Subject
title
Vision Zero Progress Update
end
Department
PW - Traffic & Transportation
Recommendation
Staff recommends the Mayor and Council receive a progress update briefing on the implementation of the City’s Vision Zero Action Plan, Pedestrian Master Plan, and Bikeway Master Plan.
Discussion
This Vision Zero biannual report provides an update for progress made on Vision Zero action items between January 1, 2026, and June 30, 2026. This report also includes a progress update for implementing the city's Bikeway Master Plan and Pedestrian Master Plan. While no new Vision Zero Action Items have been fully completed, city staff continues to advance on-going action items, such as evaluating, designing, and constructing sidewalks, assessing and improving intersections, and building out the city's bicycle network. Additionally, city staff continues to engage with the community and participate in public events, organize and schedule infrastructure improvements, identify new projects, and coordinate with other agencies. This report includes an overall summary of the Vision Zero Action Plan, identifying the status of each Action Item (Attachment 1). Additionally, this report includes the presentation slides that will be used to facilitate this discussion with the Mayor and Council (Attachment 2).
Vision Zero Action Plan
The Vision Zero Action Plan was adopted by the Mayor and Council in July 2020. It includes 30 action items organized into four categories - Engineering, Education, Enforcement, and Policy - to eliminate all serious injury and fatal crashes by 2030. Updates for all action items are included in the Vision Zero Action Item Progress Report (Attachment 1).
January - June 2026 Serious Injury and Fatal Crashes
Between January 1 and June 30, 2026, there were 437 crashes of all severities in Rockville. In 2025, there were 418 crashes during the same period. On average, between 2015 and 2025, there are 425 crashes during the first six months of the year.
Five of the crashes in 2026 were classified as serious injury crashes and three of the 2026 crashes were classified as fatal crashes. All crashes involved at least one motorist. Two of the fatal crashes involved pedestrians and the third fatal crash involved only motorists. Among the serious injury crashes, one involved a pedestrian and motorist, the remaining involved only motorists.
The following chart shows the number of fatal and serious injury crashes in Rockville between January 1 and June 30 for the most recent twelve years.
High Injury Network (HIN)
A HIN segment is a roadway segment that has experienced four or more serious injuries or fatal crashes within a five-year period. This is the same criterion used by the Montgomery County Department of Transportation Vision Zero program. There are five roadway segments in the city’s HIN:
|
Road |
From |
To |
# Serious Injury/Fatal Crashes |
|
Rockville Pike (MD 355) * |
Church Street |
Twinbrook Parkway |
5/4 |
|
Frederick Road (MD 355) |
George Thomas Road |
Watkins Pond Boulevard |
5/0 |
|
Norbeck Road (MD 28) |
Avery Road |
First Street |
5/0 |
|
Veirs Mill Road (MD 586) |
Atlantic Avenue |
First Street |
4/1 |
|
W. Montgomery Avenue (MD 28) |
Mannakee Street |
Hurley Avenue |
3/1 |
* There have been additional serious injury crashes along the service roads parallel to Rockville Pike and in the abutting parking lots. These crashes are not included in the HIN total.
All five segments are along state-owned and maintained roadways.
City staff will update the HIN in 2027 to include crashes from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2025.
Vision Zero Projects
Vision Zero projects include a variety of transportation safety projects and programs. The projects included below have been recently completed or are ongoing.
|
Project Type |
West of I-270 |
Between I-270 and MD 355 |
East of MD 355 |
|
Bicycle Facilities |
0 |
3 |
0 |
|
Complete Streets |
2 |
4 |
3 |
|
Sidewalks |
0 |
3 |
10 |
|
Intersection Safety Improvements* |
2 |
14 |
14 |
|
Signal Upgrades |
1 |
9 |
1 |
|
Traffic Calming / Crosswalks |
1 |
1 |
3 |
|
Pedestrian Bridge |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Bicycle Fix It Rack |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
Total |
8 |
35 |
33 |
*There are 14 intersection safety improvements along MD 355, split equally between “Between I-270 and MD 355” and “East of MD 355.”
The Vision Zero crash analysis evaluates locations in Rockville where crashes have occurred, which influences the selection of intersections and roadway segments for Vision Zero projects. Additionally, the Sidewalk Prioritization Policy identifies roadways with missing sidewalk segments and the priority with which they should be evaluated and constructed, if feasible. Other project locations are influenced by funding sources, which can require a project to be in equity emphasis areas or near mass transit.
Outreach
DPW staff continues to make themselves available to attend community group meetings to discuss the Vision Zero program. Residents can request staff attend a regularly scheduled community association meeting by emailing the Traffic and Transportation Division. This opportunity is also listed on the city’s Vision Zero webpage. If a group is not part of a formal neighborhood or civic association, they may also request a Vision Zero presentation and staff will coordinate with nearby recreation centers or other facilities to host the meeting.
City staff also provides updates related to the Vision Zero program to the Rockville Transportation and Mobility Commission (TMC), the Rockville Pedestrian Advocacy Committee (RPAC), and the Rockville Bicycle Advisory Committee (RBAC) during their regularly scheduled monthly meetings, which are open to the public.
DPW staff led a pedestrian safety demonstration and walk for the Rockville Main Street community on April 21, 2026, shared safety materials with the public at the Montgomery County Safety Day on May 9, 2026, hosted two Bike-to-Work Day pitstops on May 15, 2026, and helped facilitate the RPAC Spring Community Walk-n-Roll event, also on May 15, 2026. Additional outreach activities occurred after June 30, 2026, and will be reported at the next Vision Zero Progress Update.
Between January 1, 2026, and June 30, 2026, the Communications and Community Engagement Department shared 79 social media posts related to Vision Zero.
The posts featured Vision Zero-related safety tips, projects and funding, and amplified Montgomery County Department of Transportation and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) events, surveys and outreach, as well as providing general safety information about road closures. This included 20 X (formerly Twitter) posts, 38 Facebook posts and 21 Instagram posts. These 79 posts averaged 962 views per post.
The city’s Vision Zero program is highlighted on the Vision Zero projects webpage (rockvillemd.gov/projects/vision-zero). Between January 1 and June 30, 2026, that page received 404 views.
Additionally, Vision Zero- and transportation-related content appeared in 21 Vision Zero-related news articles on rockvillemd.gov during this period, which received 9,004 views.
These articles were additionally shared routinely in 15 weekly “Rockville Reports” e-newsletters from Jan. 1-June 30, 2026. The e-newsletter is sent at noon each Sunday.
In total, the Vision Zero projects webpage and related news articles received 9,408 views during this period.
The print edition of "Rockville Reports" is mailed to nearly 32,000 residential and business addresses across the city and included several Vision-Zero-public-safety-related items.
Statistics related to the recent Vision Zero education campaign “It’s Up to Us” will be reported at the next Vision Zero Progress Update.
Grants
City staff regularly applies for grants at the regional, state, and federal levels to supplement the existing city budget for Vision Zero activities. The table below lists the grant status for various ongoing multimodal transportation projects.
|
Program |
Project |
Amount Awarded |
|
FY 20 Transportation Alternatives Program |
N. Stonestreet Avenue Corridor Complete Streets Design |
$280,000 |
|
FY 23 Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program |
Maryvale Park to Redgate Park Shared Use Path Study and Design |
$216,000 |
|
FY 23 Neighborhood Access and Equity (Reconnecting Communities) |
Twinbrook Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge Feasibility Study and Cost Benefit Analysis |
$284,000 |
|
FY 24 Transportation Alternatives |
Fleet and Monroe Shared Use Path Design |
$224,000 |
|
FY 23-26 Maryland Transportation Department Carbon Reduction Program |
Twinbrook Area Bikeshare Stations |
$371,200 |
|
FY 25 Transportation Alternatives |
Scott-Veirs Drive Shared Use Path Design |
$200,000 |
|
FY 26 MWCOG Transit Within Reach |
Twinbrook Metrorail Station Pedestrian and Bicycle Accessibility Improvements Study |
$80,000 |
|
Total Awarded |
7 Ongoing Grant Funded Projects |
$1,655,200 |
The fiscal year listed for the above grant programs represents the fiscal year of the funding from the grantor and does not necessarily reflect when the project was added to the City’s capital improvement program or when staff initiated work on the project.
DPW staff also submitted a grant application for $2,928,000 to the FY 2027 Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program and applications to the Federal Community Project Funding and Congressionally Directed Spending Programs for the same amount to construct the Stonestreet Corridor Improvements CIP, which is currently under design. City staff will continue to seek external funding to leverage existing resources and advance the Vision Zero program.
Bikeway Master Plan
The Bikeway Master Plan was approved in April 2017. The plan highlights bicycle-related policies and proposes different bicycle facilities throughout the city to improve bicycling for riders of all ages and abilities. While this plan does not include specific “action items” like the Vision Zero Action Plan or Pedestrian Master Plan, it provides recommendations for bicycle facilities in Rockville.
City staff continues to implement the recommended facilities from the Bikeway Master Plan and seeks grants or other external funding opportunities to help advance bicycle projects. While many shared roadway projects require only signage or pavement markings, bicycle lanes, shared-use paths, and cycle tracks (also known as separated or protected bicycle lanes) often require comprehensive feasibility studies, repurposing a motor vehicle travel lane, and detailed engineering designs before construction can be carried out.
The following table includes the total distance of recommended bicycle facilities, and the percentage of facilities constructed since plan adoption.
|
Facility Type |
Constructed (miles) |
Total Recommended (miles) |
Percentage Complete |
|
Bicycle Lanes |
1.75 |
8.53 |
20.52% |
|
Shared Roadways |
6.69 |
17.34 |
38.58% |
|
Climbing Lanes |
0.37 |
2.77 |
13.36% |
|
Shared-Use Paths |
1.33 |
5.40 |
24.63% |
|
Cycle Tracks |
0.77 |
5.98 |
12.88% |
|
Total |
10.91 |
40.02 |
27.26% |
There are three bicycle facilities that are expected to be constructed in FY 2027. The first is on Mannakee Street, where buffered bicycle lanes will be added between Bradford Drive and Hungerford Drive (MD 355). The second bicycle facility will be along Congressional Lane, where shared roadways will be installed between Rollins Avenue and E. Jefferson Street, and buffered bicycle lanes between E. Jefferson Street and Rockville Pike (MD 355). Finally, new bicycle lanes and shared roadway markings are expected to be installed on Martins Lane.
Fleet Street and Monroe Street Complete Street
The Fleet Street and Monroe Street Complete Street project consists of preparing an engineering design for bicycle facilities along Fleet Street between Maryland Avenue and Richard Montgomery High School and along Monroe Street between Fleet Street and E. Middle Lane. DPW selected a consultant to prepare the design, which was awarded by the Mayor and Council on October 26, 2026.
Twinbrook Metrorail Station Bicycle and Pedestrian Accessibility Improvements
This project consists of evaluating and preparing a design for bicycle facilities and traffic calming facilities along Lewis Avenue between Edmonston Drive and Halpine Road and Halpine Road between Lewis Avenue and Ardennes Avenue. This project is expected to be completed in the fall of 2026.
Bicycle Fix It Racks
DPW staff procured four bicycle fix-it racks and coordinated with Recreation and Parks Department staff to install the new racks. The concrete pads and bike fix-it racks were installed in December 2025, and January 2026.
Bikeshare
The city was awarded $371,200 from the Maryland Department of Transportation Carbon Reduction Program to procure, install, and maintain four new bikeshare stations in the Twinbrook neighborhood. The Mayor and Council approved the Supplemental Agreement between the City of Rockville and Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA). Currently, city staff is coordinating with MDOT SHA to prepare the NEPA documentation. Staff is also coordinating with MCDOT to track the progress of the updated vendor contract.
Pedestrian Master Plan
The Pedestrian Master Plan was adopted in October 2023 and was developed over the course of two years with input from the Rockville Pedestrian Advocacy Committee, the Rockville Bicycle Advisory Committee, and the Transportation and Mobility Commission. This plan emphasizes the need to improve existing infrastructure and refine polices so that the needs of pedestrians are better considered while building transportation infrastructure in Rockville. Similar to the Vision Zero Action Plan, the Pedestrian Master Plan includes action items for city staff. Progress has been made on the following action items.
Action Item 5a - Sidewalks on Both Sides
DPW continues to implement the sidewalk evaluation, design, and construction program. The following sidewalks were recently constructed.
• Potomac Valley Road, between Falls Road/Maryland Avenue to New Mark Esplanade
• Brooke Drive, between Lewis Avenue and Stanley Avenue
• Welsh Park Drive, between Mannakee Street and Wels Park entrance
The following sidewalks segments are currently under construction or will be constructed this fall.
• Gilbert Road, at the intersection of Edmonston Drive
• Halsey Road, between Gainsboro Road and Rockland Avenue
• Vandegrift Avenue, between Rockland Avenue and Lemay Road
• Virginia Avenue, between Crabb Avenue and Ashley Manor Drive
The following sidewalk segments are currently under design.
• Frederick Avenue, between N. Stonestreet Avenue and Westmore Avenue
• Highland Avenue, between S. Stonestreet Avenue and Grandin Avenue
• Carr Avenue, between Luckett Street and Forest Avenue
• Charles Street, between McArthur Drive and Park Road
• Nelson Street, between Beall Avenue and the Woodley Gardens Shopping Center
The following sidewalk segments will be evaluated for feasibility this fiscal year.
• Midway Avenue, between Crawford Drive and Stillwell Road
Action Item 5b - Sidewalk Gap Inventory
DPW staff recently completed an inventory of all sidewalk gaps in the city. This inventory evaluates the potential obstacles to constructing a sidewalk segment, including grading, right-of-way availability, presence of street trees, possible utility conflicts, and drainage. This will help staff determine the level of effort and investment expected for constructing a sidewalk. The inventory will work in tandem with the Sidewalk Prioritization Policy to help the city select sidewalk gaps to construct.
Action Item 5h - Existing Sidewalk Inventory and Improvements
As part of the city’s ongoing asphalt and concrete rehabilitation program, DPW staff are reconstructing driveway aprons and curb ramps on one side of the street so that all streets have at least one side that fully meets the recently adopted federal Public Right of Way Guidelines (PROWAG).
Action Item 6a - New Shared Use Paths
City staff is finalizing the procurement for the contractor to design the Scott-Veirs Drive shared-use path. This project is funded by a Transportation Alternatives Program grant and will prepare an engineering plan that can be used for future construction. The shared-use path will be along Veirs Drive and Scott Drive and be designed to connect to the Carl Henn Millennium Trail at Wootton Parkway and end at the city boundary at Glen Mill Road. A cost share agreement with MDOT SHA will be presented for approved by the Mayor and Council on November 2, 2026.
Staff continues to prepare a design plan for the Stonestreet Corridor Improvements CIP project to provide pedestrian, bicycle, and motor vehicle facilities along N. Stonestreet Avenue from Lincoln Avenue to Park Road and along Park Road between N. and S. Stonestreet Avenues. The project includes sidewalks on both sides of N. Stonestreet Avenue and is expected to be completed in 2027. Construction will begin after all right of way is acquired.
Additionally, DPW staff has begun the MDOT Carbon Reduction Program grant project to study and design a shared-use path along Research Boulevard. This path is proposed along the full extent of Research Boulevard, from W. Montgomery Avenue to Shady Grove Road. The feasibility study of this project is expected to be completed in April 2027.
Action Item 7b and 7c - Pedestrian Connections and Direct Pedestrian Routes
DPW staff provided comments and recommended changes to the Community Planning and Development Services (CPDS) Department staff on the new zoning ordinance regarding requirements to connect adjacent properties with pedestrian facilities and to provide a safe and separated pedestrian route from the public right-of-way to the entrance of a development. These were incorporated into the zoning ordinance approved by the Mayor and Council in June 2026.
Mayor and Council History
In 2017, the Mayor and Council adopted an update to the Bikeway Master Plan. This plan was originally adopted in 1998 and updated again in 2004.
In 2018, the Mayor and Council adopted a resolution endorsing Vision Zero and adopting a goal of moving the city towards zero traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2030. In July 2020, the Mayor and Council adopted the Vision Zero Action Plan.
In 2023, the Mayor and Council adopted the Pedestrian Master Plan, which is the first pedestrian plan for the city.
The Mayor and Council last received a briefing on the progress of all three plans in March 2026.
Boards and Commissions Review
Department of Public Works staff acts as the liaison for the Transportation and Mobility Commission, the Rockville Pedestrian Advocacy Committee, and the Rockville Bicycle Advisory Committee, and meets with each group during their monthly meetings. In addition to providing updates regarding the status of various city transportation projects, DPW staff solicits suggestions and recommendations from each group regarding Vision Zero action items and projects. Staff also seeks their input and guidance regarding grant opportunities and their support for grant applications.
Next Steps
Department of Public Works staff will continue to implement the listed action items from the Vision Zero Action Plan, Bikeway Master Plan and Pedestrian Master Plan. With the Pedestrian/Bicycle Coordinator position currently vacant, staff will provide the next update on all three plans in fall 2027.