Maryland Roadside Memorial Tributes

This Official Maryland MD Roadside Memorial Registry page will allow you to register, plot, pin point and pay tribute to your loved one(s) Roadside Memorial for the State of Maryland MD.  The regulation, rules, laws, policy, procedures and or guidelines etc information provided below for the Maryland MD State Roadside Memorials is ever changing and we will do our best to maintain this information for you.  If you have new or updated regulation information that we have not posted, please let us know HERE.

Maryland MD State Highway Administration confirms that roadside memorials to traffic accident victims are illegal

Maryland MD Roadside Memorials

• In recent years, there has been an increase in Maryland roadside memorials placed by individuals near the scenes of fatal traffic crashes. – Typical Maryland Roadside memorials include flowers, wreaths, crosses, balloons, teddy bears, photographs, candles or personal affects

. • While there is no law specifically addressing Maryland roadside memorials, federal and state laws prohibit placement of anything on state property along state roads – roadsides, medians or in utility poles – except highway related signs and devices (mile markers, guard rail, etc…)

. • Stopping along many highways is unsafe for those placing Maryland roadside memorials and is prohibited by law unless in the case of an emergency on interstates and controlled-access highways. • Roadside memorials placed in SHA right-of-way present potential problems for spring and summer mowing operations as the roadside memorials must be moved or removed. In some instances, a roadside memorial may not be noticed and could become entangled in the blades of the mower and become a projectile into the roadway or potentially injuring drivers, passengers or workers

. • SHA must comply with the law and has an obligation to motorists to keep roads safe, which includes removing distractions and illegal items from State right-of-way. • When doing so, crews keep any intact roadside memorials at the nearest shop to be reclaimed within two weeks. If the owners of the memorials are known, SHA tries to contact them

. • Other Maryland Roadside memorial options:

Adopt-a-Highway (AAH) program: – The Adopt-A-Highway Program was created in 1989 to allow for volunteer participation in roadside litter removal along designated roads. – Family members could adopt a section of road to memorialize a loved one. All AAH participants are provided training, safety vests and supplies to safely keep the roadside litter-free. Groups are recognized with a sign. In some cases, families and friends will note the loved one for whom they have adopted a stretch of road on the sign.

 Partnership Plantings: – SHA develops partnerships with local governments, community organizations and garden clubs for the purpose of beautifying highways and improving the environment. – Community gateway plantings, reforestation plantings, streetscapes and highway beautification plantings are examples of the types of projects that have been completed within the Partnership Planting Program. In some cases, the plantings are done in honor of someone and can be noted with a sign.

Maryland FACT SHEET Roadside Memorials FINAL

Maryland Roadside Memorials Law/Policy Page 2

Living Memorial for Traffic Crash Victims

• More than 600 people die on Maryland roads each year. The tragic, sudden loss of loved ones impacts thousands of people – families, friends, co-workers, schools and communities.

• The State Highway Administration is proposing a living memorial for traffic crash victims. SHA will plant a grove of trees to memorialize the approximately 600 people killed in crashes each year.

• Families and friends of victims will have a safe haven to honor their loved ones. Each year, a dedication ceremony will be held for the previous year’s victims.

• The memorial groves will be similar to other memorials for groups of people who lost their lives in different locations. Similar memorials are located in Maryland along:
– MD 450 at the Scenic Overlook in Anne Arundel County for World War II veterans
– South Seton Drive in Emmitsburg on the campus of the National Fire Academy for Fallen Firefighters
– I-68 at the Sideling Hill Welcome Center in Allegany County for Prisoners of War (POW’s)
– MD 70 (Rowe Boulevard) Maryland Firefighters memorial
– Korean War Memorial, Canton, Baltimore
– Vietnam Veterans Memorial at the Hanover Street Bridge, Baltimore Research

• SHA researched possible programs to safely memorialize victims of traffic crashes in Maryland. Some states have programs, often funded by private parties that standardize roadside memorials to comply with safety regulations (break-away posts, legibility, markers, etc…).

• Funding to develop and properly implement a new program to manage fabrication, contact with families and placement is not currently available. With more than 600 fatalities each year, the resources needed for a program are significant. Additionally, space is limited in some areas.

• Federal law prohibits the placement of roadside memorials or any other property in SHA rightof-way. Specifically, it is: (23 CFR section 710.403(a): The STD (State Transportation Department) must assure that all real property within the boundaries of a federally aided facility is devoted exclusively to the purposes of that facility and is preserved free of all other public or private alternative uses, unless such alternative uses are permitted by Federal regulation or the FHWA. The only exceptions in the federal regulations are at rest areas where there is an informational kiosk, for advertising signage on bus shelters, and for official directional signs.

Maryland MD Roadside Memorials Questions:
Should Maryland MD Roadside Memorials be allowed?
Who removed my Maryland MD Roadside Memorial?
Do Maryland MD Roadside Memorials cause safety issues and concerns?
Are Maryland MD Roadside Memorials distracting?
Maryland MD Roadside Memorial Controversy?
Should Roadside Memorials be banned in Maryland MD?
What are the Maryland MD State Rules or Laws for Roadside Memorials?
Does Maryland MD have Roadside Memorial programs?
Can I make a permanent Roadside Memorial in Maryland MD?
Can I put a Roadside Memorial on Private Property in Maryland MD?
How much do Maryland MD Roadside Memorial permits cost?
In Maryland MD, how long do Roadside Memorial permits last?
Do Maryland MD Roadside Memorials distract other drivers?
Do Roadside Memorials cause issues in Maryland MD?
Do Maryland MD Roadside Memorials cause Maintenance issues?
Are Roadside Memorials illegal in Maryland MD?
Where do I apply for an Maryland MD Roadside Memorial permit or program?
How do I apply for a Roadside Memorial in my state of Maryland MD?
How To, About, Can I, Where, Rules, Who, How Much Cost, Limits
for my State of Maryland MD to put up a Road Side Memorial?
Are Maryland MD Roadside Memorials le