Transportation groups and health advocates back Howard County 'Complete Streets' policy

Howard County’s proposed Complete Streets policy (CR 120) received extensive endorsements from community groups, health organizations and transportation advocates during the Sept. 17 hearing.

Bruce Gartner, administrator for the Office of Transportation, presented the policy’s goals: to design and maintain streets that safely serve pedestrians, cyclists, transit users and motorists; to adopt transparent decision-making and prioritization processes; and to develop a Complete Streets design manual with equity-focused performance measures and community outreach timelines.

Speakers including Nikki (Nick) Highsmith Vernick of the Horizon Foundation, representatives from the Bicycling Advocates of Howard County, AARP Maryland and Howard Community College praised the resolution and encouraged the council to convert the policy into a binding ordinance with clearer performance metrics. Advocates cited mobility, public health and equitable access as benefits of a law-backed approach rather than a stand-alone resolution.

Why it matters: A Complete Streets policy shifts engineering and capital-prioritization decisions toward multimodal safety and could influence sidewalk, trail and transit investments countywide, with particular benefits for children, older adults and people with disabilities.

What happens next: Staff and implementation-team representatives said they will continue stakeholder engagement and draft the design manual; speakers asked for a follow-on ordinance to codify key performance measures and implementation timelines.