County Council member Roger Berliner wants more money for two pedestrian safety programs.
Berliner, the District 1 Council representative, on Friday asked Public Safety Committee Chair Marc Elrich to add $125,000 in additional pedestrian safety funding to County Executive Isiah Leggett’s recommended budget for the next fiscal year.
Berliner cited the reported 420 pedestrian collisions in the county last year and five pedestrian deaths so far this year as reason for more spending in the area.
He suggested $80,000 be added to the police department’s pedestrian safety enforcement program. Leggett recommended $100,000 to fund overtime for officers doing pedestrian safety stings and other work in the county’s so-called High Incidence Areas.
The remaining $45,000 would be added to MCDOT’s pedestrian safety education budget. Leggett recommended $32,596 for the department’s general pedestrian safety fund and $10,564 for its Street Smart Campaign. The county’s public information office would get another $50,000 for pedestrian safety outreach education.
Leggett’s operating budget for FY 16 includes a total of $7.7 million for a variety of pedestrian safety initiatives.
Combined with capital projects involving pedestrian improvements, the county would spend a little more than $60 million on pedestrian safety starting this summer.
More than $25 million of that would be dedicated to the MD 355 Crossing project, a pedestrian tunnel under Rockville Pike that will connect Medical Center Metro users with Naval Support Activity – Bethesda. The project is primarily funded by the federal government but includes nearby intersection improvements.
Photo via Montgomery County Police
