BALTIMORE, MD—The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) is launching an online survey and a series of virtual public meetings to gather feedback on improving safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users. This initiative aims to update the agency’s Vulnerable Road User (VRU) Assessment, a critical tool in enhancing road safety across Maryland.
Vulnerable road users, defined as individuals walking, cycling, or using other forms of personal mobility, are disproportionately affected by traffic crashes, accounting for a growing share of transportation fatalities both in Maryland and nationwide. The VRU Assessment evaluates their safety needs and helps to refine the state’s plan for improving their safety.
The online survey, managed by MDOT SHA’s Office of Traffic and Safety, allows participants to use a digital map to pinpoint areas where they experience safety concerns and suggest new infrastructure that could make roads safer. The survey will remain open until midnight on Aug. 7, 2025.
In addition to the survey, MDOT SHA will host five virtual public meetings from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. via Microsoft Teams. These meetings are geographically focused to ensure a wider range of localized input:
- Tuesday, July 8: Dorchester, Wicomico, Worcester, Somerset, Cecil, Queen Anne’s, Kent, Caroline, and Talbot counties (link).
- Tuesday, July 15: Montgomery and Prince George’s counties (link).
- Wednesday, July 16: Baltimore County and Baltimore City (link).
- Tuesday, July 22: Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties (link).
- Wednesday, July 23: Howard, Carroll, Frederick, Washington, Allegany, and Garrett counties (link).
Links and call-in options for each meeting are available on the MDOT SHA website.
Maryland’s initial VRU Assessment was completed in November 2023 and is being updated this year to comply with federal requirements. Subsequent updates will occur every five years.
This effort reinforces MDOT’s “Serious About Safety” initiative, a department-wide commitment to driving safety goals and saving lives. It also aligns with the state’s “Complete Streets” policy, which prioritizes safe, reliable, equitable, and sustainable travel for all modes of transportation, aiming to connect Marylanders to jobs, education, and economic opportunities.
For a comprehensive list of MDOT SHA projects, visit https://roads.maryland.gov. Real-time traffic conditions can be viewed at https://md511.maryland.gov.
Photo via Pixabay
