Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich says the County has recorded 26 fatal traffic crashes so far in 2026, including nine involving pedestrians, as officials continue efforts to reduce speed limits and improve roadway safety through the County’s Vision Zero initiative.
“It has been a tragic year for too many local families who have seen loved ones killed on our roads,” Elrich said in his weekly update.
The County has lowered speed limits on 33 additional roads since July 2025, primarily in residential neighborhoods, bringing the total to more than 250 neighborhood streets where speed limits have been reduced since 2021 following the passage of House Bill 562. The law allows counties to lower speed limits on local roads to as low as 20 mph and, in limited cases, 15 mph.
Elrich said reducing speeds is intended to make neighborhoods safer for people walking, biking, and spending time outdoors, particularly during the summer when more children are outside. According to the Maryland Highway Safety Office, a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling 30 mph faces about a 40% chance of suffering a serious or fatal injury. At 20 mph, that risk drops to approximately 10%.
In addition to lowering posted speed limits, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation is continuing to install traffic-calming measures, including speed bumps, curb extensions, and safer pedestrian crossings. County officials say those improvements have been shown to reduce pedestrian crashes by 44%.
The County is also partnering with the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration to lower speed limits on several jointly maintained roadways by the end of August, including portions of Darnestown Road and Great Seneca Highway in Rockville, Josiah Henson Parkway and Montrose Road in North Bethesda, and 13th Street in Silver Spring.
Elrich noted that most neighborhood speed limit reductions begin with requests from residents. Those requests are reviewed through traffic engineering and safety studies before any changes are made.
