working together to allow for increases in this funding to advance the safety of our residents. I am saddened by every report of another crash resulting in serious injury or loss of life and remain committed to the work we’re doing to reduce and eliminate these tragedies. In addition to making our facilities safer, these projects can also provide assets for our communities. As one example, the Bethesda Bikeway is going to make bicycling much safer and appealing in this area.”

The new cycletrack segments run along Bethesda Avenue and Willow Lane from the Capital Crescent Trail to 47th Street near Elm Street Park and along Woodmont Avenue between Miller Avenue and Montgomery Lane. Both bikeways are separated from traffic by raised concrete medians to protect cyclists. The two cycletracks are part of a new two-way bike network in downtown Bethesda that offers bright green separated bike lanes. Additional phases are in planning, design, and construction. The Phase 2 is scheduled to be completed next year.

“I want to thank all the staff from 20 municipal, County and State departments and agencies for their hard work on the Vision Zero Action Plan last year,” said County Vision Zero Coordinator Wade Holland. “Many long hours and time on nights and weekends were needed to advance this new plan while keeping up with the day-to-day work. Their dedication to our safety mission makes all this possible.”

The FY22 report is the first under the new Vision Zero 2030 Action Plan that outlines the projects and activities necessary to reach the Vision Zero goal of ending serious and fatal crashes. The initiative’s FY23 work plan is underway with projects across the County.

To learn more about Vision Zero efforts and how to get involved, visit the Vision Zero website.