March 27, 2026

Week of April 20th

2026 Legislative Recap from Bike Maryland (posted by Bike Maryland here).

Bills that passed both chambers (sent to the Governor)

These bills passed both the House and Senate and now go to the governor for approval or veto.   The Ignition Interlock bill has already received governor approval.

Intelligent Speed Assistance (HB107 / SB366)
Creates an Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) pilot program targeting high-risk drivers. ISA technology helps drivers stay within posted speed limits. Under this bill, drivers with serious speeding or reckless driving violations would be required to install the technology in their vehicles, similar to ignition interlock devices for repeat DUI drivers — improving road safety for everyone.

The bill passed both the House of Delegates and Senate with amendments. A conference committee was convened to reach consensus on the legislation. The amendments proposed in the conference committee report were adopted, with the bill passing the House of Delegates 99-31 and the Senate 38-9.

Vulnerable Road User (VRU) Protection Act of 2026 (HB256 / SB487) 
Allows speed camera enforcement in safety corridors — state road segments identified by MDOT SHA as an area of high risk to VRUs in a VRU safety assessment prepared pursuant to federal law.  MDOT initiated this bill.  

The House of Delegates passed the amended bill 98-34. It passed the Senate 31-11.

The Honorable Anne Healey Pedestrian Safety Act of 2026 (HB1504)
The bill requires the State Highway Administration (SHA) to prioritize funding for sidewalk and bicycle pathway construction in areas subject to Complete Streets policies or Vision Zero programs. Local governments must formally request such funding through their annual priority letter to MDOT.

The House passed it with amendments 136-0. The Senate passed the bill 44-0.

Ignition Interlock Device placement (HB286 / SB38) 
Allows drivers 21 and older who violate an alcohol restriction on their license to enroll in the Ignition Interlock System Program (IISP) without appearing before an administrative law judge. Currently, this option is only available to drivers under 21.

The House of Delegates passed the bill 133-1. The Senate passed the bill 39-0.  The bill was approved by the governor April 14.

Vehicle Laws – Out-of-State Vehicles – Improper Registration (HB212 / SB111)
Authorizes stricter enforcement against Maryland residents who register their vehicles in other states. It gives the MVA and local jurisdictions the authority to confiscate out-of-state or fake license plates from residents who aren’t in compliance, and establishes a process to warn and fine owners of improperly registered vehicles. Owners who don’t come into compliance within 120 days could have their vehicle booted or impounded. It also permits the MVA Administrator to enter into agreements with other jurisdictions for reciprocal enforcement of traffic camera and speed monitoring violations. It bans title service agents from helping Maryland residents obtain out-of-state registrations.

This law will help the State of Maryland to collect on the millions of dollars worth of tickets issued to out of state drivers but not paid by those drivers.  The DC government has used such a law to collect millions of dollars in outstanding fines in the first year this has been the law in DC.

The Senate passed the bill 45-0. The House passed it with amendments 117-20. The Senate passed the bill, with the House amendments, 46-0.

Local Bill: Stop Sign Monitoring Systems – Rockville/Gaithersburg (HB601)
Authorizes stop sign monitoring systems in school zones in the City of Gaithersburg and the City of Rockville.

The House of Delegates passed the bill 95-28. The Senate passed the bill 32-11.

Bills that passed either House or Senate, but not both

We will work off-session to refine and support these bills in preparation for the 2027 session.

Bicyclist Safety Start: Bicyclists may proceed on walk signal (HB177 / SB155) 
This bill allows people on bikes to proceed on the WALK signal, including during a leading pedestrian interval (LPI). This makes bike crossings more visible and reduces conflicts with turning drivers at intersections where many crashes occur.

LPIs give pedestrians a 4–7 second head start before vehicles receive a green light. Research shows they increase driver yielding rates and reduce pedestrian-vehicle conflicts. MDOT SHA and several local jurisdictions are already deploying LPIs as part of their pedestrian safety initiatives. LPIs are included in MDOT SHA’s toolkit of proven traffic safety measures.

The House of Delegates passed the bill 134-0 and was referred to the Senate Judicial Proceedings committee (JPR), but did not receive a committee vote.  The Senate crossfile SB155 was heard in JPR but never got a committee vote.

No stopping, standing, or parking in a bike lane (HB1381) 
This common-sense bill would add bike lanes to the list of locations where stopping, standing, or parking a motor vehicle is prohibited.

The bill passed the House 117–19 with amendments. We worked with the bill’s sponsor to narrow a concerning exception that would have allowed drivers to stop, stand, or park in bike lanes to pick up or deliver goods — limiting the exception to localities where local law expressly permits such behavior. However, a subsequent amendment introduced an overly broad exception for construction and maintenance vehicles, which would have undermined the bill’s core purpose and existing law in Baltimore City. 

The amended bill was referred to and heard in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, but did not receive a committee vote.

Transportation and Climate Alignment Act of 2026 (HB437 / SB59)
Improves transportation planning to give Marylanders more, affordable options to travel. Requires highway expansion projects over $100 million to offset increased emissions and vehicle miles traveled through investments in transit, bike and pedestrian infrastructure, transit-oriented development, and solar energy.

The House of Delegates passed the bill with amendments 93-39. The Senate Budget & Taxation Committee reported the bill favorable with additional amendments, but the Senate did not pass the bill before the session ended.

Speed Monitoring Systems – Residential Districts (HB55 / SB45) 
Allows speed camera enforcement on streets with speed limits of 35mph or less in residential areas throughout Maryland. This is already allowed in Anne Arundel, Montgomery, and Prince George’s Counties. 

The House of Delegates passed the bill 98–35. It was then referred to the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee (JPR), which reported it favorably on the final day of the session. The bill passed second reading in the Senate before the session ended.

Local Bill: Anne Arundel, Montgomery, and Prince George’s Counties – Crosswalk Monitoring Systems (HB938)
This bill authorizes crosswalk monitoring systems in Anne Arundel, Montgomery, and Prince George’s counties and municipalities in those counties if authorized by local law. It requires that the fines collected be used to improve safety at crosswalks by funding the implementation of infrastructure enhancements.

The House of Delegates passed the amended bill 105-31. The bill was referred to the Senate Judicial Proceedings committee (JPR) late in session, but did not receive a committee vote.

Bills that did not pass either House or Senate

Contributory Negligence Reform for Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs) (HB466) 
Maryland is one of only four states and D.C. that follows the legal doctrine of contributory negligence. Under this doctrine, an injured person who is found partially at fault for their own injury cannot recover any civil damages from the other party, no matter how negligent that other party was. For example: Imagine a driver is found 99% at fault for a crash that injured a bicyclist. If the bicyclist is found just 1% at fault, contributory negligence bars them from recovering any compensation from the driver at all.

This bill would create an exception for vulnerable road users (similar to a law passed in DC in 2016)  — such as cyclists and pedestrians — who are injured by a negligent driver. Rather than being completely barred from compensation, an injured VRU’s recovery would simply be reduced in proportion to their share of fault. Under the same example, a VRU found 1% at fault, could still recover 99% of their damages.

After the House Judiciary Committee hearing, the committee referred it for interim study by the Maryland Insurance Administration. 

Other Bills that we Supported

Construction of Sidewalks & Crosswalks – Safe Alternative Routes to Public Schools (HB394 / SB158)
It requires school districts to evaluate and publish safe walking routes for students who do not receive bus service, and directs local governments to build missing sidewalks and crosswalks.

This bill did not get a vote in either the House or Senate Committees.

Urban Core & Urban Center – No Turn on Red (HB381) 
Requires MDOT SHA to prohibit right turns on red at intersections of state roads in urban cores and centers. This safety measure reduces injury crashes by 38%. The bill should be changed to prohibit left turns on red onto one-way streets and ensure the safety analysis process is transparent & in collaboration with localities. 

The bill was withdrawn by the sponsor. MDOT SHA will continue to implement no turn on red as part of its context driven safety countermeasures

Dangerous Driver Accountability Act (HB8)
Establishes the Dangerous Driver Abatement Program requiring education or sanctions for repeat offenders.

Transportation Investment Priorities Act of 2026 (HB230 / SB62) 
This bill would update MDOT’s process for prioritizing projects, increasing transparency, and reflecting Maryland’s commitment to Complete Streets, Vision Zero, and a safe, multimodal transportation network.

Automated Enforcement Reciprocity (HB249 / SB173) 
Allows the MVA to enter reciprocal agreements with other states to enforce automated citations, targeting repeat offenders who speed and run red lights across jurisdictions. The bill advances Maryland’s Vision Zero goals by strengthening enforcement of speeding and other unsafe driving such as running red lights. 

This bill was not allowed to proceed due to the duplication in SB111/HB212, which passed and went to the Governor for signature.

Bills that we Opposed

Task Force to Study Pedestrian and Bicyclist Injuries and Fatalities (HB1421)
The bill would establish the Task Force to Study Pedestrian and Bicyclist Injuries and Fatalities to “study and make recommendations on pedestrian and bicyclist injuries and fatalities, actions pedestrians and bicyclists can take to reduce their own negligence, and priorities and needs for making roadways safe for pedestrians and bicyclists.”    

The bill disproportionately placed responsibility on victims and is redundant with a variety of MDOT VRU safety programs already in place.

Pass Pedestrians Safely Act (HB1567) 
This bill would require people riding bikes, motor scooters, or EPAMDs to provide an audible warning when passing pedestrians. A prior version included an impractical and problematic requirement for people on bicycles to pass pedestrians and vehicles (including other bicycles) with at least 3 feet.  

The 3 ft. passing requirement is physically impossible in many places and imposes greater risks.  We are not aware of any state with a passing distance requirement for cyclists who, like drivers, are already required to avoid collisions with pedestrians.

Workgroup to Study State Laws on Electric Bicycles (SB743)
This bill would establish a workgroup to review Maryland’s current e-bike laws and recommend safety improvements, examine research and government data on injury and safety trends for e-bike riders, other drivers, and pedestrians, and assess the broader public safety implications of other micro-mobility devices such as scooters.

The bill did not address the greater risks of e-motos and the recommended study group members excluded important constituent groups.  It is also redundant with a micromobility safety program underway at MDOT.

Week of March 23rd

Heading into the last couple of weeks of the session (which ends on April 13), advocates are focussed on movement of bills that have already passed the House getting hearings and votes in the Senate Judicial Proceedings or JPR Committee and then onto the Senate floor:

  • SB 366, Intelligent Speed Assistance, mandating speed governor devices on the cars of Super Speeder offenders awaits further action in the House Environment and Transportation Committee as well.

We hope for postive action on all these bills in the next week!

Week of March 9th

This week showed major progress on a pair of bills which passed floor votes in both the House and Senate!

SB 366, the Intelligent Speed Assistance bill will mandate placement on the cars of Super Speeder scofflaws devices to prohibit those cars from speeding.

SB 0038 the Ignition Interlock measure will make it easier to place breathalyzer devices on the cars of those with repeated DUI violations. Both of these bills will reduce the harm from cars that speed or have drivers under the influence, a huge benefit safety-wise as speeding and impaired driving cause disproportionate crash harm to those walking, biking and rolling.

HB 0177, Bicyclist Safety Start, which would allow cyclists to use leading pedestrian intervals to enter into intersections ahead of cars still awaits a vote in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee after passing the House unanimously.

HB 0437, the Transportation and Climate Alignment Act has passed the House in a 98-39. party line vote. Now it awaits a vote in the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee. This bill would mandate the State, when constructing a road or bridge project worth more than $100 million, to also build out mitigation projects, like new bike/ped infrastructure to offset any increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

One date to keep an eye on is March 23 or Crossover Day. Bills that have not passed either the House or the Senate by that day, are almost certain to not pass this legislative session.

Week of March 2nd

This past week, the big development was that one of Bike Maryland’s priority bills –HB 1381 which would prohibit Stopping, Standing or Parking in a bike lane, had it’s hearing in the House Environment and Transportation Committee yesterday (3/5). The bill was amended to address advocates concerns and will set a default on State Highways to prohibit stopping, standing or parking in bike lanes, unless a local jurisdiction wishes to allow such behavior. This bill will make illegal the blocking of bike lanes on State Highways, as is already the case for County roads in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.

Advocates continue to focus on the bills that have already passed the House (HB 0177 – Bicycle Safety Start) & (HB 0055 – allowing more speed cameras in residential areas) to push for votes on the Senate floor. We also are supportingSB 0059, the Transportation and Climate Alignment Act to have a vote in the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee.

As we enter the second half of the legislative session, we need to get as many of our priority bills to pass either the House or the Senate by March 23 (Crossover Day explained in this link). Stay tuned for more from WABA on the session, including more alerts for bills that are about to have floor votes in either the House or the Senate.

Week of February 23rd

This week was not as active, but some bills did move ahead. 

  • The Transportation and Climate Alignment Act had its hearing with the Senate Budget and Taxation committee. This bill, which would mandate construction of walking, biking and enhanced access to transit infrastructure to mitigate increases in greenhouse gases due to large road projects (more than $100 million), now awaits votes in both relevant House and Senate Committees and needs support in particular from a few Senators. Watch your inboxes for a related WABA action alert email.
  • Intelligent Speed Assistance, which would mandate placement of speed governor devices on the cars of super speeder violators is having a vote today in the Senate Judiciary Proceedings Committee, already having had hearings in both relevant committees in the House and Senate. Hopefully a Senate floor vote is not too far in the future. 
  • Next week on March 5, the No Stopping, Standing or Parking in a Bike Lane gets a hearing in the House Environment and Transportation Committee. Bike Maryland, WABA and other local advocacy groups around the State are also following other bills and will continue to update you regarding their fates.

Week of February 16th

WABA attended the Bike Maryland Symposium in Annapolis on Tuesday, February 17th. We joined over 140 advocates from across the state to discuss updates, policy priorities, and to highlight community efforts. 

Most of those advocates spoke with the offices of their elected officials and a handful of Delegates/Senators, stopped by the Symposium crowd to say hi.  The group was also addressed by Assistant Secretary of Transportation Joe McAndrew. 

One highlight was the presentation made by the amazing Prince George’s County students who are part of WABA’s Vision Zero Youth Leadership Institute.  The students made a presentation to the participants and ably answered questions from the crowd. Howard County Bike-Ped coordinator Chris Eatough spoke about the arc of progress regarding bike/ped infrastructure over the past several years.  In addition, Ema Perez, a Montgomery County planning staffer spoke about the benefits of bike buses for County students.

Upcoming hearings for bills we’re tracking:

  • HB 1381, which would prohibit stopping, standing or parking in bike lanes has a hearing in the House Environment and Transportation Committee on March 5th. 
  • SB 059, the Transportation and Climate Alignment Act has a hearing in the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee on February 25th. This bill already had a hearing in the House.

Progress was made on three priority bills:

  • HB 177, the Bicycle Safety Start bill which will allow cyclists to be safer by using the leading pedestrian interval signals, passed the House unanimously.
  • HB 55, which will make it easier to place speed cameras in residential zones passed the House, 98-35. 
  • HB 286, the Ignition Interlock bill which would make it easier to place breathalyzer devices on cars whose drivers are repeat DUI offenders also passed the House 133-1.

All three bills now move to the Senate where they all have had committee hearings.

There are other bills we are following and will talk about in more detail next week.

Week of February 9th

  • One of our priority bills, the Transportation & Climate Alignment Act, which would mandate mitigation projects, such as bike/ped infrastructure or better access to transit be implemented whenever large new transportation projects would increase greenhouse gas emissions, had a House committee hearing Tuesday this past week and will have a Senate hearing on February 25. 
  • HB 394, which would provide a carve out from the antiquated and unfair Contributory Negligence policy had a hearing this past week in the House Judiciary Committee. 
  • HB 381, mandating No Turn on Red on State Highways in Urban Centers (Rockville, downtown Silver Spring/Bethesda etc..) had a House hearing this past week as well. 
  • SB 487 a bill sponsored by the Maryland Department of Transportation had hearings in the House and Senate yesterday. That bill will allow for more speed camera placements in designated high risk corridors throughout the State. 
  • The last of Bike Maryland/WABA’s priority bills, HB 1381, the No Stopping, Standing or Parking in a Bike Lane bill, was filed yesterday and referred to the Environment and Transportation Committee. Advocates are pleased that this was officially submitted and will track the progress of the bill closely.

Overall, almost all of Bike Maryland/WABA’s priority bills are moving along through hearings in both the House and Senate and we look forward to committee votes in the next few weeks.

Week of February 2nd

There was lots of positive activity in the last week of the Maryland Legislative session:

  • Bicycle Safety Start (allowing cyclists to use leading pedestrian interval signals) had a good hearing in the House Environment and Transportation Committee.
  • Intelligent Speed Assistance (mandating placement of devices that prohibit Super Speeder drivers from speeding) had good hearings in both the relevant House (ENT) and Senate (Judiciary Proceedings/JPR) Committees this week.
  • Advocates also heard from bill sponsors that the No Stopping, Standing or Parking in Bike lanes bill is about to be filed in the House.

This shows progress on the three top priority bills in the General Assembly. In addition, the Ignition Interlock Devices bill that would make it easier to place such devices on the cars of repeat DUI drivers, also has now had hearings in both the House and the Senate.

Week of January 26th

This week, we were busy preparing for upcoming hearings. The first week in February will see hearings on several bills Bike Maryland and WABA are following. 

On Wednesday, February 4, the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee will have a hearing on SB 0366, the Intelligent Speed Assistance bill which would allow drivers who are Super Speeders and are subject to having their licenses suspended, be able to have a device placed on their cars which will not allow them to drive above the speed limit.  At the same hearing on 2/4, that Senate Committee will also hear about SB 0038, which makes it easier for judges to place Ignition Interlock Devices for drivers who have multiple DUI convictions. 

On Thursday, February 5, the House Environment and Transportation Committee will have hearings on a few bills of interest to advocates.  HB 0107, Intelligent Speed Assistance will be heard in the House, as well as HB 0177, Bicycle Safety Start which allows cyclists to start biking when they see a leading pedestrian interval signal and HB 0055 which will make it easier to place speed cameras on State Highways that go through residential areas. 

Anyone who is interested in submitting written testimony (deadline to submit is 2/2, 6pm for the 2/4 hearing and 2/3, 6pm for the hearing on 2/5. 

For more information on the billls and the testimony process, please contact me at peter@waba.org.

Week of January 19th

As of January 22, the Maryland 2026 session is off to a faster than normal start, at least for the safer streets/bike-ped legislation that WABA, Bike Maryland, and advocates across the State follow.

The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee has already held hearings on four bills bike advocates are following:

  • SB 155 Bicycle Safety Start which allows people who bike to use leading pedestrian intervals to enter intersections ahead of cars, making them more visible and safer. 
  • SB 45  would allow the use of speed cameras in residential areas under certain conditions. Cameras are also a proven safety measure that can slow cars down, making it safer for the drivers and for vulnerable road users who bike, walk and access transit.  
  • There were also two hearings on bills brought by the Maryland Department of Transportation; SB 173 allows Maryland to enter into reciprocal agreements with other States and DC to enforce speeding tickets and SB 38 which will make it easier to place Interlock Ignition devices on the cars of drivers who have been ticketed for driving under the influence..

You can learn more about Bike Maryland’s legislative priorities by clicking here.

Week of January 12th

January 14th was the first day of the Maryland General Assembly, starting our race against the 90 day timeline of the annual legislative session. We’re hoping to build on good momentum from 2025 to get more bills across the finish line this year.

WABA’s working with advocacy partners across Maryland, including Bike Maryland, Bike AAA (Anne Arundel and Annapolis), Bike HoCo (Howard County), Bike Frederick and others around the state.

Top three priorities:

  1. No Stopping/Standing/Parking in Bike Lanes
    Provides statewide clarity and applies to all State Highways clarifying that bike lanes are for moving people, not parking vehicles. The House passed the bill in 2025, but a 30‑minute loading amendment undercut safety and it stalled in the Senate Judicial Proceedings (JPR) committee. This year: we will keep the bill clean and avoid carve‑outs.  (Local bills have recently passed in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties which apply to bike lanes on County roads.) 
  2. Bicyclist Safety Start (Leading Pedestrian Interval)
    Lets cyclists proceed on the walk signal. The House passed the bill 133–0 in 2025; but it missed the Senate due to timing. This year: we will get an early start to make sure the bill passes both chambers.
  3. Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) Pilot
    Addresses the dangerous driving of super speeders, a small, high-risk subset of drivers repeatedly caught speeding or driving extremely fast who are responsible for a disproportionate number of fatal and serious crashes, with in‑car speed limiters that stop a vehicle from exceeding the posted speed limit. This year: we are working to move forward a bill that will establish a pilot and clarify program eligibility, address privacy concerns, and allow for public evaluation.

Other bills we will track during the 2026 legislative session include:

  • Contributory Negligence carve out for vulnerable road users,
  • Ticket reciprocity
  • Speed monitoring/automated camera enforcement in safety corridors,
  • Urban speed‑limit flexibility,
  • Safe Routes to School; increased Lamphier Bikeways funding,
  • MDOT transparency improvements,
  • Automated traffic enforcement camera placement in high risk corridors, etc.

Beyond these bills, we will track and submit testimony in support of, or in opposition to, other bicycle, pedestrian, and transportation-related bills. We will work to support our coalition members that are championing bills, like the Transportation Climate Alignment Act, which we want to succeed. We will also continue to engage our coalition, legislators, and other stakeholders to build support for other bicycle-friendly policies that may appear in future legislative sessions, including bills like the bicycle safety yield and enhanced vulnerable road user penalties.