ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Governor Larry Hogan today announced more than $12 million in federal highway safety grants as part of a statewide focus to prevent motor vehicle crashes and eliminate roadway fatalities.

“With traffic already back to pre-pandemic levels, it is even more important that we continue working to make our streets and roadways safer and more accessible,” said Governor Hogan. “This critical funding will help us prevent crashes and fatalities all across the state, and ensure highway safety remains a top priority.”

The funds will be dispersed Oct. 1 by the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration’s (MDOT MVA) Highway Safety Office to more than 90 organizations and law enforcement agencies. In July, the Hogan administration announced nearly $1 million in state funds focused on pedestrian and bicyclist safety initiatives.

In 2020, 573 people were killed on Maryland roadways, including 138 pedestrians and 15 bicyclists, a significant increase compared to 2019 when the state had 535 fatalities, including 125 pedestrians and 10 bicyclists. The increase in fatalities occurred despite average vehicle traffic volumes in Maryland dropping as much as 50% at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the number of total crashes and serious injuries decreased in 2020, crashes were more severe, contributing to the rise in roadway fatalities. Initial police reports show increased speed, increased instances of impairment, and lower seat belt use as the most common contributing factors in motor vehicle fatalities.

The highway safety funds announced today will be used for initiatives to:
• Increase the use of seat belts in all seats;
• Prevent impaired, aggressive, and distracted driving;
• Increase safety for pedestrians, motorcyclists, and bicyclists;
• Promote the correct use of child passenger safety seats;
• Support police training for highway safety and traffic enforcement;
• Fund overtime enforcement of Maryland’s traffic laws; and
• Increase the efficiency and capability of Maryland’s traffic data systems.

“MDOT is committed to eliminating fatalities on Maryland’s transportation network, and that starts with working as a team with law enforcement agencies, traffic-safety partners, and the public in a multi-faceted approach,” said Secretary Gregory Slater of MDOT. “The safety of Marylanders and visitors is MDOT’s top priority, and the distribution of these grant funds will help us move toward the goal of zero highway deaths.”

In 2019, Vision Zero was enacted following passage of legislation setting an overall goal of zero fatalities and serious injuries on Maryland’s roadways by 2030. This goal will guide partners as they implement safety programs with the distributed grant funding. Vision Zero also serves as a blueprint in development and implementation of Maryland’s 2021-2025 Strategic Highway Safety Plan, a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to reduce fatalities and serious injuries on roadways across the state utilizing the “Four Es” of traffic safety—education, engineering, enforcement, and emergency medical services.

The funds awarded can only be used for traffic safety initiatives and are allocated based on crash data for each county or organization. Below is a breakdown of the highway safety grant amounts:

Agency and Grant Amount:

  • Aberdeen Police Department $2,205.00
  • Allegany County Sheriff’s Office $2,999.95
  • Annapolis Police Department $10,000.00
  • Anne Arundel County Police Department $82,910.00
  • Baltimore City Police Department $28,000.00
  • Baltimore County Department of Health $24,339.00
  • Baltimore County Police Department $245,187.00
  • Baltimore County Police Dept – Crash Recon $54,000.00
  • Baltimore Metropolitan Council $502,000.00
  • Bel Air Police Department $9,000.00
  • Berlin Police Department $6,000.00
  • Bladensburg Police Department $3,000.00
  • Calvert Alliance Against Substance Abuse Inc. $5,260.00
  • Calvert County Sheriff’s Office $30,500.00
  • Carroll County Sheriff’s Office $30,000.00
  • Cecil County Sheriff’s Office $21,485.00
  • Center for Injury Research and Policy $73,010.82
  • Charles County Sheriff’s Office $61,000.00
  • Chesapeake Region Safety Council $360,100.96
  • Chestertown Police Department $2,450.00
  • City of Bowie $6,500.00
  • City of Hyattsville Police Department $9,000.00
  • Crash Center for Research and Education (CORE) $218,550.82
  • Cumberland Police Department $3,000.00
  • Denton Police Department $5,005.00
  • Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office $12,080.00
  • DRIVE SMART Virginia (For 2022 Maryland Summit) $33,968.18
  • Easton Police Department $23,000.00
  • Elkton Police Department $8,000.00
  • Frederick County Health Department $92,934.79
  • Frederick Police Department $40,000.00
  • Frostburg City Police Department $2,000.00
  • Fruitland Police Department $5,998.59
  • Gaithersburg Police Department $15,000.00
  • Garrett County Liquor Control Board $5,152.97
  • Greenbelt Police Department $18,000.00
  • Hagerstown Police Department $8,000.00
  • Hampstead Police Department $5,000.00
  • Harford County Sheriff’s Office $91,938.19
  • Havre de Grace Police Department $7,000.00
  • Howard County Department of Police $68,000.00
  • Laurel Police Department $16,980.00
  • Manchester Police Department $1,998.00
  • Maryland Capitol Police $1,999.80
  • Maryland Chiefs of Police $255,360.00
  • Maryland Department of Health $260,624.78
  • Maryland Highway Safety Office $4,494,681.52
  • Maryland Institute for EMS Systems $89,874.58
  • Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission $1,000.00
  • Maryland Natural Resources Police $2,600.00
  • Maryland Sheriffs’ Association Inc. $23,760.00
  • Maryland Soybean Board $107,355.40
  • Maryland State Police – DRE $513,041.88
  • Maryland State Police – Mobile Unit $35,450.00
  • Maryland State Police – SPIDRE $383,192.00
  • Maryland State Police – Statewide $737,975.00
  • Maryland State’s Attorneys’ Association $208,680.65
  • Maryland Transportation Authority Police $88,000.00
  • Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments $250,000.00
  • Maryland Municipal League Police Executive Association Committee 2020/2021 $5,500.00
  • Montgomery County Police Department  $199,000.00
  • Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office $9,000.00
  • Morgan State University $91,260.00
  • Mothers Against Drunk Driving $53,941.80
  • Mount Airy Police Department $4,000.00
  • National Organizations for Youth Safety $74,174.53
  • Ocean City Police Department $23,892.00
  • Ocean Pines Police Department $3,000.00
  • Perryville Police Department $1,449.42
  • Prince George’s Child Resource Center Inc. $5,000.00
  • Prince George’s County – Department of Public Works and Transportation $19,500.00
  • Prince George’s County Police Department $185,000.00
  • Princess Anne Police Department $6,964.65
  • Queen Anne’s County Sheriff’s Office $15,040.00
  • Riverdale Park Police Department $12,000.00
  • Rockville Police Department $13,000.00
  • SADD Inc. $120,533.73
  • Salisbury Police Department $13,000.00
  • Salisbury University Police Department $1,964.00
  • Seneca Valley High School PTSA $2,100.00
  • St. Mary’s County Health Department $10,000.00
  • St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office $23,500.00
  • Sykesville Police Department $5,000.00
  • Takoma Park Police Department $6,000.00
  • Talbot County Sheriff’s Office $4,500.00
  • Taneytown Police Department $2,000.00
  • Town of La Plata Police Department $8,500.00
  • University of Maryland Baltimore, NSC $411,318.99
  • University of Maryland Department of Public Safety $14,000.00
  • University of Maryland Medical System Foundation $46,981.73
  • Washington College $651,657.28
  • Washington County Sheriff’s Office $4,965.00
  • Washington Regional Alcohol Program $283,873.55
  • Westminster Police Department $4,304.00
  • Wheaton High School PTSA $2,100.00
  • Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office $15,000.00
  • Worcester County Health Department $3,439.70
  • Worcester County Sheriff’s Office $3,640.00
  • Wor-Wic Community College $6,600.00

TOTAL: $12,070,850.26