A moment sequence and Motzkin numbers. Modular coincidence?

Question

I was looking at two sequences of integers, both with prominent place is combinatorics. The first one appears, for instance, in Stieltjes moment sequences for pattern-avoiding permutations (see page 23) $$a_n=\sum_{k=0}^n\frac{\binom{2k}k\binom{n+1}{k+1}\binom{n+2}{k+1}}{(n+1)^2(n+2)}.$$ The second appears in lattice path enumerations as Motzkin numbers (a close cousin of Catalan numbers) $$b_n=\sum_{k=0}^{\lfloor\frac{n}2\rfloor}\frac{\binom{n}{2k}\binom{2k}k}{k+1}.$$

In modulo $2$ arithmetic, I run into what seems to be a (happy) coincidence. Let me ask:

QUESTION. Is this true? $$a_n\equiv b_n \mod 2.$$

ADDED. $a_n$ or $b_n$ is even iff $n$ is part of this sequence listed on OEIS. In fact, whenever that happens, $\nu_2(a_n)=1$ and $\nu_2(b_n)\in\{1,2\}$.

Answer 1

Let's start with $b_n$. Since Catalan number $C_k$ is odd iff $k=2^m-1$, from Lucas theorem it follows that $$b_n=\sum_{k=0}^n \binom{n}{2k}C_k \equiv\sum_{m\geq 0}\binom{n}{2(2^m-1)}\equiv 1+\nu_2(\lfloor n/2\rfloor+1)\pmod2,$$ where $\nu_2(\cdot)$ is the 2-adic valuation.

---

Now consider $a_n$. From the recurrence given in OEIS A005802, $$(n^2 + 8n + 16)a_{n+2}=(10n^2 + 42n + 41)a_{n+1}-(9n^2 + 18n + 9)a_n,$$ we have $a_{2k+1}\equiv a_{2k}\pmod2$ for all $k$. It's therefore sufficient to consider even $n$, when $$a_n = \frac{1}{(n+1)^2}\sum_{k=0}^n C_k \binom{n+1}{k+1} \binom{n+1}{k} \equiv \sum_{m\geq 0} \binom{n+1}{2^m} \binom{n+1}{2^m-1}\equiv \nu_2(n+2)\pmod2.$$

---

Hence, for all $n$ we have $$a_n\equiv b_n\pmod{2}.$$