Updates from the 2026 Maryland Legislative Session:
Week of January 19th
As of January 22, the Maryland 2026 session is off to a faster than normal start, at least for the safer streets/bike-ped legislation that WABA, Bike Maryland, and advocates across the State follow.
The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee has already held hearings on four bills bike advocates are following:
- SB 155 Bicycle Safety Start which allows people who bike to use leading pedestrian intervals to enter intersections ahead of cars, making them more visible and safer.
- SB 45 would allow the use of speed cameras in residential areas under certain conditions. Cameras are also a proven safety measure that can slow cars down, making it safer for the drivers and for vulnerable road users who bike, walk and access transit.
- There were also two hearings on bills brought by the Maryland Department of Transportation; SB 173 allows Maryland to enter into reciprocal agreements with other States and DC to enforce speeding tickets and SB 38 which will make it easier to place Interlock Ignition devices on the cars of drivers who have been ticketed for driving under the influence..
You can learn more about Bike Maryland’s legislative priorities by clicking here.
Week of January 12th
January 14th was the first day of the Maryland General Assembly, starting our race against the 90 day timeline of the annual legislative session. We’re hoping to build on good momentum from 2025 to get more bills across the finish line this year.
WABA’s working with advocacy partners across Maryland, including Bike Maryland, Bike AAA (Anne Arundel and Annapolis), Bike HoCo (Howard County), Bike Frederick and others around the state.
Top three priorities:
- No Stopping/Standing/Parking in Bike Lanes
Provides statewide clarity and applies to all State Highways clarifying that bike lanes are for moving people, not parking vehicles. The House passed the bill in 2025, but a 30‑minute loading amendment undercut safety and it stalled in the Senate Judicial Proceedings (JPR) committee. This year: we will keep the bill clean and avoid carve‑outs. (Local bills have recently passed in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties which apply to bike lanes on County roads.) - Bicyclist Safety Start (Leading Pedestrian Interval)
Lets cyclists proceed on the walk signal. The House passed the bill 133–0 in 2025; but it missed the Senate due to timing. This year: we will get an early start to make sure the bill passes both chambers. - Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) Pilot
Addresses the dangerous driving of super speeders, a small, high-risk subset of drivers repeatedly caught speeding or driving extremely fast who are responsible for a disproportionate number of fatal and serious crashes, with in‑car speed limiters that stop a vehicle from exceeding the posted speed limit. This year: we are working to move forward a bill that will establish a pilot and clarify program eligibility, address privacy concerns, and allow for public evaluation.
Other bills we will track during the 2026 legislative session include:
- Contributory Negligence carve out for vulnerable road users,
- Ticket reciprocity
- Speed monitoring/automated camera enforcement in safety corridors,
- Urban speed‑limit flexibility,
- Safe Routes to School; increased Lamphier Bikeways funding,
- MDOT transparency improvements,
- Automated traffic enforcement camera placement in high risk corridors, etc.
Beyond these bills, we will track and submit testimony in support of, or in opposition to, other bicycle, pedestrian, and transportation-related bills. We will work to support our coalition members that are championing bills, like the Transportation Climate Alignment Act, which we want to succeed. We will also continue to engage our coalition, legislators, and other stakeholders to build support for other bicycle-friendly policies that may appear in future legislative sessions, including bills like the bicycle safety yield and enhanced vulnerable road user penalties.