State Highway Administration seeks public input on how to reduce roadway deaths

BALTIMORE — The State Highway Administration is seeking public opinion on how to improve safety for pedestrians who travel along its roads.

Under the Moore-Miller Administration, the administration will host five virtual public meetings in July to discuss how to best protect  “vulnerable road users,” which includes people who walk, cycle, or use a rolling device on the roads, according to state authorities.

The administration will also accept public opinion through an online survey through July 31, state authorities said.

The Biden administration’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act requires Maryland and other states to develop a Vulnerable User Safety Assessment as part of their Strategic Highway Safety Plan, according to state authorities. 

These assessments must be completed by Nov. 15, state authorities said.

Maryland’s assessment will be made available on the State Highway Administration website by this date, according to state authorities.

Additionally, the assessment builds on Maryland’s Pedestrian Safety Action Plan, which identifies corridors where operations and infrastructure improvements could enhance pedestrian safety and make it easier for pedestrians to use them, state authorities said.

The State Highway Administration is working on its assessment with partners who represent high-risk areas. 

Agencies and groups with a vested interest in these areas will receive invitations to participate in the two-hour-long virtual meetings, according to state authorities.

The public is invited to attend the meetings and share their opinions, state authorities said. 

The meetings will be held 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on the following dates:  

• Tuesday, July 11        Eastern Shore 
• Thursday, July 13        Montgomery and Prince George’s counties 
• Tuesday, July 18        Baltimore and northern suburbs 
• Wednesday, July 19        Southern Maryland and Anne Arundel County 
• Thursday, July 20        Western Maryland and Howard County 

The link to the virtual meetings is available at the bottom of the State Highway Administration’s website.