Smart Growth America (SGA), through its Complete Streets Leadership Academy, worked with Maryland’s Department of Transportation (MDOT) and State Highway Administration (SHA) to pilot quick-build demonstration projects on state-owned routes in Bel Air, Hagerstown, and Howard County. These three communities were asked to plan, design, and install quick-build projects at specific locations to improve safety and accessibility for people walking and biking.
After a successful 2023 Complete Streets Leadership Academy featuring Alaska, California, Connecticut, and Tennessee, Smart Growth America has brought similar safety demonstration programming to the state of Maryland. The Maryland Complete Streets Leadership Academy builds on SGA’s experience working with state DOTs and local jurisdictions to install quick-build demonstration projects on state-owned routes. Howard County’s Complete Streets policy was ranked number one in our 2023 Best Complete Streets Policy Report, and the Academy was a great opportunity to build the momentum for continued safety improvements for all road users on Maryland’s streets. SGA, MDOT, SHA, and Stantec came together this summer to support a team of engineers, planners, and safety experts to create and implement safety projects in Bel Air, Hagerstown, and Howard County.
A common barrier to quick-build projects is being able to get permission to install safety projects on a road not owned by the local jurisdiction. But state-owned routes are among the most dangerous roadways for people walking, biking, and rolling, making them ideal candidates for quick-build projects. Close collaboration between state DOTs and local jurisdictions from the beginning provides an opportunity to identify and then develop strategies to mitigate barriers to collaboration. SGA has seen much success with projects from former its Complete Streets Leadership Academy, such as with this new guidance from CTDOT.
Recently, SGA led a walk audit at the quick-build demonstration project that was recently installed in North Laurel, Howard County. The project replaced the rightmost lane on US 1 with a multi-use path for people to walk and bike, marked by flex posts and paint to delineate the new use of the space. People walking this route previously had to use the grass or the shoulder, as there is no sidewalk, and people biking had to hug the curb or brave the speeding vehicular traffic. Despite the unsafe conditions, people depend on this route to get to and from their work. With this project in place, there is room for people outside of cars to get where they need along US 1. At the walk audit, CSLA participants all felt the tangible improvements made by this project, shared the lessons learned in installation, and discussed how future long-term changes could improve upon this demonstration project.
In addition to the immediate safety benefits to people in these three communities, the Maryland CSLA program is being conducted with long-term change in mind. Bel Air, Hagerstown, and Howard County were chosen in part because they are each located in a different SHA District. By running this pilot in three different districts, MDOT can take lessons learned from the Academy to develop a permanent program for quick-build projects in all Districts across the state. This work is part of Maryland’s larger state-wide Model Complete Streets Initiative. Learn more from the Maryland Complete Streets Leadership Academy Hub and stay tuned for a larger report from SGA once the communities have installed the quick-build demonstrations and engage the community about the proposed changes
