The Baltimore City Department of Transportation (BCDOT) announces today that is has been selected for two grant projects which aim to increase safety for people walking, biking, and traveling in Baltimore City.

“Over the past year BCDOT has been very proactive and intentional about securing more funding for projects that aim to promote a better quality of life for all our residents”, said director Steve Sharkey.  “As we continue to expand our commitment to Complete Streets, we’re finding new ways to make programs and services work better for our residents and visitors.”

The two grants will help provide a much-needed investment to our local transportation partners. The grants will help further our efforts and improve community engagement as we continue to improve our transportation network.

The National Association of City Transportation Officials awarded BCDOT and community partners Bikemore, Black People Ride Bikes, and Graham Projects $50,000 to increase visibility and access to Druid Hill Park and Lake Montebello. This project builds upon the biking boon from the COVID-19 pandemic which sparked a huge increase in utilization at both outdoor spaces. BCDOT, one of 10 cities to receive this award, will install traffic calming at 33^rd Street at Hillen Ave and along The Big Jump for this grant. Black People Ride Bikes will help kick off bike rides and safety lessons from Lake-to-Lake, while Bikemore and Graham Projects will solicit community input for art within the traffic calming areas. This project aims to make parks more accessible to people without cars. More information about the grant is accessible through NACTO’s press release here: https://nacto.org/2021/06/17/second-round-of-nacto-recovery-grants/

The Maryland Highway Safety Office granted BCDOT $30,000 to pilot community engagement for roadway safety through community partners. Through this grant, BCDOT will host a series of pop-up events where safety interventions are planned and be able to pay community organizations to host biking, walking, and civic engagement activities on –site. This project aims to increase understanding and awareness of the new Complete Streets treatments which will make Baltimore City streets safer for everyone. Read more about MHSO grant projects here: https://mva.maryland.gov/safety/Pages/mhso/grants-management.aspx

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