Serious About Safety is a department-wide focus to drive the Maryland Department of Transportation’s safety goals and save lives. (David Trozzo/MDOT)
More than 570 people lost their lives on Maryland roadways in 2024. A quarter of those deaths involved people who were walking or biking.
While overall, we saw a decrease in traffic fatalities in 2024 compared to 2023 and continue to see a positive, downward trend, our work doesn’t stop. At the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), we believe we must do more to improve the safety of our transportation network.
That is why Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld this spring launched Serious About Safety, an all-hands-on deck call to expedite progress and sharply bend the curve on roadway fatalities across Maryland. The initiative has three key pillars:
- MDOT-led directives – prioritizing safety in every project, policy and standard we implement.
- Legislative action – championing and collaborating on legislation essential for enhancing safety outcomes across the state.
- Advocacy – leading and partnering to build capacity to get the hard work done. The Department will work with leaders across the state to deliver bold policy changes and projects needed to improve safety outcomes.
This work builds on Secretary Wiedefeld’s Department-wide safety push since becoming Secretary in 2023. Last year, Secretary Wiedefeld signed an updated Complete Streets policy that, for the first time, applied to the whole department. Any MDOT funded project must now prioritize safe options throughout all phases of project development.
MDOT also partnered with Smart Growth America on quick-build Complete Streets pilot projects to learn what works and what needs improvement. Building upon the success of the pilot, the State Highway Administration (SHA) recently announced its next round of “quick-build” demonstration projects on state-owned roadways in partnership with local jurisdictions across Maryland.
MDOT is leading multiple investments to ensure the safety of all road users. (David Trozzo/MDOT)
State Highway has upgraded more than a thousand crosswalks and hundreds of intersections across the state. The agency is also advancing its Pedestrian Safety Action Plan with a second round of projects to further increase safety.
These critical safety projects are funded in Governor Wes Moore’s budget approved by the Maryland General Assembly and are part of the Department’s overall strategy to make smart investments that improve safety, drive economic growth and enhance Maryland’s transportation system.
And thanks to the Maryland Road Worker Protection Act passed last year, tiered speed camera fines in work zones are now in effect. In just January and February of this year, those cameras issued more than 48,000 citations. In two cases, vehicles were recorded speeding more than 130 miles per hour along the Baltimore Beltway in active work zones.
In recent weeks, we’ve seen reports and news stories on super speeders. These individuals are endangering lives on our roadways and not facing the consequences and, most importantly,
not changing their behavior.
This is unacceptable. Period.
With Serious About Safety, we are challenging ourselves to think broader and bolder to make the transportation system safe for all. And we know we can’t solve this intractable problem ourselves. We must do the hard work together. Stay tuned for more initiatives under Serious About Safety and how you can join in this important endeavor.
The Department is taking action to upgrade hundreds of intersections across the state, including adding infrastructure to protect pedestrians and cyclists. Recent improvements include this US Route 1 intersection in College Park. (MDOT)
Jonathan Rogers is a Policy Advisor for Planning and Project Development at the Maryland Department of Transportation.