Public Invited to Attend Special Pedestrian Bicycle and Traffic Safety Advisory Committee Meeting on Vision Zero

The County’s Pedestrian Bicycle and Traffic Safety Advisory Committee (PBTSAC) will hold a special meeting to discuss the development of a two-year Vision Zero action plan to implement Vision Zero in Montgomery County. The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 2 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Lobby Auditorium of the Executive Office Building, 101 Monroe Street, Rockville. Vision Zero is an initiative being adopted in many U.S. communities and abroad to prevent traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries among vehicle occupants, bicyclists and pedestrians. Read more.

Leggett Joins Hogan at Announcement of $229.6 Million Plan to Reduce Congestion along I-270 Corridor

County Executive Ike Leggett joined Governor Larry Hogan at his announcement that he is investing $100 million for innovative congestion management ideas on I-270 and $129.6 million for an interchange at I-270 and Watkins Mill Road. Read more.

Get it Fixed… Call 311

Have a mowing request? See a pothole in need of repair? Tree limbs in the road? Summer is a busy time for resident requests for services.

Get what you need from MCDOT by calling 311 or 240-777-0311 from outside the County or visit 311 online to post a service request. 

Planning Department Launches Bike Stress Map; Asks for Help in Identifying Connections Not Listed

The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Bicycle Master Plan team has evaluated more than 3,500 miles of roads and trails in the County to determine the amount of traffic stress that people experience when bicycling on them. The map is intended to help planners understand impediments to bicycling and to identify and prioritize the changes that are needed to create a low-stress bicycling environment for the 50 percent of adults who say they would be interested in bicycling, but do not currently ride because they are concerned for their safety. See the map.

In addition, help from the public is requested to identify existing off-road bicycle connections that are not currently reflected on the map. These include connections such as 1) paths between cul-de-sacs, 2) bikeable routes through public spaces, and 3) connections between neighborhoods. Click on the map to provide information about the connection.

 (Source: Park and Planning website)

Leggett Announces January Forums to Get Public Input on FY17 County Operating Budget

Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett has announced the dates, times, and places of five budget forums to be held throughout the County in January. The forums, held every year by Leggett to get public feedback on the upcoming County operating budget, are free and open to all.  Input from the forums informs development of the County’s operating budget. The County Executive will release his Recommended Operating Budget on March 15 for the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2016. 

The forums will begin with a briefing on the upcoming budget by the County Office of Management and Budget, followed by a conversation and question-and-answer period with the County Executive.

The meetings, which all begin at 7 p.m., are scheduled for:

1. Wednesday, January 6 – Eastern Montgomery Regional Services Center, 3300 Briggs Chaney Road, Silver Spring
2. Monday, January 11 – Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, 4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda
3. Wednesday, January 20 – Silver Spring Civic Center, One Veterans Plaza, Silver Spring
4. Thursday, January 21 – Mid-County Community Recreation Center, 2004 Queensguard Road, Silver Spring
5. Monday, January 25 – BlackRock Center for the Arts, 12901 Town Commons Drive, Germantown

Street Teams Plan More Pedestrian Safety Education Events in November

With fewer hours of daylight, fall and winter are the times of the year that are the most dangerous for pedestrians as people may be traveling in the dark during both the morning and evening rush hours. It is vitally important for drivers to watch out for pedestrians and for pedestrians to make themselves visible. Pedestrians can do this by wearing bright or reflective clothing, walking in well-lit areas, and carrying a flashlight.

To spread the word about pedestrian safety, Montgomery County Pedestrian Safety Initiative teams are talking to pedestrians and distributing safety tips, reflective bags and zipper pulls at the following locations in November:

November 2:   Blair High School Outreach (2:30 to 3:30 p.m.)                    

November 4:   Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments StreetSmart Street Team, Silver  Spring Transit Center

November 7:   Fresh Market, Congressional Plaza near Halpine Road (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.)

November 9:   Bethesda Street Team (4 to 7 p.m.)                           

November 12: Wheaton Metro Street Team (4 to 7 p.m.)                 

November 14: Tentative - Bethesda Trader Joes (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

November 17: Silver Spring Street Team (4 to 7 p.m.)

Request Highway’s Assistance Online

Residents can submit online requests to MCDOT’s Division of Highway Services to fix or repair problems on County right-of-ways, including tree maintenance issues. Some examples include:

• clogged storm drains
• curb and gutter repair
• litter and debris pickup
• mowing
• pothole repair
• sidewalk repair
• hanging or broken tree limbs

See the full list and fill out the online 311 service request form.  Use the number provided to track the status of your request.

Leggett and County Council Announce New Open Government Efforts

County Executive Ike Leggett announced a major advance in the County’s open government efforts that will significantly improve government transparency, accessibility and efficiency. He joined County Councilmember Hans Riemer, who initiated the open government legislation (Bill 23-12), to support the County’s efforts into the future.

The announcement included the unveiling of a new open data website that will provide constituents with convenient access to a growing variety of information; a new social media platform to encourage public participation on key County issues; and, new mobile versions of the County’s award-winning web portal, MC311 website, and Storm Operations website.

The new openMontgomery website includes four distinct portals:

• accessMontgomery provides convenient links to existing digital services related to accountability, accessibility and transparency, such as MC311 as well as CountyStat performance tracking. It also includes direct links to internal audits, spending disclosures, contracts, open solicitations, budgets, and free WiFi locations in the County;
• dataMontgomery provides direct access to data that includes employee salaries, cable inspections and complaints, residential and commercial building permits, hospitals, schools, fire stations, post offices, real property taxes and MC311 requests.
• engageMontgomery is the new social media platform that serves as an informal online Town Hall Meeting or a place where people can share ideas on ways to improve the community. Users who sign up for an account are encouraged to offer their own ideas and to support the ideas that they like best from others.
• mobileMontgomery offers a listing of the County’s mobile sites such as MC311 and Transportation’s Storm Operations with directions on how to bookmark them, as well as apps such as Library BookMyne, Crime Reports, and RideOn Real Time that can be used anytime and anywhere.

 For more information, see the County’s website.