MACo Policy Associate Drew Jabin yesterday submitted testimony to the Senate Finance Committee to support SB 387 – Intersection of State and Local Highways – Crosswalks and Curb Ramps. This bill would require the State Highway Administration to be responsible for installing and maintaining crosswalks and curb ramps at the intersections of State and local highways.

From the MACo Testimony:

Pedestrian safety is central to proper road planning. SB 387 incorporates best practices for this laudable goal into SHA’s process for its roadways in certain areas. As the entity responsible for maintaining the roads themselves, SHA should properly be obliged to maintain these safety features on their appropriate maintenance schedule.

SB 387 would require the State to hold responsibility for installing and maintaining a crosswalk and curb ramps at an intersection of a State and local highway if (1) doing so has been requested by the local governing body responsible for the local highway; (2) the crosswalk and curb ramps will connect at least one mile of sidewalk on each side of the State highway; (3) the affected intersection is controlled by a traffic control signal; and (4) doing so conforms to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) for Streets and Highways.

SB 387 provides a welcome, fair, reasonable, and much needed framework to improve and increase pedestrian safety across Maryland.

Follow MACo’s advocacy efforts during the 2021 legislative session on MACo’s Legislative Tracking Database.