If you know someone who cannot drive, or does not wish to drive, then you know that the urge to move about freely, and to get to a variety of destinations quickly, is not limited to drivers. In fact, a little over 30% of Maryland residents do not have a driver's license. For many people-children, the elderly, and the disabled-driving themselves is not an option. For others, driving is becoming less desirable. In order to accomplish many of life's everyday tasks-picking up dry cleaning, visiting friends, taking children to sports practice, getting to and from work-people are spending more and more time in their cars.

The Maryland Department of Planning aims to create quality community design and context-sensitive transportation design that provides transportation choices to give people the option of walking, bicycling, or taking transit for at least some of these daily activities. Investing in existing communities, and building new communities that, through a mix of land uses and human-scale design, make alternative modes of transportation attractive, can help increase transportation choices for all Marylanders.