This issue includes: - MDOT Reminds Caregivers of Maryland’s New Child Passenger Safety Law
- Maryland Planning Commissioners Association (MPCA) Partners with Walktober for 39th Annual Conference
- Employer Partner Spotlight: University of Maryland
- Upcoming Webinar
- incenTrip: Inspiring and Rewarding Maryland Commuters
- Get to know the Rideshare Coordinators
- Walktober 2022
- Halloween Safety Tips for Drivers
- The Maryland Operation Lifesaver Program
- Upcoming Events
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MDOT Reminds Caregivers of Maryland’s New Child Passenger Safety Law In April 2022, Maryland lawmakers passed SB 176, a bill that upgrades the state’s child passenger safety law, protecting children traveling on our roadways. Effective October 1, 2022, the updated law
states that children must be kept rear-facing until at least two years of age, unless the child meets or exceeds the height or weight limits of the car seat based on manufacturer guidelines. SB 176, brings Maryland in line with laws already in place in 16 other states, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, ensuring
that the safety of our youngest passengers remains consistent in the Mid-Atlantic region. It is important for the public to know that the intent of this law is not to punish caregivers for a lack of knowledge on car seat safety. MDTA Police Chief Colonel Kevin M. Anderson noted at a recent press conference: “Children are some of the most vulnerable
road users and are usually at the mercy of being properly buckled by their caregivers. The new law is not about giving citations. It’s a way to help guide parents on better practices to keep a child safe in a vehicle. We want caregivers to know there are resources for them to ensure their car seat is installed correctly and they are using the right seat for their child.” Caregivers can find more information on the new law and general child passenger safety information, including ensuring children are riding in the right seat for their age and size, by clicking the button below.
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Maryland Planning Commissioners Association (MPCA) Partners with Walktober for 39th Annual Conference Maryland Planning Commissioners Association’s (MPCA) 39th Annual Conference will be held on October 25 and 26 at the Clarion Inn Frederick Event
Center. The theme of MPCA’s 2022 annual conference is “Planning for Challenges on the Horizon” with sessions covering topics related to how planning commissions and boards can collaborate with planning staff, elected officials, and other stakeholders to address and prepare for the challenges facing our communities, such as climate change, hazard mitigation planning, infrastructure
planning, post pandemic recovery, and more. The Maryland Department of Planning (MDP) and MPCA are proud partners of Walktober and this year’s MPCA conference includes Walktober tie-ins. MPCA is doing its part to address the challenges of walkability and pedestrian planning at the planning commission/board level. MPCA is looking forward to a number of exciting sessions and
activities, including: - A keynote presentation by Eli Glazier, Multimodal Transportation Planner Coordinator with the Montgomery County Planning Department, on developing the county’s first Pedestrian Master Plan
- A tour of Frederick’s City’s
renowned (and very walkable) downtown along Carroll Creek
- Participation by sponsors such as MDOT’s Commuter Choice Maryland
Click here to register for the conference.
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Employer Partner Spotlight: University of Maryland The University of Maryland’s (UMD) flagship campus in College Park, finds itself in a period of rapid growth and transition. Its faculty, students, and staff hail from all over the region and
each have their own way of getting to work. UMD Department of Transportation Services’ Assistant Director of Sustainability Initiatives Marta Woldu says recognizing and supporting UMD community members’ diverse array of transportation modes, while encouraging more economical and sustainable forms of transportation through incentives, benefits, and informational resources is central to her team’s work. UMD offers staff a pre-tax deduction to put towards their transit commutes; Rainy Day Bike
Rewards, allowing bike commuters to earn days of free parking the more they bike to work; and parking permits in smaller increments, including daily passes and two-day and three-day per week permits to help faculty and staff ease into greener commute choices. “You have to meet people where they are and offer programs that different people can
try and respond to. Our goal is to help them get out of their cars. There’s no one way to do that.” -Marta Woldu Assistant Director of Sustainability Initiatives, UMD Department of Transportation Services To learn more about the
University of Maryland and to read the full story, click here. |
The Commuter Choice Maryland Employer Partner Program seeks to recognize employers and organizations, like the University of Maryland, for their
leadership in offering transportation benefits and creative program incentives to their employees. These leadership efforts help Maryland to reduce congestion, conserve energy, protect the environment and improve the quality of life of all Marylanders. When you become a partner, you unlock free benefits, including complimentary support, help with a custom transportation plan and an employee travel behavior survey, an option to feature your employer/organization’s success story, an option for a
webinar spotlight, and access to employer assistance resources.
To see a full list of partners and to become a partner today, click on the button below.
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A Behavior Change Perspective on Trying a New Commute Commuter Choice Maryland is hosting a webinar with special guest David Straus, Executive Director Association for Commuter Transportation on October 26, 2022, at 12 pm EST. In this session, David will discuss return to work trends, the role of Transportation Demand Management (TDM) benefits, and strategies for engaging employees who are thinking about trying a new commute. |
incenTrip: Inspiring and Rewarding Maryland Commuters In 2021, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) Commuter Choice Maryland program successfully launched the free mobile application aimed at
helping Maryland commuters save time and money, while also earning cash rewards when they take transit, rideshare, or use other alternatives to driving alone during the peak commute times. Redeeming your earned points keeps getting easier with new options, including PayPal, a VISA gift card option, and most recently with the NIFT gift
reward option. NIFT rewards allow you to use your gift cards at many local businesses and online. Keep an eye on the incenTrip website as other incentives will be coming soon, including the WMATA SmarTrip card. New users can also now receive 500 points towards $5 in earned incentives just for downloading and registering a new account in the app! To learn more about how to use the app; the benefits of incenTrip; and to download the app, visit the incenTrip website by clicking the button below.
If you are enjoying the incenTrip app, please leave us a review!
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Get to know the Rideshare Coordinators Interested in learning more about the commuting options in your area? Our enthusiastic Rideshare Coordinators are here to help! Click the button below to find
out which coordinator represents your area and to learn more about them through their spotlight interviews. Reach out to them today to learn more about alternative commuting options. |
Walking is a great way to access and enjoy all that Maryland has to offer. It is recognized not only as a healthy choice for transportation access, but also
as the Official State exercise! To heighten awareness and educate Marylanders about the importance of walking and walkability, the Maryland Department of Transportation together with our many partner organizations is pleased to present our third annual Walktober. Throughout the month of October, MDOT and our partners across Maryland are sharing information, events and webinars about walk-related
programs, policies, and initiatives.
Walktober Webinar Series Registration Walk Maryland Day Walk Leaders & Sole
Mates Marylanders across the state have been preparing for the 2022 celebration of Walk Maryland Day on Wednesday, October 5.
Walk Maryland Day is a celebration of our state's official exercise and a call to action to support safe walking and walkability. This year, over 70 Walk Leaders registered walks
and over 230 "Sole Mates" joined walks on October 5. There were over 160 walk events throughout the month, spanning 23 counties. Click here to visit the Walktober website and learn more about Walktober and all of the fun events planned throughout the month-long celebration. |
Halloween Safety Tips for Drivers Each year, Halloween is celebrated with trick-or-treating, costume parties, and haunted houses galore. With all of the festivities throughout the evening and into the night, it is important to make safety a priority. Here are
some tips drivers can use to keep Halloween safe. - Stay alert for trick-or-treaters and other pedestrians, especially in dark colored costumes.
- Slow down when driving in neighborhoods and other high traffic trick-or-treating areas.
- Eliminate distractions like loud music, conversations, and cell
phones.
- Yield to pedestrians.
- If you see an impaired driver, contact law enforcement.
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The Maryland
Operation Lifesaver Program The rail safety Maryland Operation Lifesaver program for rail safety has recently been reestablished. The new Maryland Operation Lifesaver Coordinator is Stacey Beckett. Operation Lifesaver, which this
year celebrates the 50th anniversary of its founding in 1972, is a non-profit public safety education and awareness organization dedicated to reducing collisions, fatalities, and injuries at highway-rail grade crossings, as well as preventing trespassing on or near railroad tracks. Stacey manages rail safety outreach and education throughout the State of Maryland and is an integral part of helping to #STOPTrackTragedies. Click here to learn more and sign up as a
volunteer to help spread the rail safety message. |
A big thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth at the Maryland State Fair to learn about commuter benefits and the MDOT anti-litter campaign. If you missed us in August, be sure to check out the
upcoming events listed below. |
October 27 @ 9 am - 7 pm | Lutherville-Timonium |
Stay Connected & Informed Commuter Choice
Maryland representatives are always looking for opportunities to share information about commuter benefits and tax credits, either in-person or virtually. If you have an event that you would like Commuter Choice Maryland to be a part of, or are seeking more information on commuter and employer benefits, please contact us at commuterchoice@mdot.maryland.gov. |
For more information on Commuter Choice Maryland, please contact us at 410-865-1100 or email commuterchoice@mdot.maryland.gov.
Representatives are available to assist Monday—Friday, 8:00 am—4:30 pm. Visit our website at: www.commuterchoicemaryland.com.
Stay connected through Facebook &
LinkedIn |
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