Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich and County Council President Tom Hucker joined the County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) on Thursday, June 17, to launch the Vision Zero speed reduction program, “20 is Plenty,” in North Bethesda.

According to a County press release, the program lowers speed limits to 20 miles per hour on targeted streets to promote safer roadways for pedestrians and bicyclists.

The Maryland General Assembly, during the 2021 session, passed House Bill 562 sponsored by the Montgomery County House Delegation. This bill authorized Montgomery County to decrease the maximum speed limit to no less than 15 miles per hour on local roadways, and only after performing an engineering and traffic investigation.

“As we continue to reopen, traffic will increase, which will lead to more cars on the road and pedestrians crossing streets,” said County Executive Elrich. “This is why we must focus on increasing safety measures throughout Montgomery County communities so that we reduce the number of fatalities. In 2019, Montgomery County saw 1,200 speed-induced crashes resulting in 32 lives lost, which is far too many. The 20 is Plenty effort is designed to engage residents and save more lives.”

The speed reduction is a part of the County’s ongoing commitment to the Vision Zero initiative. According to the County website:

To reach the goal of zero serious and fatal collisions by 2030, the Action Plan lays out specific activities with deadlines for implementation. All action items are built around five key action areas: Engineering; Enforcement; Education and Training; Traffic Incident Management; and Law, Policy, and Advocacy.

Learn more about the Vision Zero initiative.
Read the full press release.