Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB1236 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3		EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4		[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5		-	Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
6		-	Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
7		-	amendment.
8	5		hb1236
9	6
10	7		HOUSE BILL 1236
11	8		R5 5lr2791
12	9		CF 5lr2794
13	10		By: Delegates Arentz, Ghrist, and Jacobs
14	11		Introduced and read first time: February 7, 2025
15	12		Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
16		-	Committee Report: Favorable
17		-	House action: Adopted
18		-	Read second time: March 6, 2025
19	13
20		-	~~CHAPTER ______~~
	14	+	A BILL ENTITLED
21	15
22	16		AN ACT concerning 1
23	17
24	18		Queen Anne’s County – Municipalities – Speed Limits 2
25	19
26	20		FOR the purpose of authorizing municipalities in Queen Anne’s County to decrease the 3
27	21		maximum speed limit to not less than a certain speed on highways without 4
28	22		performing an engineering and traffic investigation; and generally relating to speed 5
29	23		limits on highways in municipalities in Queen Anne’s County. 6
30	24
31	25		BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7
32	26		Article – Transportation 8
33	27		Section 21–803(a) 9
34	28		Annotated Code of Maryland 10
35	29		(2020 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 11
36	30
37	31		SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12
38	32		That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 13
39	33
40	34		Article – Transportation 14
41	35
42	36		21–803. 15
43	37
44	38		(a) (1) Except as provided in paragraphs (3) through [(5)] (6) of this 16
45	39		subsection, if, on the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation, a local authority 17
46	40		determines that any maximum speed limit specified in this subtitle is greater or less than 18
47		-	reasonable or safe under existing conditions on any part of a highway in its jurisdiction, it 19 2 HOUSE BILL 1236
	41	+	reasonable or safe under existing conditions on any part of a highway in its jurisdiction, it 19
	42	+	may establish a reasonable and safe maximum speed limit for that part of the highway, 20
	43	+	which may: 21
	44	+
	45	+	(i) Decrease the limit at an intersection; 22
	46	+	2 HOUSE BILL 1236
48	47
49	48
50		-	~~may establish a reasonable and safe maximum speed~~ limit ~~for that part of the highway,~~ 1
51		-	~~which may:~~ 2
	49	+	(ii) Increase the limit in an urban district to not more than 50 miles 1
	50	+	per hour; 2
52	51
53		-	(i) Decrease the limit at an ~~intersection~~; 3
	52	+	(iii) Decrease the limit in an urban district; or 3
54	53
55		-	(ii) ~~Increase~~ the limit in an urban district to not ~~more~~ than ~~50 miles~~ 4
56		-	per hour; 5
	54	+	(iv) Decrease the limit outside an urban district to not less than 25 4
	55	+	miles per hour. 5
57	56
58		-	(iii) Decrease the limit in an urban district; or 6
	57	+	(2) An engineering and traffic investigation is not required to conform a 6
	58	+	posted maximum speed limit in effect on December 31, 1974, to a different limit specified 7
	59	+	in § 21–801.1(b) of this subtitle. 8
59	60
60		-	(iv) Decrease the limit outside an urban district to not less than 25 7
61		-	miles per hour. 8
	61	+	(3) Calvert County may decrease the maximum speed limit to not less than 9
	62	+	15 miles per hour on Lore Road and, except for Solomons Island Road, each highway south 10
	63	+	of Lore Road without performing an engineering and traffic investigation, regardless of 11
	64	+	whether the highway is inside an urban district. 12
62	65
63		-	(2) An engineering and traffic investigation is not required to conform a 9
64		-	posted maximum speed limit in effect on December 31, 1974, to a different limit specified 10
65		-	in § 21–801.1(b) of this subtitle. 11
	66	+	(4) (i) This paragraph applies only to: 13
66	67
67		-	(3) Calvert County may decrease the maximum speed limit to not less than 12
68		-	15 miles per hour on Lore Road and, except for Solomons Island Road, each highway south 13
69		-	of Lore Road without performing an engineering and traffic investigation, regardless of 14
70		-	whether the highway is inside an urban district. 15
	68	+	1. Anne Arundel County and Montgomery County; and 14
71	69
72		-	(4) (i) This paragraph applies only to: 16
	70	+	2. Municipalities located in Anne Arundel County and 15
	71	+	Montgomery County. 16
73	72
74		-	1. Anne Arundel County and Montgomery County; and 17
	73	+	(ii) A local authority may decrease the maximum speed limit to not 17
	74	+	less than 15 miles per hour on a highway only after performing an engineering and traffic 18
	75	+	investigation. 19
75	76
76		-	2. Municipalities located in Anne Arundel County and 18
77		-	Montgomery County. 19
	77	+	(iii) A local authority may not implement a new speed monitoring 20
	78	+	system to enforce speed limits on any portion of a highway for which the speed limit has 21
	79	+	been decreased under this paragraph. 22
78	80
79		-	(ii) A local authority may decrease the maximum speed limit to not 20
80		-	less than 15 miles per hour on a highway only after performing an engineering and traffic 21
81		-	investigation. 22
	81	+	(5) Baltimore City may, without performing an engineering and traffic 23
	82	+	investigation: 24
82	83
83		-	(iii) A local authority may not implement a new speed monitoring 23
84		-	system to enforce speed limits on any portion of a highway for which the speed limit has 24
85		-	been decreased under this paragraph. 25
	84	+	(i) Decrease the maximum speed limit on a highway under its 25
	85	+	jurisdiction; or 26
86	86
87		-	(5) ~~Baltimore City may,~~ ~~without performing an engineering and traffic 26~~
88		-	~~investigation: 27~~
	87	+	(ii) Increase to a previously established level the maximum speed 27
	88	+	limit on a highway under its jurisdiction. 28
89	89
90		-	(i) Decrease the maximum speed limit on a highway under its 28
91		-	jurisdiction; or 29
92		-
93		-	(ii) Increase to a previously established level the maximum speed 30
94		-	limit on a highway under its jurisdiction. 31
	90	+	(6) A MUNICIPALITY LOCATED IN QUEEN ANNE’S COUNTY MAY 29
	91	+	DECREASE THE MAXIMUM SPEED LIMIT TO NOT L ESS THAN 15 MILES PER HOUR ON 30
	92	+	A HIGHWAY WITHOUT PERFORMING A N ENGINEERING AND TR AFFIC 31
	93	+	INVESTIGATION . 32
95	94		HOUSE BILL 1236 3
96	95
97	96
98		-	(6) A MUNICIPALITY LOCATED IN QUEEN ANNE’S COUNTY MAY 1
99		-	DECREASE THE MAXIMUM SPEED LIMIT TO NOT L ESS THAN 15 MILES PER HOUR ON 2
100		-	A HIGHWAY WITHOUT PERFORMING A N ENGINEERING AND TRAF FIC 3
101		-	INVESTIGATION . 4
102		-
103		-	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 5
104		-	October 1, 2025. 6
105		-
106		-
107		-
108		-	Approved:
109		-	________________________________________________________________________________
110		-	Governor.
111		-	________________________________________________________________________________
112		-	Speaker of the House of Delegates.
113		-	________________________________________________________________________________
114		-	President of the Senate.
	97	+	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 1
	98	+	October 1, 2025. 2