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Montgomery County honors National Pedestrian Safety Month as advocates press for enforcement and design changes
Summary
County council recognized National Pedestrian Safety Month and heard family members and advocates urge faster implementation of the Safe Streets Act, new automated enforcement and better pedestrian infrastructure after a recent string of local fatalities.
Montgomery County Council recognized October as National Pedestrian Safety Month and invited advocates and family members to press for faster action on enforcement and street design.
Vice President Kate Stewart (District 4) and Transportation and Environment Committee Chair Glass opened the proclamation, framing pedestrian safety as an equity and public‑health issue and citing local and state statistics. Chair Glass said the county has seen “more than 400 people who have been hit on our roads while walking, biking, and rolling” in the first ten months of the year and called for slower speeds, better enforcement and street redesign.
Family members who have lost loved ones told personal stories. Mindy Baden of Montgomery County Families for Safe Streets said she lost her 32‑year‑old son and urged the council to connect the county’s Safe Streets Act, the Vision Zero plan and the pedestrian master plan with enforcement tools. “We have a complete streets plan, we have a vision 0 plan, and we have a pedestrian master plan. What we need to do is connect all the dots and make the street safer for everybody,” Baden said.
Dan Langenkamp, whose spouse died while bicycling, described the personal toll of a collision on a state highway that runs through a busy commercial area and urged state and county action to slow traffic and redesign dangerous corridors. Councilmembers thanked the advocates and noted both enforcement and engineering are needed.
Councilmembers also highlighted upcoming safety concerns tied to seasonal factors such as Halloween and the time change, and thanked police, county staff and community partners for work on the Safe Streets Act implementation and the county’s 2024 automated traffic enforcement plan.
The proclamation was presented by members of the Transportation and Environment Committee and acknowledged community partners including SEEK and local pedestrian safety groups. The council did not take any legislative action during the ceremony; advocates asked the council and the county executive to accelerate enforcement, red‑light and speed‑camera deployments, and to prioritize pedestrian infrastructure in areas where residents are most affected.
The council moved on to other agenda business after the proclamation; the Transportation and Environment Committee will continue oversight of Safe Streets Act implementation as those enforcement and engineering efforts proceed.
