Maryland transportation leaders join Secretary Wiedefeld to celebrate groundbreaking for the state’s first Pedestrian Safety Action Plan project on MD 650. (Victory A. Momoh/MDOT)
With shovels in the ground, Maryland took a major step forward towards sharply bending the curve on roadway deaths and saving lives. State transportation officials, along with leaders in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties, held a groundbreaking ceremony this week to celebrate the start of construction on the state’s first Pedestrian Safety Action Plan project. At a cost of $15 million, the project will enhance safety for pedestrians and bicyclists along a busy portion of New Hampshire Avenue in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties.
“Thanks to Governor Moore’s budget and additional transportation revenues from the General Assembly, New Hampshire Avenue is the first of many corridors across Maryland that the State Highway Administration will transform into safer roads for everyone to use,” said Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld. “These Complete Streets will create desirable neighborhoods connecting Marylanders to opportunities and places where people want to live, work and shop.”
The project will enhance safety and accessibility along nearly 2.5 miles of New Hampshire Avenue from University Boulevard to Powder Mill Road. Improvements include new crosswalks and signals, upgraded pedestrian ramps and bus stops to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards, corridor-wide lighting improvements, ramp realignments at the New Hampshire Avenue and I-495 interchange, improved transit connectivity with raised speed tables for safer bus stop access, median fencing at selected locations to deter mid-block crossings and other features.
MD 650 Project Limits. (Courtesy MDOT SHA)
“Safety is our first priority,” said State Highway Administrator Will Pines. “The Pedestrian Safety Action Plan focuses on data driven safety improvements in high-risk corridors across Maryland.”
The groundbreaking marks the culmination of the Maryland Department of Transportation’s work over the past two and a half years. The State Highway Administration released its Pedestrian Safety Action plan in 2023 which identified areas of need and prioritized corridors for potential pedestrian and bicycle safety projects. In June of last year, Secretary Wiedefeld signed a new, department-wide Complete Streets Policy, prioritizing the safety of all road users during each phase of a project. These efforts support the Department’s Serious About Safety initiative to further partner, advocate, engage and champion live saving efforts statewide.
The State Highway Administration anticipates the new safety features along New Hampshire Avenue will be completed in fall 2026, weather permitting. For information on the project check out the project portal page and to learn more about pedestrian safety improvements Maryland is making visit the Pedestrian Safety Action Plan’s webpage.
Meredith Devereux is a Senior Writer with the Maryland Department of Transportation.