In 2024, Smart Growth America brought the Complete Streets Leadership Academy to Maryland. This program uses quick-build demonstration projects to bring state transportation departments and local jurisdictions together to improve mobility on state-owned roads and build partnerships for future work. The Town of Bel Air, the City of Hagerstown, and Howard County worked with Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) and its State Highway Administration (SHA) to design and install these temporary projects in their communities.
With pedestrian fatalities disproportionally occurring on state routes, the Complete Streets Leadership Academy (CSLA) is a program designed to help address the nationwide pedestrian safety crisis. Through the Academy, local teams work with their state DOT to design and install quick-build demonstration projects. These temporary installations provide near-term safety improvements, an opportunity to test new designs and materials, and a way to build relationships between the state DOT and local jurisdictions. Communities also experience benefits from these projects such as increased physical activity, economic opportunity, and readiness in the face of ever-emerging challenges. Lessons learned from this process can be used to help a state institutionalize this process, turning quick-build demonstration projects and relationship-building into a regular part of furthering safety operations.
From May to August, MDOT, SHA, the Town of Bel Air, the City of Hagerstown, and Howard County attended a series of workshops on Complete Streets and quick-build demonstration projects. The teams used this learning to each design and install a quick-build demonstration project by the end of the summer: Bel Air reduced confusion at an intersection on Main Street, Hagerstown slowed vehicle speeds entering its historic downtown, and Howard County built a multi-use path on a highway with lots of people walking but no sidewalk. The process of the local teams and the state working to design, install, and measure the impact of these projects revealed insights as to what enabled these projects to happen, how they could have been improved, and how MDOT should approach future quick-build demonstration projects.
Read the full reportKey takeaways
- Develop guidance and processes to install more quick-build demonstration projects by standardizing the responsibilities across parties, identifying categories of eligible locations or safety challenges, and expediting review for typical materials and designs.
- Include community members throughout the process in future quick builds, from site selection to data collection, using these temporary projects to build lasting relationships.
- Continue to build support through trainings for local jurisdictions, SHA districts, and MDOT staff on Complete Streets and quick builds, including peer learning opportunities as more local jurisdictions work on quick-build projects.
Case studies
Town of Bel Air
Bel Air made a confusing intersection easier for people walking, biking, and driving to navigate with a quick-build demonstration project by closing a turn and slowing traffic. This project helped strengthen relationships between town staff, SHA district engineers, and MDOT, which will help to implement future improvements. With more planning funds on the way, the community’s positive feedback on this project helped affirm the town’s commitment to improving safety through design. Read the case study here >>
City of Hagerstown
Hagerstown reduced the speeds of vehicles on the state highway at the entrance to the historic downtown using a quick-build demonstration project. With a lot of people biking the corridor and crossing the highway mid-block, the city and SHA were able to slow down cars and improve the existing crosswalks to make the area safer for people walking and biking. Though not all safety issues were able to be addressed by the quick build, the benefits were clear to people who live near the highway. The project helped broaden the conversation of how to improve pedestrian safety in the area and the team is eager to continue this work. Read the case study here >>
Howard County
Howard County met the need for a safe place to walk and bike along U.S. Highway 1 by repurposing the outermost lane as a temporary multi-use path. Through in-person outreach, fast-paced collaboration, and a strong background in Complete Streets, the team was able to implement a large-scale quick-build demonstration project. The successes and lessons learned in this project will be used as the upcoming MDOT Pedestrian Safety Action Plan identifies future permanent improvements to the site. Read the case study here >>