Estates and Trusts - Interpretation of Wills - Evidence of Intent (Granny's Law)
HB0375, enacted as Chapter 558 and titled “Jay’s Law,” amends Maryland’s Transportation Article to clarify when bicycles, play vehicles, and unicycles may be operated on sidewalks and in crosswalks. The bill authorizes riding these devices on a sidewalk or sidewalk area unless a local ordinance prohibits it, and it also allows a rider to travel from the curb or roadway edge through a crosswalk to the opposite curb where sidewalk riding is permitted.
The bill also adds a clear safety rule: a person operating a bicycle, play vehicle, or unicycle on a sidewalk, sidewalk area, or in or through a crosswalk must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians and to people using electric personal assistive mobility devices. The measure takes effect October 1, 2025, and updates existing pedestrian-rights provisions in the Transportation Article to reflect these sidewalk and crosswalk uses.
HB0375 changes Maryland law governing bicycle and similar-device use on sidewalks and in crosswalks by creating a statewide default permission subject to local ordinance restrictions. It amends §§ 21-1103 and 21-1202 of the Transportation Article to expand lawful sidewalk use, preserve local control to prohibit such riding, and impose an express right-of-way duty in favor of pedestrians and electric personal assistive mobility device users. The bill affects cyclists, users of play vehicles and unicycles, pedestrians, and local governments that regulate sidewalk use.
The available record suggests the bill was treated as a straightforward traffic-safety and access measure rather than a controversial policy change. The text is narrowly focused on clarifying where these devices may be used and on reinforcing pedestrian priority, which typically supports broad public-safety appeal. No committee transcript or vote record is provided here, so there is no evidence of organized opposition or divided sentiment in the materials supplied.
The main policy tension in the bill is between statewide permission to ride on sidewalks and local authority to prohibit that activity by ordinance. Another potential point of concern is pedestrian safety, since the bill expands lawful sidewalk and crosswalk riding while requiring riders to yield to pedestrians and users of electric personal assistive mobility devices. Because no hearing transcript or vote history is included, specific objections or proponents cannot be identified from the provided record.