​Model Complete Streets Initiative to Retrofit Several Multimodal Corridors 

(December 5, 2023) – Officials from the Maryland Department of Transportation gathered today with pedestrian and bicycle safety advocates and state and local leaders to officially open the $6.4 million US 1 (Rhode Island Avenue) Trolley Trail in the Hyattsville area of Prince George’s County, and to announce the next phase of Maryland’s Pedestrian Safety Action Plan, a priority of the Moore-Miller Administration to provide greater access and protect all roadway users – including those traveling on foot or by bicycle, scooter or other mobility device. 

Officials announced five corridors where elements of the action plan and the state’s Complete Streets policy will be implemented by the State Highway Administration to create example projects using roadway features that enhance safe multi-modal connections:

“It’s imperative we put ‘action’ in our Pedestrian Safety Action Plan, and this US 1 Trolley Trail demonstrates how a Complete Streets approach can – and will – be applied successfully for new projects and existing roadways,” said Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld. “Here in Hyattsville, we’re providing features and improvements that meet community needs by creating a safe, accessible, world-class connection to Prince George’s County’s trail network. That, in turn, encourages even greater pedestrian and bicycle mobility.”

​​
Among those at the ribbon cutting were State Highway Administrator William Pines (center), Maryland Department of Transportation Assistant Secretary Joe McAndrew (over his right shoulder) and Hyattsville Mayor Robert Croslin (far right).

The US 1 Trolley Trail includes a 10-foot-wide, half-mile paved trail, American with Disabilities Act-compliant path and buffer along northbound US 1 from Charles Armentrout Drive and Farragut Street. The trail fills a gap in the Anac​ostia Tributary Trail system and has been a transportation priority for Prince George’s County. It will serve a densely populated area – it’s near the University of Maryland College Park as well as transit-oriented commercial and residential communities and mass transit. 

The new trail was built with a lane reduction of northbound US 1 to minimize impact on neighboring properties. The project includes dynamic pavement markings, a pedestrian crossing signal, pedestrian lighting, curb ramps, high visibility crosswalks, a protected intersection and new signage.

The US 1 Trolley Trail project was launched in spring 2022. It is open for pedestrian and bicyclist use, though some additional work, along with periodic closures, will be required between now and the end of the year. The project includes funding from state, federal and local partners. The City of Hyattsville contributed $1.1 million for trail lighting, Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission relocated and upgraded a water line and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission contributed toward right of way needs.

“I want to thank all of our federal, state, and local partners for making this project come to fruition and inch us closer to Vision Zero in Maryland – the goal to eliminate all roadway deaths and serious injuries,” said State Highway Administrator William Pines. “I look forward to seeing the other corridors come to life around the state.”

Pedestrian Action Safety Plan Corridor Projects

Earlier this year, Secretary Wiedefeld directed an update of the State Highway Administration’s Complete Streets policy, which aims to balance the safety and efficiency of roads with access to other modes of transportation and other community needs. 

Complete Streets is at the center of the Pedestrian Safety Action Plan, a new tool to enhance pedestrian and bicycle safety and mobility and expand transportation options for communities. The plan provides an overview of existing conditions throughout the state, identifies areas of need and recommends strategies to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety.

Upon release of the Pedestrian Safety Action in May, Secretary Wiedefeld also directed the State Highway Administration to identify five corridors to serve as model projects. As design gets underway, the agency will use its Context Driven Guide, as well as consultation with community stakeholders, to plan projects in the five corridors in Prince George’s, Montgomery, Baltimore, Howard and Anne Arundel counties. 

As its name suggests, the Context Driven Guide considers the “context” of areas in terms of land-use, population density, transit connections and other factors to determine what types of improvements can have greatest impact on safety and mobility – from speed limits and bike lanes to special crosswalks and road “diets” that reduce the number of vehicle lanes. More information on the State Highway Administration’s Context Driven approach and the Pedestrian Safety Action Plan is available here. More on the state’s Vision Zero policy is available here.​

Model Complete Streets Initiative

State officials announced that context driven designs will be applied to the first five Pedestrian Safety Action Plan ​corridors advancing to the design stage: