SB 559 — Transportation: Study on Speed Limits — I‑495 and Connected Highways (2025)
Status snapshot
- Sponsor: Sen. Benjamin (Benson) (bill text identifies Benson as sponsor)
- Hearing: Scheduled Feb 19, 2025, 1:00 p.m. (per hearing notice)
- Effective/termination dates in bill text: takes effect July 1, 2025; terminates June 30, 2026
- Report due: MDOT must report findings to the Governor and General Assembly by December 31, 2025
Purpose and intent
SB 559 directs the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) to study the implications of speed‑limit changes on State highways that connect to Interstate 495 (the Capital Beltway). The study is intended to gather safety, enforcement, congestion, and operational data to inform whether uniform or narrowly deviating speed limits (specifically a maximum 5 mph deviation at connections to I‑495) are feasible or advisable.
Key provisions — what the study must do
MDOT must identify the State highways that connect to I‑495 and, for those locations, compile and analyze recent data (primarily a five‑year lookback) including:
- Current speed limits at each connection
- Traffic congestion trends over the past 5 years
- Prevalence of speeding citations over the past 5 years
- Prevalence of crashes and other hazards/incidents over the past 5 years
- Analysis of existing speed limits and their operational impacts
- Feasibility of requiring the speed limit to deviate by only 5 miles per hour at points where a State highway connects to I‑495
- If the 5‑mph deviation is feasible, recommended measures to implement that limitation
Consultation and reporting
- MDOT must consult local officials and stakeholders familiar with traffic safety on the affected highways.
- MDOT will submit a written report of findings and recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly by December 31, 2025.
Who would be affected
- MDOT (responsible agency conducting the study)
- Local governments, law enforcement, and planning agencies (consultants/stakeholders)
- Motorists and commuters who use I‑495 and connecting highways
- Potentially the General Assembly and State/local policymakers if recommendations lead to statutory or regulatory changes
Fiscal and procedural notes
- Fiscal note: MDOT can complete the study using existing budgeted resources; no revenue impact.
- The bill itself is a one‑year, time‑limited study and does not by itself change any speed limits or create regulatory mandates — it produces information for policymakers to consider.
