House Bill 285, the Pedestrian and Bicycle Access to Schools Act, has unanimously passed both the house and the senate in Maryland, and (I think) is only awaiting signature from the Governor. The bill would require the Department of Transportation to collect and consolidate available information from State and local agencies regarding an unmet need for safe pedestrian and bicycle access to schools in the State; requiring the Department to report its findings to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before January 1, 2020.
It took on quite a few changes in the house, that seem to have limited its scale so that it no longer requires DOT to report recommendations.
I'm not sure what the thinking is behind this bill. Maybe it's just an attempt to wrap their arms around the size of the problem? Regardless, we'll see how this report turns out I suppose.
Other bills that passed include creating a state Complete Streets Policy, funding a Complete Streets Program,
Bills allowing drivers to cross a double yellow line to pass a cyclist, creating a parking cash out and creating a carve out of the contributory negligence rule for pedestrians and cyclists failed.
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