Maryland State Wire

The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), in collaboration with the State Highway Administration (SHA) and Smart Growth America, has released a final report on its Complete Streets Leadership Academy. This technical assistance program was designed to test and evaluate roadway safety projects. The initiative included workshops held last summer, which guided the installation of temporary road safety measures in Howard County, Hagerstown, and Bel Air.

These temporary projects were implemented swiftly, moving from concept to execution within three months. They targeted areas with high traffic fatalities or crashes and were cost-effective compared to other safety interventions. For instance, a project in Hagerstown reduced average top speeds by 15% and decreased the number of drivers exceeding the speed limit by over 20 mph by 90%, even as traffic volumes increased by 20%.

"Today’s report marks an important milestone in how the Department approaches safety issues," said Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld. "These quick-build demonstration projects will allow MDOT to deploy near-term, cost-effective safety improvements, test their effectiveness, work with communities and make permanent the strategies that work."

The projects were developed collaboratively with local stakeholders through workshops covering design, performance measures, engagement planning, data collection, and storytelling. Lessons learned will be applied to future demonstration and permanent safety installations.

MDOT plans to expand project implementation statewide, engage communities for feedback on transportation solutions, and monitor ongoing assessments of Complete Streets initiatives.

The report highlights successes and suggests improvements for broader deployment within Maryland. This effort supports MDOT's new Complete Streets policy aimed at making roads safer for all users.

"Maryland’s Complete Streets policy gives clear direction for making our transportation network safe, accessible and convenient for all users," said State Highway Administrator Will Pines. "This effort... shows SHA’s continued commitment to making Maryland roads safer for all users."

MDOT's Complete Streets policy applies to all agencies under its umbrella and is part of a department-wide focus on enhancing safety through various initiatives.

Information from this article can be found here.