Transportation

Howard County would gain authority to lower speed limits on county highways to a minimum of 15 mph after conducting a traffic and engineering study. The bill prohibits Howard County from implementing new speed monitoring systems (like cameras) to enforce these reduced limits on affected highways. This specifically applies to Howard County highways where speed limits were decreased under this law, with no changes to existing limits for other jurisdictions. The bill modifies Maryland’s transportation code to establish these requirements for Howard County only.

HB 256, the "Vulnerable Road User Protection Act of 2026," authorizes Maryland’s State Highway Administration and local jurisdictions to install speed monitoring systems in designated "safety corridors" to protect pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users in high-risk areas. It amends traffic code provisions to create a new category for "safety corridor speed monitoring systems," requiring citations for violations to direct fines to the District Court (not local agencies) and mandating that collected funds support public safety programs like pedestrian safety initiatives. The bill specifies that local governments may recover implementation costs from fines but must use remaining funds exclusively for public safety, not general revenue. This directly affects drivers in safety corridor zones and local governments managing such systems.

HB 177 allows bicycle, play vehicle, and unicycle riders to enter an intersection on a red traffic signal when facing a pedestrian "walk" signal, provided they yield to vehicles and pedestrians already in the intersection. It directly affects cyclists, children's ride-on toys (like scooters or ride-on cars), and unicycles operating at crosswalks. The bill clarifies that these riders have pedestrian-like rights in crosswalks and on sidewalks (while still yielding to pedestrians), and removes certain existing traffic restrictions. It takes effect October 1, 2026, and does not change general traffic signal requirements for other road users.