Walking in Silver Spring by Jordan Barab used with permission.

Montgomery County has seen a slew of traffic crashes and deaths in the past few years, and residents say something needs to change. This fall the county is taking a big step towards addressing road safety concerns with a pedestrian master plan and a new Twitter campaign called #WalkingHere.

In the county from 2015 to 2018, 44 people were killed while walking, and there were 2,307 pedestrian and bicycle crashes during that same period. To begin making streets safer for vulnerable road users, the county unanimously approved the Scope of Work for a pedestrian master plan on September 6. It will identify key areas that need to be fixed or updated in order for people walking or rolling to navigate easily.

Using the #WalkingHere hashtag, Twitter users can share their experiences walking around the county. They can show @montgomeryplans what areas need to be addressed, such as blocked or damaged sidewalks or dangerous crosswalks.

Swapping car-centric design for a walkable future

The impetus of the pedestrian master plan came out of the county’s Vision Zero initiative, which it adopted in 2016. It aims to end traffic deaths and severe injuries by 2030. In order to reach that goal, local officials realized they needed to take action now.

“We realized people walking are our most vulnerable road users. And we needed a plan to improve the safety for that population,” said Eli Glazier. He works for the Montgomery County Planning Department, and is project manager for the plan. “Walking and rolling should be comfortable, convenient, safe, and direct,” he added.

The planning department is a bi-county agency with Prince George’s County. A mix of agencies will implement the road updates, including Montgomery County Department of Transportation, the Department of Permitting Services, local park services, and others.

Glazier said Montgomery County realized that “a lot of road design was really with an autocentric windshield perspective. This plan, along with other efforts like Vision Zero and the Complete Streets design guide, is to center and focus on pedestrians and make sure Montgomery County has a pedestrian-focused future.” He says they’re aiming for a future that’s equitable and ensures that roads, pathways, and sidewalks are accessible for people with disabilities.

The county also launched a bicycle master plan in 2018. Glazier said the two plans compliment each other, and both highlight “the urgency for our more active modes to help the county achieve its climate transportation and liveability plans.”

The plan is expected to take about two years, culminating in county council approval in the fall of 2021. There are a slate of community meetings scheduled throughout the county.

The planning department will work with the county, residents, and others to get comprehensive information and data. The county will also be conducting a county-wide survey to capture data about who, why, and where people are walking.

What’s it like #WalkingHere?

The planning department also recently launched its #WalkingHere campaign on Twitter. It’s an effort to “gather feedback from people in the community that may not be able to or willing to attend a public meeting to share with us their experience walking or rolling,” Glazier said. “So their walk to transit their walk to the grocery store. The highs and the lows of it.”

Glazier said he hopes to take all that comprehensive information and use the data to inform the plan. But also: “It’s an opportunity to amplify those stores and humanize the plan for people who may have a windshield view to understand their neighbors that often people who are walking don’t have a safe route.”

The #WalkingHere campaign has already gathered a slew of responses:

To find out more about the plan, you can sign up to receive the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s e-letter here.

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Tagged: maryland, montgomery county, pedestrians

George Kevin Jordan was GGWash's Editor-in-Chief. He is a proud resident of Hillcrest in DC's Ward 7. He was born and raised in Milwaukee and has written for many publications, most recently the AFRO and about HIV/AIDS issues for TheBody.com.