Letter: Support for MD 210 (Indian Head Highway) Pedestrian and Bicycle Connectivity Project

The Honorable Pete Buttigieg, Secretary
U.S. Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20590
January 25, 2024

RE: Support for the Maryland Dept. of Transportation‘s RAISE grant application for the MD 210 Bicycle and Pedestrian Connectivity Project: Phase I Improvements

Dear Secretary Buttigieg,

The Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) supports the Maryland Department of Transportation’s (MDOT’s) request for Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant funding for the MD 210 Bicycle and Pedestrian Connectivity Project: Phase I Improvements.

WABA’s mission is to empower people to ride bikes, build connections, and transform places. WABA supports projects like this one that transform our transportation system and make it safer, easier to use, accessible to everyone, more affordable, and climate-resilient.

MDOT’s proposed project will provide a separated shared use path and other bicycle and pedestrian improvements to fill a critical gap in active transportation infrastructure, improving safety for vulnerable users and connecting two major trail systems in Prince George’s County. It encourages active transportation choices in the MD 210 corridor and aligns with MDOT SHA’s Vision Zero commitment and the Pedestrian Safety Action Plan. The project strongly aligns with the RAISE merit criteria by providing active transportation investments and access to essential destinations for users of all abilities in a defined Equitable Transportation Community area.

With three travel lanes in each direction, MD 210 raises safety concerns for cyclists and pedestrians, who are either restricted from the roadway entirely or confined to the shoulder with no separation from moving traffic. Between 2016 and 2020 alone, there were more than 12 collisions, three of which resulted in fatalities, involving pedestrians and cyclists along MD 210. The project will create dedicated bike and pedestrian facilities, fully separated from moving traffic, increasing safety and enhancing the user experience. It represents a strong partnership among MDOT SHA, Prince George’s County, and other federal, state, and local partners to increase safety and further connectivity.

WABA urges you to approve this regionally significant project. Should you have questions or concerns, please contact Seth Grimes, WABA’s Maryland organizer, at seth.grimes@waba.org, who will be happy to assist you.

We appreciate USDOT's commitment to funding high-quality projects with visible and sustainable community benefits, and we urge you to support funding this worthy project.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth Kiker, Executive Director
Cc: Sean Winkler, Maryland Dept. of Transportation