Monday, October 8, 2012

Chinese Delegation Visits Montgomery County to Learn from MCDOT

An 18-person delegation from the City of Zhengzhou in the province of Henan in central China recently visited Montgomery County to learn about the County’s planning procedures for building projects and the technology being developed to serve transit users.

Department of Transportation (MCDOT) staff explained how Master Plans are used to link transportation planning projects and land use planning.  They outlined the facility planning process that develops preliminary project plans to provide elected officials the information they need to decide whether to fund projects.  Staff explained the numerous opportunities for public comment throughout this process. 

The meeting concluded with a demonstration of Ride On’s new Real Time feature that uses geographic information and communication technology to provide next bus arrival information.  The visitors asked many questions and shared insights about their own bus rapid transit system -- a system currently being proposed for Montgomery County.  This is the fourth visit of a Chinese delegation hosted by MCDOT.