Montgomery County Executive Elrich Releases Draft Vision Zero 2030 Action Plan and Announces Listening Sessions and Survey to Gather Community Input

For Immediate Release: Thursday, April 15, 2021

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich has released the Draft Vision Zero 2030 Action Plan and Fiscal Years 2022-23 Work Plan for public review and input. The Vision Zero 2030 Action Plan builds on the County’s previous Vision Zero and Pedestrian Safety plans and lays out the work ahead to eliminate traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries by 2030.

Feedback on the plan starts today and will run through early June. Between April 28 and May 26, five virtual listening sessions will be held to gather input on the plan. 

A copy of the plan, access to a feedback survey and details on how to RSVP for an upcoming community review session are available at https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/visionzero/2030plan.html.  

“We have made progress since adopting the first Vision Zero plan in late 2017, but there is much more we can do. The number of serious and fatal injuries remains higher than we can accept,” said County Executive Elrich. “We need to be innovative in using more low-cost interventions to improve more roads and intersections every year. This plan does that by expanding Vision Zero into more of the County’s maintenance programs. We need to hear from County residents to make the Vision Zero Plan stronger and meet the needs of everyone regardless of how they get around the County.” 

To gather feedback, the County is sponsoring a survey and listening sessions. The survey is available directly at https://www.research.net/r/vz2030plan.  

Vision Zero Coordinator Wade Holland will lead the series of virtual listening. Each session is focused on one of the regional service areas of the County. Residents do not need to live in the service area to attend. 

The listening session schedule, with each session beginning at 7 p.m. and held via Zoom. Registration is required to get access to the virtual meeting room.:

• Western Montgomery (Bethesda, Rockville, Chevy Chase) – Wednesday, April 28
• Silver Spring – Wednesday, May 5
• UpCounty– Thursday, May 13 
• Mid-County – Wednesday, May 19
• East County – Wednesday, May 26

“I want to thank everyone that has contributed to building this plan to date,” said Vision Zero Coordinator Holland. “We had more than 1,500 residents across the County tell us through a series of community interviews, surveys, focus groups and letters what they need to make our communities safer for everyone walking, rolling, biking and driving. More than 70 work group members from municipal, County and State governments took the community priorities and developed the draft action plan. I look forward to sharing the draft plan and engaging with residents. Let’s work together to end traffic deaths this decade.” 

The Vision Zero concept for roadway safety originated in Sweden in 1997 and is credited for making that country’s roads some of the safest in the world—even with increases in driving, walking, and biking. Vision Zero has been adopted by more than 40 jurisdictions in the United States. Montgomery County is one of the first counties in the United States to adopt a Vision Zero initiative.  

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Release ID: 21-236
Media Contact: Neil H. Greenberger 240-205-1915
Categories: Transportation