In auto-centric Montgomery, planners suggest ways to make walking safer

Montgomery County residents who need a sidewalk must ask for one and typically wait up to 10 years to get it — and that’s if there’s no outcry from neighbors opposed to losing a favorite tree or space for street parking. But as traffic congestion grows, the population ages and an increasing number of lower-income residents can’t afford cars, Montgomery planners say their 1 million residents need faster, more proactive and data-driven ways to make walking safer and less stressful.