Montgomery County to review Pedestrian Master Plan designed to create safer walking experiences

ROCKVILLE, Md. - Montgomery County leaders will review its Pedestrian Master Plan Tuesday.

The plan recommends safety improvements and ways to make Montgomery County more walkable. Goals include make walking safer and a more convenient choice for county residents.

To do this, there may be some reduced speed limits along pedestrian routes, better lighting, and longer crosswalk times.

FOX 5's Melanie Alnwick says in a series of videos, the planning department highlighted improvements that could include increased separation between walkers and cars, relocating hazards like utility poles, and redesigning curbs.

Only 52 percent of residents in the survey said they are satisfied with the county's walkability.

"I'm terrified of the traffic. It seems like every day when I'm driving the kids to school there is another wreck of some sort. I actually won't let my kids even play in front of our house because there is so much traffic where we live. It's just a terrifying area," said county resident Monya Hudsick-Obando.

"They've added bike lanes and everything, so I definitely think they're conscious about exercise and the health of the residents, so that's a good thing," said another county resident Josh Lorenzo.

The plan also suggests looking at those informal shortcuts that people take to find ways to make those safer and more comfortable.

A council staff report says the focus needs to be on road safety and disability access improvements.

The council will review the plan at 2 p.m. Tuesday. A vote is expected to be scheduled for October.