Pump the Brakes: Addressing Maryland’s Traffic Fatality Crisis at #MACoCon

Traffic safety has been a growing concern in Maryland, while state and local lawmakers grapple with how to curb the risk to residents. Particularly from a county perspective, not just residents are at risk, but thousands of county employees who are required to work on and near the roadways everyday depending on their role. School bus drivers, local transportation officials, police officers, engineers, and construction workers all find themselves in dangerous situations as driver behavior becomes more erratic and reckless.

Counties regularly invest millions of dollars into Vision Zero and Safe Streets plans to make sure local infrastructure can work in tandem with enforcement measures to bring about safer highways and roadways. Additionally, MACo weighed in on six specific bills during the 2024 legislative session that took a variety of approaches to address the problem. Check out the MACo legislative session wrap-up for updates on those efforts. While many of those bills were successful, some were left in the drawer for the legislative interim.  This 2024 MACo Summer Conference panel will explore what types of provisions should be proposed and which from prior years could be revisited as officials are still working towards safer streets across Maryland.

Title: Pump the Brakes: Addressing Maryland’s Traffic Fatality Crisis

Description: 2023 was the most deadly year on Maryland roadways in almost two decades. Fatal and serious accidents have lifelong impacts on communities and families. The concern is particularly high for the thousands of highway workers, law enforcement officers, school bus drivers, engineers, and the like who spend thousands of hours on the roadways each year. These public servants are putting their lives on the line while fulfilling community roles that are indispensable. Legislation passed during the 2024 legislative session to begin addressing these problems, but many bills looking to establish further precautions did not. As the General Assembly gears up to likely consider more bills to make roadways safer, hear from a panel of experts on how it got so bad, what the research shows, and what kind of solutions will truly make Maryland roads safer.

Speakers:

    • Christine Nizer – Administrator, Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration
    • Wade Holland – Vision Zero Coordinator, Montgomery County
    • Major Daniel Rodriguez – Commander, Special Operations Division, Anne Arundel County Police Department
    • Lieutenant David Ryan – Commander, Maryland Department of State Police, Traffic Incident Management Section

Moderator: The Honorable Nick Allen, Maryland House of Delegates

Date/Time: Friday, August 16, 2024; 2:15 pm – 3:15 pm

MACo’s Summer Conference, “Turning the Tide,” is August 14-17, 2024, at the Roland Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, Maryland.

Learn more about MACo’s Summer Conference: