Elrich offers updates on lower speed limits, road safety throughout Montgomery County

Officials spoke on efforts to reduce speeding through engineering, enforcement, public education

July 23, 2026 11:31 a.m. | Updated: July 23, 2026 11:38 a.m.

A speed limit sign outside the Bethesda Metro station. Credits: Michelle Calderon

Vision Zero Coordination Wade Holland joined Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich (D) on Wednesday for his weekly media briefing on Wednesday to give updates on the county’s efforts prevent pedestrian deaths by encouraging drivers to slow down on roads in the county.

“When I came in, I pushed our folks to expand our programs, which we have expanded pretty seriously, to try to make sure we could round off more street corners and slow those movements down,” Elrich said. “I think that the changes we’ve made are helpful, but we still have too many drivers who are driving way too fast.”

There have been 26 fatal crashes in Montgomery County including nine pedestrians this year, compared to 24 fatal crashes at this point last year, according to Elrich. Since July 2025, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) has lowered speed limits on 33 roads, primarily in residential neighborhoods. The reductions are part of a broader initiative that has lowered speed limits on more than 250 neighborhood streets since 2021.

The reductions were made possible by Maryland House Bill 562, passed on March 5, 2021, that allows the county to reduce speed limits on certain roads to 20 mph, and even 15 mph in some cases. The 20 mph mark is crucial, according to the Maryland Highway Safety Office, because a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling 30 mph faces a 40% chance of suffering a serious injury or death. At 20 mph, that risk drops to about 10%.

- Advertisement -

Elrich said the changes are intended to make neighborhoods safer for people walking, running and biking and children playing outside.

Additional speed limit reductions along sections of major corridors are expected by the end of August. The county is also adding extra measures including speed humps, curb extensions and safer pedestrian crossings.

“We are working with law enforcement to make sure we are using our officers as well as automated enforcement to control speeds, even if the speed limits are still the same, to make sure people are following the law,” said Holland.

Holland said the county identifies roads for potential speed reductions through a combination of resident complaints, engineering studies and proactive safety reviews. Residents can report speeding concerns through the county’s 311 system, prompting traffic engineers to conduct field studies and evaluate whether additional safety improvements are needed.

Digital Partners

Originally published at Bethesdamagazine