Labor Department Proposes Apprenticeship Changes

What happened: Hoping to enhance highway worker safety, Maryland Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller Jan. 25 introduced legislation that increases fines for drivers captured on camera speeding in highway work zones. The Maryland Road Worker Protection Act increases fines to $290, up from $40 for a first or second offense in a calendar year, and $1,000 for a third or subsequent violations.

Why it matters: The legislation was introduced as the one-year anniversary approaches for one of Maryland’s worst roadway worker fatality incidents. On March 23, six roadway workers were killed when two vehicles going 55 miles per hour collided, launching one into a work zone site on Interstate 695 near Woodlawn, Md. Speeding and a lack of adequate signage were cited as contributors to that crash.

What’s next: If approved, drivers will be immediately cited for work zone violations, eliminating the prohibition on citations being issued during a 30-day “warning period” when work zone cameras are first deployed. Last summer, ARTBA’s state affiliate, the Maryland Transportation Builders & Materials Association, worked with the Maryland Governor’s office to help craft the bill.