Vision Zero—or Zero Enforcement? Maryland Senate Must Decide

At crosswalks across Maryland, pedestrians are left unprotected by laws with no teeth.

Through most of its 2026 session, the Maryland General Assembly has been considering House Bill 938—a commonsense measure to protect pedestrians at crosswalks in Anne Arundel, Prince George’s and Montgomery counties. This legislation should not be controversial. But it’s urgent. Right now in Maryland, stepping into a crosswalk is too often a bold, risk-laden act of faith.

The numbers tell part of the story. Maryland recorded 134 pedestrian deaths in 2022 and 157 in 2023. By 2024, pedestrians accounted for roughly one-quarter of all traffic fatalities statewide. But numbers don’t capture what people are actually experiencing. Parents watch cars blow through crosswalks near schools. Older adults feel rushed or ignored. Increasingly, Marylanders no longer trust that drivers will stop—even when the law clearly requires it. And they’re right not to trust.

What chance does an 85-pound fifth grader have in a crosswalk against a two-ton SUV?

In Montgomery County, a recent observational study found 615 drivers failed to yield to 376 pedestrians in just a few hours. That’s not a glitch. That’s the system—predictable, repeated, normalized behavior. At some locations, failure-to-yield rates approached 100 percent. Imagine standing at a crosswalk and not a single car stops.

Yet Maryland law is clear: drivers must stop for pedestrians in crosswalks. So why aren’t they? Because there is little to no enforcement.

Local police departments are stretched thin. A March 18, 2026 report from WJLA-TV detailed a greater than 14 percent staffing shortage in Montgomery County, where officers struggle to keep up with serious criminal investigations, let alone traffic enforcement. Similar challenges exist in Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties. Let’s be honest: we cannot expect understaffed police to monitor every crosswalk, every day.

But here’s the real question: what happens next?

That brings us to the Maryland Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee for the next several days. If “Vision Zero” is the guiding principle in Maryland, then what does “zero” mean in Annapolis? Because right now, it looks like zero action in crosswalk law enforcement.

No meaningful opposition testimony has been presented to HB 938. None. No competing policy remedy. No defense of the status quo. On April 1, I was prepared to testify in support—but was not permitted to do so under a rule that supporters were unnecessary in the absence of opposition. Read that again. Support for life-saving legislation was prohibited because no one showed up to oppose it.

With no visible public or organization opposition, then how does a bill designed to enforce an existing law—one that protects children, families, and cyclists—just…stall in this Senate committee? What compelling arguments exist - in the public interest - that threaten to run crosswalk law enforcement off the road? Because make no mistake: in Montgomery County, and across much of Maryland, that is exactly what is happening. Way too many drivers know they can get away with it. So, more and more, they do.

Pedestrians increasingly dread the false promise of the white stripes. Without enforcement, crosswalk law is meaningless—a Maryland road law with no teeth. Watch the images here, as reported by WJLA reporter Christian Flores.

HB 938 can change all this mayhem. The bill will allow local jurisdictions to use automated crosswalk enforcement—cameras that capture drivers who fail to stop. Violations result in a modest civil fine. No points. No criminal record. Just accountability. It includes safeguards: local approval, signage, due process, and no pay-per-ticket incentives. Revenue goes back into pedestrian safety.

This isn’t new. Maryland already uses automated enforcement for speed, red lights, and school buses. This new law will fill a dangerous gap. Critics may call it “big brother.” Fine. Because right now, “little sister” doesn’t stand a chance in a Maryland crosswalk.

This bill doesn’t create a new rule. It enforces one that already exists. And without enforcement, a law is worthless. If Vision Zero means anything to responsible Maryland lawmakers, it cannot mean zero action.

HB 938 is a reasonable, targeted step toward restoring a basic expectation: when someone steps into a crosswalk, drivers stop. Not sometimes. Every time.