Employers from around the D.C. region have until the end of this month to submit a nomination for the prestigious annual employer recognition awards given by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and its Commuter Connections program. Winning employers will be honored during a ceremony to be held this June in Washington, D.C.

MWCOG’s awards recognize employers who have “initiated, enhanced, or expanded programs, benefits, policies, and amenities to encourage employees to telework and/or use commuting alternatives to driving alone to reduce the number of single occupancy vehicles from area roadways.”

Three Main Award Categories

Employers who encourage employees to ride transit, carpool/vanpool, and bicycle/walk to their worksite help the region reduce the number of cars on area roads and provide for cleaner air. Such commute programs also help employers to attract and retain employees.

Bethesda employers have been among the winners in past years, including Donohoe in 2018 and ASHP in 2017. ASHP snagged an “Honorable Mention” in 2024.

Nomination Details
See details about past Bethesda winners and the whole program on the BTS website. Use this form to nominate any downtown Bethesda employer by January 31.

Report Shows 11% Reduction in Serious and Fatal Crashes

Montgomery County’s latest Vision Zero Annual Report shows an 11% reduction in serious and fatal crashes compared to the pre-COVID years of 2015 to 2019. The Vision Zero Initiative is the County's multi-departmental effort to end serious and fatal crashes on roadways by 2030.

The report includes details on progress made in Fiscal Year 2024 on 127 projects county-wide undertaken between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024. The reduction was driven by a 28% decline in serious and fatal crashes on high-injury network corridors, which are prioritized for safety interventions under the Vision Zero Action Plan.

Local Priorities
Safety remains a focus in Bethesda, as the Montgomery County Department of Transportation continues to build out the bike network. This map gives a birds-eye view of the Bethesda Bikeways built and planned.

"While there is much work to be done to reach the ultimate Vision Zero goal, city, county and state agencies are dedicated to making our streets safer by design," explained Wade Holland, the County’s Vision Zero Coordinator. "We are advancing projects — big and small — across the County and working with lawmakers in the General Assembly to remove barriers to implement safety programs and hold dangerous drivers accountable."

Make Safe Choices
As Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said upon release of the Vision Zero Annual Report, "We need our streets to work for everyone whether walking, biking, using an assistive device or driving. We can make our Vision Zero goal a reality through these projects, campaigns and with your help. Keep yourself and everyone on the road safe by putting your phone away while driving, obeying the speed limit, buckling up for every trip and every seat and never driving while impaired."

The holidays may be behind us, but safe choices during celebrations of all kinds are always important. Find a Safe Ride home anytime of year via the County’s Vision Zero resource page. The Montgomery County Police Department’s Holiday Alcohol Task Force is slated to wrap up in mid-January.

Snap a picture of your winter biking or walking in downtown Bethesda and enter it in our Cool Commute Contest! Whether your ride or walk is sunny, drizzly, or frosty, make the most of any downtown Bethesda scenes of the season.

Simply email photos of your biking or walking commute to Kristen Blackmon at KBlackmon@bethesda.org for a chance to win. We’ll pick five winners in early March to each receive a $100 Bethesda Bucks e-gift card.

The contest is a winter-long annual opportunity to combine your pedaling or walking commute with your creative side. For visual inspiration, check out these cool pics from last year.