​Grant Awards Fund Efforts to Eliminate Pedestrian Fatalities and Serious Injuries

(January 21, 2022) –The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) announced today more than $1 million in federal Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) grants to support three Maryland counties’ safety projects focused on eliminating pedestrian fatalities and serious injuries on state roadways. Funding was awarded to initiatives in Montgomery, Baltimore and Cecil counties.   

“The Maryland Department of Transportation is committed to promoting safety for all roadway users, whether they’re driving, walking, biking or taking transit,” said MDOT Secretary James F. Ports, Jr. “These HSIP grants reinforce that commitment, and reflect how MDOT, our federal partners and local jurisdictions are working as a team to make Maryland’s transportation network safer and more accessible for everyone.”      

The following projects are eligible for HSIP funding for Federal Fiscal Year 2022, which runs through September 30, 2022:   

• Montgomery County will receive $720,000 to install protected pedestrian crossings using pedestrian hybrid beacons at Willard Avenue and Shoemaker Farm Lane and also at Willard Avenue and Park Avenue in the Friendship Village area. The county will contribute $80,000 to complete the $800,000 project.    
• Baltimore County will receive $225,000 to install raised crosswalks along intersections of the Torrey C. Brown Trail at Sparks, Corbett, Hicks, Hunters Mills, Graystone, Wiseburg, Dairy, Walker and Freeland roads in the northern part of the county. The county will contribute $25,000 to complete the $250,000 project.   
• Cecil County will receive $76,500 to install pedestrian hybrid beacons at the intersection of Longview Drive and Racine School Road in front of Elk Neck Elementary School in Elkton. The award also supports upgrading existing crosswalk curb cuts. Cecil County will contribute $8,500 to complete the $85,000 project.   

“As we continue to improve infrastructure and mobility on our roadways, we must also protect our most vulnerable users,” said MDOT SHA Administrator Tim Smith. “These projects, made possible with HSIP funding, will enhance pedestrian safety and quality life for residents living in these communities.”   

HSIP is a core federal-aid program administered by the Federal Highway Association (FHWA). The program requires a data-driven, strategic approach to improve safety on public roadways and achieve a significant reduction in fatalities and serious injuries.    

To quality for HSIP grant funding, a jurisdiction must have a local safety plan, seek low-cost systemic projects, implement improvements at multiple locations, obtain safety benefits. Strategies should align with preferable countermeasures such as guardrails and rumble strips, signs and pavement markings, traffic signal and signage upgrades. For more details on the HSIP, visit https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/hsip/.

For a list of all major MDOT SHA projects, go to Project Portal. Visit our homepage at roads.maryland.gov. For a look at real-time traffic conditions, go to md511.maryland.gov.

Editor’s Note

From intersection improvements to widening and new interchange construction, MDOT SHA is investing in projects to enhance the commute and daily travel for millions of Marylanders.  MDOT SHA maintains more than 2,500 bridges and 17,000 miles of non-toll state roads – the interstate, US and state numbered routes in Maryland’s 23 counties.