Montgomery County is strengthening its efforts to make streets and sidewalks safer for everyone. The county’s Vision Zero Steering Committee has released its Fiscal Year 2026 Work Plan, outlining steps to reduce—and ultimately eliminate—serious injuries and deaths from traffic crashes. Vision Zero is a long-term initiative focused on creating safer roads for all, and this new plan marks a renewed push toward that goal.
In a statement obtained by Montgomery County's press portal, County Executive Marc Elrich offered this solemn vow, “We’ve made progress. Serious injuries and fatalities are down on the roads where we’ve focused our efforts. I appreciate the work of this cross-agency coalition and their collaborations. We will keep investing in safety improvements, enforcing dangerous driving behavior and making our streets safer.” It is a promise that echoes in the hallways of governance and in the streets whistling with traffic as steady work on the High Injury Network (HIN) corridors seems to yield tangible results.
Turning fatalities into fallacies of the past, the Vision Zero Coordinator Wade Holland noted a significant downtrend of 28 percent reduction in injuries and fatalities on these critical roadways, according to a press release by Montgomery County. This current fiscal year bears witness to the highest number of projects leaping from the draft board to the concrete reality of construction since the birth of the Vision Zero Initiative.
Construction on Bel Pre Road and Montgomery Village Avenue has been greenlighted, while beyond the county lines, the State Highway Administration laces up for safety enhancements under its own Pedestrian Safety Action Plan. The MCDOT Director Chris Conklin emphasized cumulative strides in infrastructure, with the addition of sidewalks, protecting pedestrians in school zones, and high injury areas. Notably, a conversion of signalized intersections aims to give pedestrians a few precious seconds of lead over the impatient rev of car engines.
Montgomery County Police Chief Marc Yamada underscored the enforcement angle, “Our officers, along with our local and state police partners, are currently working on the inaugural summertime alcohol task force. We are also maximizing use of our automated traffic safety tools and working with the State Highway Administration in an effort to change dangerous driving behaviors. The department’s approach to using a combination of automated and officer enforcement, allows us to maximize our resources and address the leading causes of roadway fatalities and serious collisions,” as noted by the same press release. More information on these projects and others can be found on the Vision Zero website.
