For Immediate Release: Monday, January 28, 2002
Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan announced new measures to improve pedestrian and traffic safety based on recommendations from the Blue Ribbon Panel on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety. The Panel presented its final report to Duncan today, which outlines ways to make Montgomery County a truly "walkable" community.
"With pedestrian fatalities in the County exceeding the number of homicides, it was time to take action and begin aggressive measures to make our streets safer," said Duncan. "There are ways to reduce pedestrian and traffic injuries and fatalities - and that is why I turned to an impressive array of experts in pedestrian and traffic safety, to recommend countywide solutions, based on real-world experience, that are working in other communities across the country. The Blue Ribbon Panel has developed a comprehensive plan to make Montgomery County more pedestrian-friendly, and I want to extend my sincerest thanks and appreciation to the 40 individuals who worked so diligently to find a way to make their vision of a walkable Montgomery County -a reality."
Duncan announced he will immediately implement the Panel's two overall key recommendations to improve pedestrian safety:
1) Appoint a senior level person within the Executive Branch of the County government to coordinate and implement ongoing pedestrian and traffic safety activities. Lori Gillen, Special Projects Coordinator, was designated as the Pedestrian Safety Coordinator. She will report directly to Duncan.
2) Establish a permanent County Executive-appointed pedestrian safety advisory board. Duncan directed his staff to immediately begin putting together the new citizens advisory committee on pedestrian and traffic safety to keep the Panel's blueprint for action on track.
The 40-member Blue Ribbon Panel was appointed by Duncan in June 2000 with the mission to develop an action-oriented set of recommendations to significantly reduce pedestrian deaths and injuries and their associated economic costs, while addressing ways to create pedestrian-friendly walkable communities. Panel members represent a wide variety of disciplines ranging from advocacy to County and State government. The Panel examined pedestrian and traffic safety issues focusing on the three E's - Education, Enforcement and Engineering - and made its recommendations in these three areas.
"It is time for a renaissance when it comes to pedestrian safety and making Montgomery County a truly walkable community," said Delegate Bill Bronrott, chair of the Montgomery County Blue Ribbon Panel on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety. "These recommendations are dedicated to sparking that change. Pedestrian safety is not only a life or death issue, it is a quality of life concern that will affect many generations to come. The more we invest in educating motorists and pedestrians, keeping enforcement efforts visible and high, and aggressively applying the most innovative engineering design to our roadways, the better able we will be to prevent tragedies and make Montgomery County the safe and livable community we all want."
Duncan also fully embraced the concept of proactively implementing the "pedestrian safety engineering tool box" recommended by the Panel. This tool box represents the most effective and innovative engineering options available to make the County pedestrian-friendly. County departments have already begun to change their philosophies about implementing projects and programs, viewing their work in ways that examine pedestrian and traffic safety impacts.
Duncan noted that the County has also begun to implement other Panel recommendations, including:
· Provide adequate funding to the County's Department of Public Works and Transportation to make the necessary engineering changes to enhance pedestrian traffic safety. Duncan's fiscal year 2003-2008 Capital Improvements Program budget allocates $117 million to pedestrian safety, including $1.2 million in new spending.
· Conduct a social marketing campaign. The County allocated $50,000 in the fiscal year 2002 budget and received a $50,000 grant from the Maryland State Highway Administration to hire an advertising firm to conduct an education and outreach campaign. A Request for Proposals will be issued soon.
· Dovetail enforcement with education efforts. Montgomery County Police are using a $40,000 grant from the Maryland State Highway Administration to step up pedestrian and traffic safety enforcement. Officers crack down on traffic violators while providing educational information about safe walking and driving behaviors.
Panel members are listed below:
Blue Ribbon Panel Members and Staff
Adams, Harold
Montgomery County Office of Budget and Management
Anderson, Brandy
Director, Public Policy, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Washington, D.C.
Aoyagi, Gordon
Montgomery County Fire Administrator
Barclay, Donald
Bethesda Civic Activist
Brady, Anita
Resident of Mid-County Area
Bronrott, William A., Chair
Member of House of Delegates, District 16
Buddington, Cindy
Representative of Montgomery County Commission on People with Disabilities
Cole, Larry
Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission
Delaney, William
Montgomery County Fire Rescue Services
Dunckel, Jeff
Montgomery County Department of Public Works and Transportation
Downey, Leslie
Silver Spring Area Resident
Former Chair of Transportation Committee of Blair High School PTSA
Franchot, Peter
Member of House of Delegates-District 20
Chair of House Appropriations Committee on Transportation and Environment
Gansler, Douglas
State's Attorney for Montgomery County
Garvey, M.D., Carol
Montgomery County Health Officer Representing Chuck Short, Director, Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services
Genetti, Al
Director, Montgomery County Department of Public Works and Transportation
Gillan, Jacqueline
Vice President of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety
Helm, Alice
Montgomery County Commission on Aging
Kamat, M.D., Miguel
Bethesda Activist
Lanham, William
Lieutenant; Deputy Director, Special Operations Division, Montgomery County Police
Loehr, Charles
Park and Planning Director, Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission
Loughery, David
Montgomery County Department of Public Works and Transportation
Mandel, Adrienne
Member of House of Delegates-District 19
McGuire, Kim
Resident of UpCounty Area
Student at Damascus High School
McMillan, Linda
Montgomery County Council Staff
Miller, Pam
Advertising Executive; Executive Director, Safe Neighborhood Day, Inc.
Moose, Ph.D., Charles
Montgomery County Police Chief
Morella, Christine
Montgomery County Pedestrian Safety Assistant
Moulden, John
President, National Commission Against Drunk Driving; President, Transportation Safety Associates
Nachman, Gail
Chief Policy Officer, Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services
Navid, Sarah
Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services
Praisner, Marilyn
Montgomery County Council-District 4
Pratt, Richard
Transportation Planning Consultant and Traffic Engineer
Smith, Walter
Vice President of GEICO
Sprague, Sheila
Montgomery County Office of Intergovernmental Relations
Stanton, Margo
Montgomery County Traffic Safety Coordinator
Vaughey, Cornelius
District Court Judge; Vice Chair of Montgomery County Criminal Justice Coordinating Commission
Watts, Robyn
Resident of East Montgomery County
Wetmore, John
"Perils for Pedestrians" Show Producer
Wilkinson, Bill
Executive Director, National Center for Bicycling and Walking
Wroe, Tracy Montgomery County Department of Public Works and Transportation
For more information about the Panel, check the County's website at www.co.mo.md.us and click on the Pedestrian Safety icon.
Release ID: 02-548
Media Contact: Esther Bowring 240-777-6530