Today’s horrendous collision in Aspen Hill where a car struck four Kennedy High School students waiting for a bus is unacceptable. All Montgomery County residents deserve to be safe on our roads, sidewalks and trails and no one should be injured or killed trying to get to work or school. We hope that everyone involved in today’s accident makes a full recovery.
Unfortunately, this is only the most recent incident in a series of crashes in Montgomery County that have severely injured or killed multiple pedestrians over the last few months.
These preventable collisions affect not only those directly involved but have a ripple effect throughout our communities. The Montgomery County Parks and Planning Departments are committed to prioritizing human lives over moving cars quickly through an area.
Montgomery Planning currently has plans and studies underway right now, including a recently launched study of the Aspen Hill community, that integrate the Vision Zero approach of transportation safety – which seeks to eliminate all severe injuries and fatalities on our roads – as part of land use and transportation recommendations.
To implement Vision Zero, we will continue to work collaboratively with State Highway Administration, our County partners and community members so that, together, we can design corridors and neighborhood streets in Montgomery County that are safe for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists.
What can you do to help make this happen? I encourage residents, businesses and community groups to take part in the planning process – we need to hear your experiences and ideas about how we can achieve Vision Zero together.
- Use our ReactMap to text us your concerns about road safety in Aspen Hill.
- Join us for the Aspen Hill Vision Zero Walk Audit on November 3 when we will walk the Aspen Hill community and rate the experience of the sidewalks, intersections and roads.
Montgomery Planning is committed to Vision Zero — to putting safety first for all people in all communities, whether they’re on foot, on bicycles, in cars or using transit.
One preventable death or severe injury is one too many. We have the tools – and the responsibility – to protect our neighbors as they move about our communities. Let’s do it together.