Ask Prince George’s to Fund Safe Streets and Bike Programs
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Will you join us in signing on to ask the County Council and County Executive Angela Alsobrooks’ Administration to make our streets safer and improve biking?
Prince George’s County experienced 129 road deaths in 2023 including 39 pedestrians and three bicyclists. We’ve seen too many tragedies like the deaths of 5-year-old Sky Sosa and 10-year-old Shalom Mbah, killed in November walking to school in Riverdale Park, hence one of the points in WABA’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget testimony:
read the full letterPrince George’s County must sustain a strong Vision Zero focus in keeping with the County’s commitment “to make our streets safe for everyone by 2040… eliminat[ing] all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all including people who walk, bike, drive, and use transit.”
County Executive Alsobrooks and County Council Members,
Prince George’s County experienced 129 road deaths in 2023 including 39 pedestrians and three bicyclists. We’ve seen too many tragedies like the deaths of 5-year-old Sky Sosa and 10-year-old Shalom Mbah, killed in November walking to school in Riverdale Park. Therefore, as a highest FY25 budget priority, I urge you to:
- Sustain a strong Vision Zero focus in keeping with the County’s commitment “to make our streets safe for everyone by 2040… eliminat[ing] all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all including people who walk, bike, drive, and use transit.”
Prince George’s County can make its streets safer – and encourage bicycling and walking, leading to a healthier county and reduced traffic congestion – via two capital budget priorities. Please:
- Sustain and expand bikeways planning, design, and construction funding including build-out of the Capital Trails Network in Prince George’s County.
- Allocate capital funds to retrofit road-safety improvements per the new design standards you directed last year, via the Walkable Urban Streets Act.
Other investments will advance active transportation in Prince George’s County – walking, biking, and other non-motor vehicle modes – in conjunction with strong transit support. Our vision is green mobility for Prince George’s residents, visitors, businesses, and employees. Please:
- Add design and engineering staff focused on pedestrian-safety improvements, safe roadways, and bicycling infrastructure, to accelerate project development and construction, tapping federal and state transportation funding.
- Add Dept. of Public Works and Transportation (DPWT) resources to pursue federal and state grant funding.
- Fund Bikeshare expansion with a focus on geographic equity to expand access to central and southern areas of the County.
- Create a Prince George’s County e-bike purchase subsidy program, heavily income-qualified, to boost uptake of this ultra-green mobility solution. Washington DC’s program, implemented in 2023, provides an excellent local example of what you can do without breaking the bank.
I am proud to add my voice as a Prince George’s County stakeholder, calling for investment in safe streets and safe biking including a robust, safe, connected County bicycling network and the staff resources needed to carry out this work.
Key asks of the County:
We have two capital-budget asks, that Prince George’s County:
- Sustain and expand bikeways planning, design, and construction funding including build-out of the Capital Trails Network in Prince George’s County.
- Allocate capital funds to retrofit road-safety improvements per the new design standards you directed last year, via the Walkable Urban Streets Act.
Other investments will advance active transportation in Prince George’s County – walking, biking, and other non-motor vehicle modes – in conjunction with strong transit support. Our vision is safe, green, affordable mobility for Prince George’s residents, visitors, businesses, and employees. Will you join us in asking the County to:
- Add design and engineering staff focused on pedestrian-safety improvements, safe roadways, and bicycling infrastructure, to accelerate project development and construction, tapping federal and state transportation funding.
- Add DPW&T resources to pursue federal and state grant funding.
- Fund Bikeshare expansion with a focus on geographic equity to expand access to central and southern areas of the County.
- Create a Prince George’s County e-bike purchase subsidy program, heavily income-qualified, to boost uptake of this ultra-green mobility solution. Washington DC’s program, implemented in 2023, provides an excellent local example of what you can do without breaking the bank.
Your support will help focus the Council’s and the County Executive’s attention on safe streets and safe biking. It will make a difference.
Thank you so much.P.S. Have you registered for WABA 1st Prince George’s County Bike Summit, taking place Saturday afternoon, May 18 in Suitland, 2 pm-5 pm. Please register (free!) at waba.org/PGCsummit2024. Council Chair Jolene Ivey will deliver a welcome keynote. We’ll have a roundtable discussion of Bicycling Equity & Building Community Power that will focus on communities of color and a panel on Expanding the Prince George’s County Bicycle Network, featuring State Highway Administration and Prince George’s Planning participants. We hope to see you on the 18th!