transportation equity

Equitable Investment in Montgomery County’s Bike Network

| Garrett Hennigan

Over the past few years, Montgomery County’s elected leaders and residents have raised important questions about how the County’s substantial transportation budget is helping build a more equitable transportation network. Drawing on the County’s Bicycle Master Plan and Equity Focus Areas, WABA authored a new report: Equitable Investment in Montgomery County’s Bicycle Network.

Montgomery County should allocate $110 million in the FY23-28 CIP budget to build out all of the Tier One Bicycle Master Plan projects in four of the County’s Equity Focus Areas, resulting in safe bikeable/walkable networks within denser neighborhoods. By allocating funding to these projects, Montgomery County will make significant strides towards implementation of the County’s Bicycle Master Plan and will make biking, walking, and access to transit much safer in four of the County’s Equity Focus Areas in Wheaton, White Oak, Langley Park and downtown Silver Spring.

Read The Report

Learn More About the Proposal

Learn all about WABA’s groundbreaking proposal to build bikeable/walkable networks in Wheaton, White Oak, Langley Park and downtown Silver Spring. On February 1, 2022, Peter Gray gave a presentation about the proposal and discussed next steps and strategies to get the County Council to adopt and fund this initiative.

Let’s make streets for people.

| Jeremiah Lowery

Traveling by bike throughout my lifetime growing up in the region has given me a close-up look at some things that are harder to see from a distance. If you ride a bike, maybe you’ll know what I mean— it’s hard not to notice that while some neighborhoods have wide sidewalks, visible crosswalks, and protected bike lanes, others are unwalkable, unbikeable, and unwelcoming if you’re not in a car.

The stark differences in transportation options across neighborhoods is dangerous. A century of inequitable planning and design isolates people from safe routes to work, school, essential services like grocery stores and health care, and community gathering places. This is unjust— and we need to change it.

We need to build build a more equitable region where transportation design puts people and their safety first—especially on blocks that haven’t seen the care and attention from regional leaders that their residents need.

To make this change happen, our elected officials need to hear us loud and clear. There’s no one who knows what a neighborhood needs better than the people who live there. That’s why WABA organizes, trains, and supports volunteer advocates to lead campaigns for the safety improvements communities need, and works in coalition with other partner organizations to push for impactful, systemic changes in our transportation system.

Thanks to the support and dedicated advocacy of our supporters, we are making sure, steady progress towards a region with safer streets for everyone.

We’re committed to keeping up this fight in 2022 and beyond.

Are you with us?