This past year, WABA received a grant from Maryland’s Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Administration’s Highway Safety Office. The goal of the project was to put on a Youth Leadership Institute- mentor four Prince George’s County youth, ages 14-18, and help them learn about vulnerable road users in Prince George’s County, the county in Maryland which, according to zerodeathsmd.gov in 2023, saw the highest amount of crashes and the highest amount of fatal crashes in the state.
Throughout the program, four Prince George’s County high school students worked with WABA’s Youth Organizer to educate other youth about vulnerable road users and safer road user behavior through events, bike rides, and walk audits of high speed roads near schools. Most notably, the four students organized a Youth Transportation Safety town hall event in collaboration with Hyattsville Library and the County’s Department of Public Works and Transportation. The event was well attended; one-hundred and twenty five people registered, with close to one-hundred students attending the event.
At the event, WABA’s four youth leaders presented on vulnerable road user safety, complete streets, Vision Zero, and the need for more walkable, bikeable, and transit oriented roads in Prince George’s County. Additionally, they presented the student audience with a Vision Zero toolkit to provide resources for students interested in learning more about vulnerable road users, speaking to elected officials and decision makers, and how to protect vulnerable road users in Prince George’s County.
While the toolkit is aimed at youth, it is easily adaptable for anyone interested in learning more about Vision Zero and how to protect vulnerable road users. WABA received the grant for a second year, and will continue to dedicate its efforts to educating students across the region on biking, walking, and rolling safely. To learn more about WABA’s Vision Zero Youth Leadership Institute and its impact, please see the infographic below, detailing the incredible work of the students throughout the grant cycle. If you are interested in learning more about WABA’s work with Vision Zero, please reach out to WABA’s Youth Organizer at joseph.hamd@waba.org.
