Glass Unveils “Collision Zero” Initiative
Rockville, MD — County Executive candidate and At-Large Councilmember Evan Glass unveiled his ambitious two-year “Collision Zero” Action Plan today, vowing to eradicate severe and condemnastrophic collisions between motor vehicles and stationary buildings across Montgomery County. If elected in November 2026, Glass pledged to launch the initiative “on day one” of his administration.
The announcement comes amid a troubling surge in vehicle-into-structure incidents as traffic volumes rebound to pre-pandemic levels. Data from the Maryland State Police Automated Crash Reporting System reveals 145 such crashes in Montgomery County in 2024, jumping to 175 through December 2025 — a stark 20.7% increase.*
More than 50 reports of vehicles crashing into Montgomery County homes and businesses are chronicled in the pages of The MocoShow www.mocoshow.com
The “Collision Zero” plan prioritizes a 35% reduction in destructive building impacts by January 2029, with targeted protections for convenience stores, strip malls, office buildings, apartments, condominiums, and especially homes and businesses along corridors impacted by the recently enacted More Housing Now legislation and the newly approved University Boulevard Corridor Plan.
“Collision Zero is an audacious, moonshot goal that demands our collective resolve,” Glass declared. “Together, we can champion this vision and drive to zero the heartbreaking incidents of shattering plate glass, crumpling storefront displays, and devastating structural damage caused by errant vehicles.”
Key components of the groundbreaking two-year plan include:
Mandating protective bollards in front of all new construction projects — including residential homes — to shield structures from vehicular impacts.
Requiring tempered, impact-resistant glass for any establishment featuring large storefront windows.
Installing prominent signage along county roads to alert drivers to the presence of nearby buildings.
Bollards like the ones surrounding this 7-Eleven store would be required for all new construction under the Collision Zero plan.
For existing retail and commercial properties, bollards and warning signs must be installed by January 2029. To incentive businesses, owners will receive generous real estate tax rebates: $6,500 per bollard and $800 per sign. Homeowners are encouraged, but not required, to participate and qualify for the same rebates.
Glass delivered his remarks outside the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce building on Monroe Street in Rockville, flanked by representatives from the Montgomery County Small Business Association. Both the MCCC and MCSBA have enthusiastically endorsed Collision Zero, having contributed to the plan's development alongside interagency working groups from the Departments of Transportation, Police, Fire and Rescue, Public Information, and others. The Working Group was led by the Pedestrian, Bicycle, and Traffic Safety Advisory Committee (PBTSAC).
Looking further ahead, Collision Zero lays the groundwork for a comprehensive Ten-Year Action Plan aimed at completely eliminating business-disrupting and property-devastating structure collisions countywide by 2036.
Supporters hailed the proposal as a forward-thinking complement to Montgomery County's existing Vision Zero efforts, which focus on preventing collisions between vehicles and people. “This fills a critical gap in our safety framework,” Glass declared.
# # #
Publisher’s Notes: (1) Condemnastrophic™ is trademark Montgomery Leek; (2) *True data sourced from Maryland State Police Automated Crash Reporting System.
