As with any major transportation project, the Midcounty Highway extension is controversial. Some residents and smart-growth advocates say the road-building money would be better spent on a bus rapid transit system to reduce traffic by allowing people to forego driving. Other critics said it would cause too much environmental damage and run too close to neighborhoods.
Category: Montgomery County
Traffic light approved for Clarksburg school
Parents with children at Wilson Wims Elementary School in Clarksburg finally got what they wanted after years of campaigning for a traffic light and crosswalk across Snowden Farm Parkway. The Montgomery County Department of Transportation announced in a March 13 letter that it will install a traffic signal at Snowden Farm Road and Grand Elm Street by the fall of 2015.
Caring for the Potomac: Developers have a role in maintaining and improving river’s health
It might sound counterintuitive, but the health of the Potomac River might be improving thanks to large-scale development in places like Tysons Corner and Rockville.
Testimony to restore capital funding to the Bicycle Pedestrian Priority Areas
While Bicycle Pedestrian Priority Areas were first created 20 years ago by state legislation, the program has been slow to start. Now, as driving has begun to decline in the county over the last decade and rates of walking, cycling, and transit use in the county have been on the rise, it’s more important than ever to ensure it is safe and comfortable to walk, cycle, and take transit. Last year, people driving struck 483 people who were walking in the county – 60 more people than in 2013. We have much more work to do.
Montgomery County’s Independent Transit Authority Proposal
Montgomery’s planned 81-mile Rapid Transit System offers incredible potential to transform the county’s aging commercial corridors into vibrant, sustainable, walkable, transit-oriented communities. With dedicated lanes, service every 5-10 minutes, weather-protected stations, Wi-Fi, and many other amenities, Rapid Transit will provide high quality transit service at a far lower cost than building new highways.
State Transportation Priority Letter to Montgomery Co. Council
State law governing the priority letter process “requires MDOT and the local jurisdictions seeking project funding to demonstrate the relationship between prioritized projects and the long-term goals of the Maryland Transportation Plan and local land use plans.” The goals of the Maryland Transportation Plan focus on safety for all users, system preservation, and environmental conservation.
Aligning the Rockville School Standards with Montgomery County’s School Standards
Young people and families increasingly want to live in walkable, transit-accessible communities like Rockville, with its mix of both old and new walkable neighborhoods. Empty-nesters looking to downsize are looking for new housing options that allow them to stay in and continue to contribute to the community.
Testimony On Transportation Priorities for Montgomery County
My name is Kelly Blynn and I lead our work here in Montgomery County where we count over 4,000 supporters. Tonight we’d like to offer two considerations regarding Montgomery County’s transportation future as you head to Annapolis this year.
Supporters keep pushing MoCo for pedestrian-friendly road design
The Friends of White Flint displayed the designs next to what the Sector Plan recommended. Together with the Coalition for Smarter Growth, the Friends group encouraged supporters of a more pedestrian-friendly road design to write to county officials. So far, more than 350 people have written emails calling for an Old Georgetown Road design that matches the Sector Plan, according to the group.
Will Montgomery County botch the streets in a model suburban retrofit?
Stewart Schwartz of the DC-area’s Coalition for Smarter Growth contested the idea that street redesigns have to be put on hold. ”The traffic engineers are nervous about the interim period,” he said. “They don’t recognize that congestion always provides a feedback signal. If there’s congestion, people change the time of day of their commute; they change the mode of their commute; and you’re likely to see more transit riders. What this points to is the need to move faster in redesigning these places and incentivizing redevelopment.”