Montgomery County Council passes bicycle safety legislation

Biking around Montgomery County just got a little safer. The Montgomery County Council unanimously passed legislation on Tuesday, Nov. 4, that prohibits drivers from standing, stopping, or parking in bikeways. 

The bill was first introduced by  Councilmember Evan Glass and co-sponsored by Councilmembers Natali Fani-González, Andrew Friedson, and Dawn Luedtke.

“Dedicated bike lanes are critical safety infrastructure, but only if people can actually use them safely,” said Councilmember Glass who is Chair of the Transportation and Environment Committee. “This new law builds on the Safe Streets Act and advances our efforts to ensure cyclists no longer have to veer into traffic to avoid parked cars — making our roads safer for everyone. Its passage marks an important step toward our Vision Zero goals and a safer Montgomery County.”

According to a press release, in the first nine months of 2025 there were 115 cyclist involved crashes and six of those had series injuries and one fatality. This legislation also aligns with other jurisdictions like Rockville, D.C., and Howard County.  

“As a County, we have put significant resources into creating separate and safe spaces for bicyclists on many roads, making those roads safer for all who bike, walk and access transit,” said Peter Gray who is the Maryland organizer with the Washington Area Bicyclist Association. “It makes perfect sense to prohibit cars and trucks from blocking the use of those bike lanes, even for short periods of time. Blocked bike lanes force cyclists to move into car traffic lanes, thus negating the very purpose of those bike lanes, which is to make it safer for all non-car users to travel on those roads.”