One of Maryland’s goals is making it safer to drive in the state, and it’s looking for new ideas.
“Alcohol impairment, speeding, distracted driving, not buckling up,” are just some of the driving safety issues officials seek to tackle, according to Maryland Department of Transportation Administrator Christine Nizer.
Nizer said her department wants to tackle these issues in traditional ways, such as stepped-up traffic enforcement, as well as in not-so-traditional ways.
“We partner with the Maryland Institute College and Art on a pedestrian safety campaign within the City of Baltimore,” she said.
MDOT is accepting grant applications for traffic safety programs and projects that can help reduce crashes, deaths and injuries on Maryland roadways through Feb. 24. The grant funds, distributed by MDOT, come from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Nizer said that in 2022, more than $13 million in grant money was given out for different projects.
Some of the awards in the D.C. region included the $200,000 given to the Prince George’s County Police Department, as well as funds to police in Takoma Park, Gaithersburg and Rockville.