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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Felix Facchine, 410-313-2001
ffacchine@howardcountymd.gov
Councilmember Rigby Files Transportation
Safety Legislation in Howard County
Ellicott City, MD (August 25, 2022) – On August 25, Howard County Councilmember Christiana Rigby filed legislation to improve transportation safety in Howard County, Maryland (CB57-2022). This legislation, titled the Howard County Vision Zero Act of 2022, would require an infrastructure review of all traffic fatalities that occur on county roads. These reviews will be accompanied with recommendations to improve and enhance infrastructure safety.
“The goal of Vision Zero is to work toward a future where we can eliminate all traffic fatalities in our community. With thoughtful planning and the right transportation policies, we can make our streets safer for everyone,” said Councilmember Christiana Rigby. “This legislation will help Howard County in our efforts to further reduce pedestrian, bicyclist, and motorist fatalities and make our streets safer for all users.”
In 2022, the Maryland General Assembly passed House Bill 254, which establishes a similar transportation infrastructure review of pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities on all State roads and highways. Councilmember Rigby’s legislation will complement these efforts in Howard County by ensuring that traffic fatalities on local roads receive an infrastructure review. As part of this review, the Department of Public Works will make recommendations on potential crash reduction measures and safety enhancements that align with the County’s Complete Streets Design Manual and the State’s Vision Zero Program. These infrastructure improvements may include speed reduction measures, Complete Streets facilities, signage, and other efforts.
According to Howard County’s Strategic Road Safety Plan, the county experienced an average of 19 traffic fatalities per year on state and local roads from 2014 to 2018. In that same time frame, Howard County averaged over 1,000 crashes resulting in an injury every year.
“We should strive for a future where traffic fatalities are an anomaly and not the norm. Every resident should feel safe to travel on our roads, whether they are on foot, on a bike, in a wheelchair, on a bus, or in a car,” said Rigby. “This legislation will help us identify where we can make additional safety improvements in our transportation system.”
The proposed legislation was pre-filed on August 25, 2022 and will be introduced at the Legislative Session on September 6, 2022. Public testimony will be accepted at the Public Hearing on September 19, 2022. The legislation will be up for a vote at the Legislative Session on October 3, 2022. Once the legislation is introduced, individuals and organizations can sign up to provide virtual or in-person testimony by visiting this website.
To read the legislation, please visit this website: CB57-2022.
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