Bethesda drivers could face speed-camera fines at intersections where only red-light cameras operate today, after Montgomery County announced plans to activate "speed on green" enforcement at some existing camera locations by the end of 2026.

The timeline is aspirational. Vision Zero Coordinator Wade Holland told Bethesda Magazine on Wednesday, Aug. 19, that the county hopes to begin enforcement by December. Holland said the cameras are already mounted on traffic signals, so a driver exceeding the speed limit through a green light would trigger a speed warning without any new hardware. The capability is built into the county's existing vendor contract at no extra cost.

The county is testing the technology at two Silver Spring-area intersections: Colesville Road and Georgia Avenue, and Colesville Road and University Boulevard, according to Montgomery Community Media. No Bethesda-area locations have been announced. State law requires a 15-day warning period before fines can be issued, and the county will post "photo enforced" signs before cameras go live.

Speed on green is one of 45 action items in the county's FY2027 Vision Zero Work Plan, released Aug. 12. The plan also includes 13 bikeway projects, more than five miles of new sidewalk and continued work on safety corridors that Holland said have already reduced serious and fatal crashes by 29%.

Rising death toll

Montgomery County has recorded 33 roadway fatalities in 2026 as of Aug. 19, compared with 29 at the same point last year, according to Zero Deaths Maryland data. Ten of those deaths were pedestrians.

The most recent victim: Raoudha Khelifi, 44, of Rockville, was fatally struck while walking in a crosswalk at Chapman Avenue and Twinbrook Parkway on the evening of Aug. 18 with her 4-year-old son, who is expected to survive. The driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with investigators, Patch reported.

Holland attributed the plateau in progress to post-COVID changes in driving behavior, larger vehicles and a police staffing shortage. A March 2026 County Council staff report found the department operating with 182 sworn officer vacancies, a 14% vacancy rate.

Advocates push for faster action

John Seng, founder of the Clarksburg-based Maryland Coalition for Roadway Safety, said the county is falling short with just over four years left before its 2030 deadline.

"While we're aiming for zero, here we are. A little more than four years out and we're headed in the wrong direction," Seng told Bethesda Magazine.

Seng called for more uniformed officers on high-risk roads to supplement automated enforcement. Peter Gray, the Maryland organizer for the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, said lowering posted speed limits alone won't work without enforcement or physical road changes to slow drivers.

Bethesda connections

Several Bethesda streets received speed-limit reductions earlier this summer, including Alta Vista Road, Elsmere Avenue, Charles Street, Old Georgetown Road and Briley Place/Massachusetts Avenue, according to a July 23 county update. The FY2027 plan also includes completion of the Capital Crescent Trail between Bethesda and Silver Spring.

County funding for the Pedestrian Safety Program has grown 188%, from $1.78 million in FY2018 to $5.12 million in FY2027, according to a county news release. The county has not announced a specific date for the first speed-on-green fines or identified which intersections beyond the two test sites will be activated.

Anyone with information about the Khelifi crash can contact the Montgomery County Police Collision Reconstruction Unit at 240-773-6620.