Maryland Legislation
WABA develops and advocates for state legislation to make bicycling in Maryland safer and more accessible and for state funding to expand Maryland’s bicycle network, working directly with legislators and Maryland Dept. of Transportation (MDOT) leadership and as part of the Bike Maryland coalition. We also work on broader road-safety, transit, and environmental legislation and funding, typically as part of larger statewide coalitions. The annual Maryland legislative session runs from January to April, but our work developing legislation starts the preceding summer.
We’re thrilled that several bills we worked on or supported were enacted in 2024, directing an MDOT Vision Zero Coordinator and public review process; the Better Bus Service Act, allowing bus-lane enforcement cameras (with bikes allowed); authorizing stop-sign cameras near schools in Prince George's County; and the Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Memorial Act, addressing penalties for hitting a cyclist in a bike lane.
Our 2024 advocacy included unsuccessful efforts that we will likely pursue in future years. (It often takes years to pass a bill. ) These include a Great Maryland Trails Act, an E-bike Rebate and Voucher Program bill, and a bill addressing maintenance responsibility for sidewalks and bike paths along state roads. Another topic on our list for 2025 is contributory negligence, a prejudicial statute that says that if a crash victim is even only 1% at fault, then they are liable and may not recover (full) costs and damages from the party largely at fault.
Events, Actions & Resources:
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Testimony: Montgomery County Speed Limits
Feb 29, 2024
Allow Montgomery County and county municipalities to lower speed limits.
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Testimony: Maintenance and Repair for Sidewalks and Bike Trails
Feb 28, 2024
WABA supports repealing the requirement that a political subdivision maintain and repair sidewalks and bicycle pathways along state highways.
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Testimony: HB 337 – Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Memorial Act
Feb 22, 2024
WABA supports HB 337, the Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Memorial Act
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Testimony: HB 530 – Great Maryland Trails Act
Feb 15, 2024
WABA supports the bill to create a Maryland State Office of Trails.
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Testimony: HB 511 – Vehicle Laws – Bicycles – Operations at Intersections
Feb 15, 2024
WABA supports the Bicycle Safety Yield in Maryland (HB 511).
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Testimony: HB 344 – Vision Zero Advisory Commission – Establishment
Feb 8, 2024
WABA supports the establishment of a Maryland Vision Zero Advisory Commission.
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Testimony: HB 278 – Urban State Highways – Speed Limits – Exceptions
Feb 8, 2024
Bill to authorize the Maryland State Highway Administration to decrease the maximum speed limit by 5 miles per hour on urban state highways.
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Testimony: HB 156: Transportation – E-Bike Rebate and Voucher Program
Feb 8, 2024
Bill to create an Electric Bicycle Rebate and Voucher Program
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Testimony: Bikes on Sidewalks in Maryland
Feb 1, 2024
WABA supports allowing bikes on sidewalks as the default state-wide in Maryland.
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Testimony: Complete Streets for MDTA
Feb 1, 2024
Supports creating a policy for safe, separated pedestrian and bicycle facilities on bridges and across-controlled access highways.
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Testimony: HB 107: Better Bus Service Act of 2024
Feb 1, 2024
WABA supports HB 107 to prohibit stopping and parking in a dedicated bus lane and allow for greater bus lane enforcement.
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Testimony: HB 28: Pedestrian Fatality Prevention Act of 2024
Feb 1, 2024
WABA supports HB 28, which would establish higher registration fees for heavy passenger vehicles, Class E trucks, and Class M multipurpose vehicles.
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Letter: Allow Speed Cameras in Prince George’s County
Nov 30, 2023
Traffic cameras are more equitable, affordable, and scalable way to enforce traffic safety laws.
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Letter: Montgomery County Project Approval
Nov 27, 2023
Faster project approvals mean safer streets.
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Letter: Priorities for the Montgomery County Delegation
Nov 13, 2023
Less highway building, safer state roads, ending right-on-red, and funding for bike and pedestrian infrastructure.
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Letter: Walkable Urban Streets Act in Maryland
Sep 14, 2023
Lower speed limits, lane reductions, buffered or separated sidewalks and bike lanes will reduce deaths and serious injuries for pedestrians, bicyclists, and all roadway users.
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Letter: Bikes on Sidewalks in Maryland
Mar 27, 2023
A blanket sidewalk riding ban creates unsafe conditions for people in areas without bike infrastructure.
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Letter: Stop As Yield bill in Maryland
Mar 10, 2023
Allowing bicyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs is proven to reduce crashes, and Maryland should adopt this policy.
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Letter: Ebike Rebate bill in Maryland
Mar 7, 2023
Ebike rebates make a sustainable transportation option affordable.
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Letter: Stop Sign Cameras in Maryland
Feb 14, 2023
Maryland needs to allow local jurisdictions to install stop sign cameras.
Related Campaigns:
Advocacy
WABA fights for a region where biking, walking and transit are the best ways to get around.
We educate policymakers and organize grassroots advocates for to speak up for safer places to bike and walk; and for laws and policies that protect people who are walking and biking, reduce dangerous driving, and facilitate changes to the built environment.
Laws & Policy
WABA works with grassroots advocates at the local, county and state level to support laws and policies that make it easier and safer to walk, bike, and take transit. And we work to changes ones that make biking less safe, make it harder to build bike infrastructure, or that deprioritize the safety and convenience of people walking, biking, or taking transit.
In practice that means advocating for robust and transformative Vision Zero programs, enforceable Complete Streets policies, and funding for new infrastructure that supports biking, walking and transit.
Other regional legislative priorities include:
- Reforming Contributory Negligence (passed in DC, in the works in Maryland and Virginia).
- Getting rid of the Level of Service engineering standards in transportation decision-making.
- Funding E-bike purchase rebates.