Monday, December 22, 2014

New Protected Bike Lane (Cycle Track) Installed on Woodglen Drive Between Edson Lane and Nicholson Lane

The Division of Transportation Engineering (DTE) has completed the first protected bike lane, also referred to as a “cycle track,” in Montgomery County. This on-road, bike lane is about 1,500 feet long and is located adjacent to the curb on the west side of Woodglen Drive between Edson Lane and Nicholson Lane. It provides an important connection between the Bethesda Trolley Trail to the south and Rockville destinations to the north. Eventually, the lane will link directly to the White Flint Metro Station, which is located one block to the north.


This project was a collaborative effort with the State of Maryland. The Maryland Department of Transportation awarded the County a Bikeways Grant that matched 50 percent of the project’s cost.

The two-way, eight-foot-wide cycle track protects bicyclists from both through traffic and parked vehicle door openings because it is located between the curb and a two-to-three foot buffer bordered by flexible posts. Next to the buffer are the parking lane and three travel lanes of traffic.

Several divisions in the Montgomery County Department of Transportation were involved in the project. The Division of Highway Services resurfaced Woodglen Drive and DTE installed new, on-road, wayfinding signs, crosswalks and green pavement markings at driveway entrances. A bike box with bicycle detectors was also installed by the Division of Traffic Engineering and Operations at Nicholson Lane and Woodglen Drive. A bike box is a colored area at a signalized intersection that allows bicyclists to pull in front of traffic stopped at a red traffic signal. The boxes increase safety by reducing car/bike conflicts, increasing cyclist visibility and providing bicyclists with a head start when a traffic signal turns green.

In the next few months, a ramp will be constructed at the northeast corner of Nicholson and Woodglen and another will be reconstructed at the southwest corner of Edson and Woodglen.

View a video of the restriping process.