Public Hearing for Midcounty Corridor Study Set for August 7

The public is invited to a public hearing on the Midcounty Corridor Study being held by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) on Wednesday, August 7 at Seneca Valley High, 19401 Crystal Rock Drive, Germantown. An informal session with staff will be held in the cafeteria from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., and public testimony will be heard in the auditorium from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m.

USACE and MDE are soliciting views, opinions and information on MCDOT’s Draft Environmental Effects Report and permit application for the project. MCDOT is proposing a number of alternatives to improve transportation east of I-270 between Clarksburg and Gaithersburg. The improvements are expected to relieve projected congestion on roads; provide better north-south options for short- and moderate-length trips; improve vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle access to residential, commercial and employment destinations in Clarksburg and in the eastern areas of Gaithersburg and Germantown; and minimize and/or mitigate environmental impacts.

More information about the meeting, how to testify and the alternatives being considered is available online.

County Pedestrian Safety Investments and Activities Make Piney Branch Safer

When County Executive Ike Leggett announced his Pedestrian Safety Initiative nearly six years ago, a key approach focused efforts on areas with the highest number of pedestrian collisions. Piney Branch Road, between Flower Avenue and the County line, was one of the first areas targeted because of its high collision rates. Since work began, pedestrian collisions along Piney Branch corridor have decreased by 36 percent.

The latest investments in a multi-year effort to enhance safety on Piney Branch are two new crosswalks with pedestrian refuge islands and flashing beacons that warn motorists to stop. In 2010 and 2011, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation upgraded sidewalks and ADA ramps in the corridor. Through agreements with PEPCO, additional street lights were installed and other lights were brightened. In 2011, traffic signal upgrades for pedestrians were installed, with more being planned in cooperation with the State of Maryland.

In addition, staff conducted extensive grassroots education and Police conducted intensive enforcement, writing 700 citations to both pedestrians and motorists.

For more information, visit MCDOT’s pedestrian safety website.

Council to Hold Public Hearing September 10 on Transit Corridors Plan

The Montgomery County Council will hold a public hearing on the Countywide Transit Corridors Functional Master Plan on September 10 at 7:30 pm in the Council Hearing Room, 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville.

This plan will affect development of the County’s proposed Rapid Transit System (RTS).  For more information on the RTS, visit the Montgomery County Department of Transportation website or call Chuck Lattucca, RTS Manager, at 240-777-7170. 

For more information on the public hearing or to testify, call 240-777-7803 before 10 a.m. on September 10 or visit the Council’s website.

Two Transportation Advisory Groups Seeking Applicants

Both the Silver Spring Transportation Management District (SSTMD) and the Bethesda Transportation Management District are seeking members for their resident advisory groups. 

There are four vacancies on the SSTMD for two large business representatives (50 or more employees) and two small business representatives (fewer than 50 employees). Applications must be submitted no later than August 7.

There is also an upcoming vacancy on the Bethesda TMD. Applicants must reside in a neighborhood adjacent to the Bethesda TMD or in the Town of Chevy Chase. The deadline is August 15.

Members serve three-year terms without compensation. Applicants should submit a brief résumé detailing pertinent experience, interests and community activities. Get more information and apply online on the County’s website.

For more information about the SSTMD vacancies, contact Jim Carlson at 240-777-8382 or by email.

For more details about the Bethesda opening, contact Karen Thon at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center at 240-777-8210 or by email.

Spring/Summer Street Sweeping Protects Local Streams

Since April, the Division of Highway Services has been cleaning residential roadways and has nearly finished the street sweeping program for the season.

This joint effort between the Montgomery County departments of Transportation and Environmental Protection removes abrasives and other debris left behind after the winter snow season in priority watersheds. Street sweeping also helps keep drainage systems clean and improves the appearance and safety of County streets. Based on past results, officials expect the effort to remove about 2,000 tons of material that would, otherwise, be washed into local streams.

Brightly colored signs are posted in neighborhoods a few days before the sweeper arrives. To improve the effectiveness of the program, residents are urged to find alternate parking while their streets are cleaned. Daily updates on the street sweeping schedule are available online at the Division of Highway Services’ website. Or call 311 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Register for Bethesda Transportation Solutions’ Walk and Ride Challenge

This year’s Bethesda Transportation Solutions’ (BTS) Annual Walk and Ride Challenge will be held September 8-28. Open to all downtown Bethesda-based companies and their employees, the Challenge encourages participants to form teams and incorporate walking into their daily commuting routine.

Participants will be entered into a drawing for prizes.

See BTS’ website for more details and to register for the Challenge.

Bethesda and Woodmont Avenues Project Update

Work continues on the public-private partnership project located on the former parking lot (Lot 31) at the corner of Bethesda and Woodmont avenues in Bethesda.

During the remainder of the summer, crews will complete the final excavation of dirt/rock from the site and install sub-drainage. Concrete installation has begun and the first slab poured along the ground floor of the building.

The truck ramp is being removed and the dirt along the ramp will be taken away in stages. Sheeting/shoring in the area of the ramp will follow. Once the truck ramp is gone, only trucks that can be removed from the construction site by a tower crane will remain in the construction hole. Excavation should be complete in August.