Biking/Walking Resources
The Bicycle and Pedestrian Program works to promote and enhance safe walking and biking in Prince George’s County to achieve various goals including:
- Transportation Alternatives
- Improved Health and Fitness
- Recreation
- Reduced Congestion and Emissions for Improved Air Quality
This program is a comprehensive, data-driven program built upon the – 6 E’s, which are the keys to success in achieving Vision Zero. The 6 E’s are as follows:
Engineering, Education, Enforcement, Emergency Response, Equity and Evaluation.
Engineering includes building bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure such as sidewalks, crosswalks, bicycle lanes and shared use paths. Engineering is the responsibility of Prince George’s County’s Department of Public Works and Transportation, the Maryland State Highway Administration, and the public works departments of the twenty-seven municipalities in Prince George’s County. A comprehensive engineering process also involves key partners including the Department of Permitting, Inspections, and Enforcement and The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.
Education as it relates to traffic safety includes communicating the rules of the road and the importance of all users sharing the road including motorists, pedestrians, motorcyclists and bicyclists. There are various traffic safety education outreach efforts in the County that promote pedestrian and bicyclist safety and that work to decrease injuries and fatalities among roadway users. These initiatives include Vision Zero Prince George’s 2040, the Metropolitan Council of Government’s Street Smart Initiative, safety initiatives of the Department of Public Works & Transportation, Maryland Department of Transportation/State Highway Administration, the Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Group, the Prince George’s Healthcare Action Coalition, the Prince George’s County Public Schools, the Department of Public Works & Transportation, The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, the Health Department and other regional and state partners to name a few.
Enforcement of traffic laws include the failure of motorists to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk; failure of pedestrians to use a marked crosswalk when one is provided; and failure of bicyclists to obey traffic signals. It also includes enforcing the law that motorists must give bicyclists a minimum of three feet when passing. Traffic enforcement is the responsibility of the Prince George’s County Police Department, the Maryland State Police, the police departments of the twenty-seven municipalities in Prince George’s County, The Maryland-National Capital Park Police Department, and the United States Park Police.
Emergency Response is an important component of a comprehensive bicycle and pedestrian program. The Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department not only responds to traffic crashes but also takes an active role in education and outreach including proper installation of child restraints in vehicles, bicycle helmet usage and safely walking to school for elementary and middle school students.
Equity in the provision of bicycling and pedestrian resources and infrastructure to achieve fairness in mobility and accessibility for County residents is an essential component of the bicycle and pedestrian program. County stakeholders engage a diverse range of partners within the community to determine and define solutions to create safer roadways for pedestrians and bicyclists throughout the County.
The Evaluation of existing conditions, feedback from the community, and analysis of crash data are an important component in determining and planning for traffic safety efforts and implementing improvements on pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure.
Let’s look up and look out for one another on roadways within Prince George’s County because every person in our community matters!!
For more information about Prince George's County's bicycle and pedestrian program, please contact Tiffany W. Jennings at TWJennings@co.pg.md.us or by phone at (301) 883-5600.