“A lot of the job growth that we’ve seen is in the Great Seneca Science Corridor” is car-dependent, “so bringing better transit will help guide that growth in a direction that is more transit oriented.”
Category: Montgomery County
All About Thrive #3: A home for everyone, and new poll finds Thrive is popular
Thrive is popular! A new poll shows that Thrive has a majority of support from likely Democratic voters in Montgomery County, with the strongest support from Black and African American residents, people under 45, and renters. A total of 55% of survey respondents were in support, with only 21% opposed.
TAKE ACTION: The future of bus rapid transit in Montgomery County
CSG won Montgomery County’s 2013 Countywide Transit Corridors Plan, which envisioned a new Flash bus rapid transit (BRT) system along major roadways. We’ve advocated to implement the plan ever since, and this past month we won actual construction funding for BRT on Veirs Mill Road and MD-355 between Germantown and Rockville! These, along with other routes, are moving forward with planning, design, and construction.
BRT is a higher quality bus service that operates more frequently; has limited stops; runs in a dedicated bus-only median or curb lane; and offers features like all-door boarding, wi-fi, and off-board fare collection. Montgomery’s first Flash route opened along US-29, although it doesn’t have dedicated bus lanes (working on that!).
See below for many, many opportunity to get involved and provide input on the upcoming BRT projects! When providing input, we’d urge you to share the following:
- Prioritize median, dedicated bus-only lanes — this is the gold standard for BRT and keeps buses fast, reliable, and out of traffic
- Routes should connect the places where the most people live and work
- Bus stops should be easy and safe to access for people walking and biking
MD-355 (Rockville Pike)
The MD-355 will connect Clarksburg, Gaithersburg, Rockville, North Bethesda, and Bethesda. The project is in the preliminary engineering phase and seeking feedback. Residents from anywhere in the county can take the feedback survey.
Visit the MD-355 BRT project website
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New Hampshire Avenue
New Hampshire Avenue BRT would connect Colesville, White Oak, Adelphi, Silver Spring, and other communities along the corridor. This route is in the study stages, and they need community feedback on station locations and other features. Register for the online meeting, and/or arrive anytime during the open house hours!
Visit the New Hampshire Ave BRT project website
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North Bethesda Transitway
The North Bethesda Transitway will connect the Montgomery Mall Transit Center to either the White Flint or Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro Station. The county want your input on the termini point and stop locations. Register for the June 9 or June 21 online open house, or attend the June 13 in-person open house.
Visit the North Bethesda BRT project website
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All About Thrive #2: What does Thrive say about land use/growth patterns?
Today, we’re covering what Thrive says about land use and growth. At its core, Thrive is a land use plan that provides a framework for where and how the county should grow over the next 30 years, so this is one of Thrive’s most important topics.
All About Thrive #1: What’s happening with Thrive 2050?
Join us for our “All About Thrive” series over the next few months to help people learn more about Thrive 2050, Montgomery County’s new general plan.
MEDIA ADVISORY: Residents to Host Major Action for Affordable Housing at Chevy Chase Library
Community members call on County Executive Marc Elrich and the Montgomery County Council to to use public land for maximum public good
CSG Testimony on MoCo FY23 Operating Budget
In the FY23 operating budget, we urge you to prioritize transit, affordable housing, climate change, and parks.
ACTION ALERT: Demand climate action from your local elected officials
Transportation is the #1 source of our regional greenhouse gas emissions, and we have just 8 years to slash those emissions. Yet, our local and state elected officials who sit on the regional Transportation Planning Board (TPB), are not taking the urgent – and feasible – steps necessary to reduce emissions from our region’s transportation system. They need to hear from you!
Letter: Affordable Housing at Chevy Chase Library
The twenty-one undersigned organizations urge you to redevelop the Chevy Chase Library with mixed-income housing. We believe this is an opportunity to model the future of Montgomery County by mixing housing and a public facility in one location near transit, services, amenities, and jobs. This project is key to meeting the county’s goals to achieve racial equity and social justice, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation.
Sign up to testify for free fares!
Ride On bus fares in Montgomery County have been free since March 2020 and the Montgomery Better Buses coalition, organized by the Coalition for Smarter Growth, has won an extension of free fares four times. Right now, fares will stay free until June 2022. But we’d like to see free fares extended until at least October 2023, when the county’s study to redesign Ride On and Metrobus routes will be complete.