APBP submitted written testimony for Maryland SAFE Roads Act (HB0656)
APBP submitted written testimony for the Maryland SAFE Roads Act (HB0656) which is one of the top two active transportation bills (along with HB0254) in the 2022 Maryland General Assembly session. Written testimony would urge Environment and Transportation Committee members for favorable consideration of House Bill 656.
Bill Highlights - Safe Access for All (SAFE) Roads Act of 2022 requires MDOT State Highway Administration to:
1. Conduct an analysis of high pedestrian and bike injury corridors/ intersections and identify engineering improvements to address identified threats; publish the results by July 2023
- HB0656 Vulnerable Road User (VRU) assessment is consistent with federal law; specifically, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) SEC. 11111. HIGHWAY SAFETY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, subsection 16 VRU Safety Assessment.
2. Provide specified minimum annual funding levels in budget areas involving pedestrian and bicycle safety
- SAFE Roads Act specified funding is a small fraction of the increased funding Maryland is expected to receive of the $4.6 billion over five years ($992 million per year) in IIJA Federal highway formula funding for highways and bridges. On an average annual basis, this is about 35.9% more than the State’s Federal-aid highway formula funding (USDOT MAC Conduit Street Blog)
3. Review outstanding and upcoming preservation and maintenance projects for opportunities to implement Context Driven Design Elements and FHA Proven Safety Countermeasures
4. When implementing new safe infrastructure and engineering improvements that will take more than 12 months to complete, implement near-term, incremental improvements which enhance safety in the interim.