Transportation

HB 486 designates November 14 each year as "Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day" to honor Ruby Bridges' 1960 integration of an all-white school, and the second Wednesday in October as "Maryland School Pedestrian Awareness Day" to promote safe walking routes to schools. The Maryland State Department of Education must provide free, age-appropriate resources to all public schools, including civil rights lesson plans for Ruby Bridges Day and pedestrian safety materials like lesson plans and walk audit guides for Pedestrian Awareness Day. The bill directly affects Maryland public school systems by requiring state-provided educational tools for these designated days, starting July 1, 2026. It focuses on commemoration and safety education without mandating specific school activities.

HB 177 allows bicycle, play vehicle, and unicycle riders to enter an intersection on a red traffic signal when facing a pedestrian "walk" signal, provided they yield to vehicles and pedestrians already in the intersection. It directly affects cyclists, children's ride-on toys (like scooters or ride-on cars), and unicycles operating at crosswalks. The bill clarifies that these riders have pedestrian-like rights in crosswalks and on sidewalks (while still yielding to pedestrians), and removes certain existing traffic restrictions. It takes effect October 1, 2026, and does not change general traffic signal requirements for other road users.