Overview

Toward Zero Logo

"Toward Zero" is a plan to make sure there are no more serious accidents or deaths on Baltimore's roads. The Department of Transportation (DOT) is focused on making roadways safer for everyone. This plan helps Baltimore become a safer, more walkable city where everyone can move around safely. This page shows how DOT is working hard to improve safety in Baltimore.

Baltimore City’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan

Baltimore’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) is a guide to stop accidents and deaths on the road by 2030. This plan shows the steps the DOT, along with other groups and the community, will take to protect people on the streets. The main safety goals are:

  • Making driving space safer

  • Adjusting traffic lights

  • Reducing speeding

  • Fixing dangerous intersections and roads

  • Separating pedestrians and drivers

  • Encouraging a safety-first attitude in city government

  • Gathering safety reports and updates

  • Empowering the community

The plan was made in April 2022.

Toward Zero Quickbuild Program

The DOT created the "Quickbuild" program to fix high-risk traffic spots in Baltimore. They use temporary materials like posts, crosswalks, and signs to improve safety quickly. These changes help DOT figure out what works best for long-term solutions.

Quickbuild safety changes include:

  • Reducing lanes on wide roads

  • Slowing down cars at intersections

  • Making sure drivers can see pedestrians clearly

  • Making crosswalks easier to see

  • Creating shorter crossings for pedestrians

  • Adding protection for cyclists

  • Making more space between cars and sidewalks

Each year, DOT looks at crash data to find the most dangerous areas and fix them. In 2023, they started making changes to:

  • Monroe Street (Eagle St to Wicomico St)

  • Paca Street (Russell St to Pratt St)

  • Light Street (Baltimore St to Conway St)

  • Liberty Heights Avenue (Druid Park Dr to Wichita Ave)

Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program

Starting in 2022, DOT began helping neighborhoods with traffic safety, especially in places with a lot of accidents. They choose neighborhoods with high numbers of crashes.

Some safety changes in neighborhoods include:

  • Speed bumps

  • Crosswalks

  • Stop signs

  • Bump-outs (to help pedestrians cross safely)

  • Chicanes (curves to slow traffic)

  • Chokers

Neighborhoods that were part of the first year of this program are (2022):

  • Oliver

  • Broadway East

  • East Baltimore Midway

  • Druid Heights

  • Upton

  • Sandtown-Winchester

Designs from the program's first year were implemented in the Spring of 2023.

Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A)

In September 2022, Baltimore applied for funding through a program called Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) to make the city safer. This plan will help Baltimore get millions of dollars for safety projects in the future.

For more information about the program, please visit the USDOT SS4A website: Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program | US Department of Transportation

Toward Zero History

Former Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake adopted the Baltimore City Strategic Transportation Safety Plan in 2013. A later effort in 2018 expanded upon this effort with the establishment of Toward Zero. A history of the efforts and plans are 

  • 2013
    • Adoption of the Baltimore City Strategic Transportation Safety Plan
  • 2017
    • First ever Safety City Day
  • 2018
    • DOT launches safety campaign to reduce accidents on City streets. The campaign includes the 2nd Safety City Day, the “Don’t Block the Box” campaign, the “Don’t be that Person” campaign, and additional automated enforcement.  
    • City of Baltimore passes a Complete Streets ordinance, which provides a mandate for centering the safety, comfort, and accessibility of pedestrians in all transportation improvements.
  • 2019
    • Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) launches the Look Alive campaign.
    • DOT creates a Roadway Safety Enhancement Plan: Toward Zero Baltimore
    • DOT hosts Safety City Day
  • 2020
    • Adoption of the High Crash Reduction Plan. This plan produced a list of the 10 highest crash road segments and intersections that should be prioritized for safety improvements.
  • 2021
    • DOT launched the Toward Zero Quickbuild Program using the High Crash Reduction Plan to select locations for rapid improvements.
    • Adoption of the Complete Streets Manual
  • 2022
    • DOT launched the Toward Zero Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program
    • Adoption of the Strategic Highway Safety Plan
    • I-83 speed cameras launched
    • Highway Safety Improvement Plan funds awarded for implementing RRFBs and HAWKs at key pedestrian crossings
  • 2023
    • Safe Streets For All funding ($1.005M) awarded to develop the City’s first Vision Zero Action Plan.
    • Highway Safety Improvement Plan funds awarded for implementing RRFBs and HAWKs at key pedestrian crossings.
    • Safe Streets For All funding ($9.92M) awarded to pilot forthcoming projects from the Vision Zero Action Plan.
  • 2024
    • Safe Streets For All Action Plan kicked off in June. Website and opportunities for participation forthcoming.