Go Montgomery! July 20, 2018

Metro Board Approves Eliminating the Grosvenor Turnback Beginning December 2018 For several years, MCDOT has led County efforts to eliminate the turnbacks of Metrorail at the Grosvenor Station. Last week, these efforts succeeded when the Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA) Board took final action to extend continuous Red Line service to Shady Grove starting December 2018. Read more.  MCDOT Awarded Transportation Alternatives Grant to Design Missing Link in the Forest Glen Road Sidewalk MCDOT has received a $248,000 grant to complete a preliminary design for a sidewalk on the north side of Forest Glen Road in Silver Spring that will close a missing pedestrian gap. The sidewalk will extend from Woodland Drive to Sligo Creek Parkway, providing access to the Forest Glen Metro Station, Forest Glen Medical Center, Holy Cross Hospital, Sligo Creek Stream Valley Park and Sligo Creek Trail. Read more. MCDOT Leads Project to Reduce Streetlight Energy Consumption MCDOT is leading a project that could annually save the County $858,000 by reducing streetlight energy consumption and maintenance costs while taking advantage of a PEPCO energy incentive program that will provide $895,000 towards the effort. If the County Council approves the funding later this month, MCDOT will replace high-pressure sodium lamps in the County’s 26,000 streetlights with energy efficient light-emitting diode (LED) lamps. Learn more. MCDOT Director Roshdieh Speaks at a Forum on the Future of Downtown Wheaton MCDOT Director Al Roshdieh addressed the audience on July 18 at a Wheaton Urban District Advisory Committee forum regarding a vision for the future of downtown Wheaton. MCDOT is leading the Wheaton Revitalization project that is key to future redevelopment. Read more. MCDOT Seeks Public Input on Proposed “NextGen TDM” County Code and Executive Regulations Changes MCDOT held a public open house to discuss proposed changes to the process for implementing multi-modal programs for new development projects and for certain employers. Public comments are being accepted by email online.  Learn more. MCDOT Seeks Federal Funding for VIVA White Oak Transportation Projects To catalyze the redevelopment of VIVA White Oak, the County is seeking $25 million in Federal BUILD grant funding, supported by over $49 million in County-approved matching funds, for master planned transportation and infrastructure projects, including constructing two planned County roads; improving FDA Boulevard; making intersection improvements at US 29 at Industrial Parkway and Tech Road and MD 650 at Lockwood Drive; providing new and more buses for the White Oak Circulator Ride-On Service; constructing the MD 650 Bikeway shared use path; and widening the existing Industrial Parkway to accommodate bike lanes. The US Department of Transportation will make the awards December 18, 2018. View project proposal. Ride On to Hold Public Forum on Proposed New Services for Routes 43, 76 and 90 The public is invited to attend a forum on Wednesday, August 8 in Germantown and provide input on the following enhancements proposed for Ride On bus routes: -New Sunday service on the Route 43-New Saturday service on the Route 76 -New midday service on the Route 90 Written comments will be accepted through August 5. Read more. dataMontgomery Publishes New Transportation-Related Datasets During 2018, dataMontgomery published new datasets on road closures and crash incidents that are available to the public. The dataMontgomery program provides the public with the opportunity to review and analyze County information and recently released its Fiscal Year 2019 Annual Report. See the full report online. Four-Week, Single Lane Closure on Rockville Pike Continues   Through Friday, August 3, one southbound lane on Rockville Pike will be closed to traffic between National Institutes of Health Gateway Drive and Woodmont Avenue, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., weather and work conditions permitting. During the lane closure, sidewalks and storm sewers will be reconstructed where roadway and pedestrian improvements were completed.  Keep Up to Date on Purple Line Construction Activities The Maryland Transit Administration website lists the latest construction activities planned throughout the Purple Line work zone. View ongoing projects online.  State to Hold Public Workshops on Easing Beltway/I-270 Congestion State transportation officials will host a workshop for the Bethesda community on plans to ease congestion along I-495 and I-270 on Wednesday, July 25, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at Thomas W. Pyle Middle School. Or, view a virtual workshop and information about alternatives, or make comments online. Two Red Line Metrorail Stations to Close from Saturday, July 21 to Monday, September 3: Closures to Extend to Takoma Station on July 28 and 29 Metro track work will require the closure of two Metrorail stations - Rhode Island Avenue and Brookland stations - from July 21 through September 3. There will be no Red Line service between the Fort Totten and NoMa-Gallaudet U stations.  On July 28 and 29 only, the Takoma Station will also be closed. MCDOT is helping to publicize the closures and selling MARC Train tickets at our Silver Spring TRiPs Store and Mobile Commuter Store. Read more. July 20, 2018 MCDOT to Hold Annual PARK(ing) Day Celebration on September 21 MCDOT is encouraging artists, planners, businesses, organizations, groups and individuals to participate in International PARK(ing) Day on September 21 by temporarily transforming a metered parking space into a fun, parklike spot. Businesses, organizations and non-profits are encouraged to promote their services. See website for more information and to apply.  Spring Cameron Garage Closes Up to 75 Spaces Until Mid-September to Make Repairs During a routine inspection of the garage at 8700 Cameron Street, Silver Spring, MCDOT staff noticed signs of possible structural weakness in one area. An in-depth evaluation will be conducted and, as a precaution, a portion of the garage has been closed to the public. The remaining 825 spaces in the garage are safe to use. Read more.  Customer Compliments Ride On Driver One of MCDOT’s top priorities is providing great customer service, and it’s always nice to hear that our staff is doing a great job. Recently, Ride On received the following compliment about bus operator Kevin Shelton: “He is always punctual, friendly, upbeat and has an excellent attitude. After a long day at work, it's refreshing to encounter someone with such a positive attitude on my commute home. He is friendly to passengers, other drivers, and pedestrians, always giving others the right of way and making sure safety is a priority. I would like to extend my thank you to him for making my day brighter on my commute home.”  Update on Wheaton Revitalization Project Progress continues with concrete pours for the building foundation and the bottommost level of the garage. Also underway is waterproofing of the outside face of the vertical walls and underground Pepco utility work along Grandview Avenue and Ennalls Avenue. View the live camera feed online. Progress on Wheaton Revitalization Project Concrete Pours

Go Montgomery is distributed by Montgomery County Government Department of Transportation.