Go Montgomery! October 2, 2019

MCDOT Celebrates Walk to School Day at Arcola ES MCDOT has once again organized a focus event for National Walk to School Day to encourage everyone in the school community to walk, bike or roll to school. The event focuses on pedestrian and bike safety and supports the County’s commitment to Vision Zero to end traffic deaths and serious injuries on its roads. Learn more. Next Week MCDOT to Open First Protected Intersection in the Mid-Atlantic County Executive Marc Elrich will join MCDOT and other County officials on Monday, October 7 to celebrate the opening of the County’s first protected intersection at Second Avenue and Spring Street in Silver Spring. The intersection is part of a new, one-half mile bike lane that connects to the Spring and Cedar streets bike lanes, creating 1.2 miles of separated lanes in the heart of downtown Silver Spring and connecting to Metro and the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center. Innovative features also include the County’s first bike traffic signal. See project progress. Ride On Announces Long-Term Bus Route Modifications Ride On regularly assesses the need for service improvements and adjustments and makes changes when needed.  Due to construction activities, Routes 7, 8, 9, 18, 31, 39, 73, 79 and 129 have been modified to address long-term detours. Read more. Davis Mill Road Now Open to Traffic Pending Repairs After a two-week closure between two intersections with Wildcat Road, Davis Mill Road in Germantown has partially re-opened to traffic. This bypass will remain in effect until the road can be repaired. MCDOT continues to work on a permanent design solution for this stretch of Davis Mill Road.  Learn more. First in the Nation All-Electric Service Station Opens in Takoma Park A service station for electric vehicles became the country’s first fully converted gas-to-electric refueling station. Read more in Transportation Today. (Photo by Bill O’Leary) Montgomery County Celebrates Active Aging Week October 1-7 Dozens of free activities are planned to celebrate Montgomery County's Active Aging Week. MCDOT supports senior transportation in many ways. Seniors (age 65 and older) can travel free or at a discount on Metrobus, Metrorail and Ride On by purchasing a Senior SmarTrip® card at MCDOT’s Mobile Commuter store, all County libraries, the Silver Spring TRIPs store or the Montgomery County Division of Treasury - Rockville. Learn about other transportation services offered to seniors. What to do with E-Scooters Found on County Sidewalks MCDOT’s agreement with e-bike and e-scooter companies states that these vehicles cannot be parked in the right-of-way and cannot interfere with pedestrian or traffic operations, or access to driveways,  crosswalks, ADA ramps, pedestrian walkways, bus stops, fire hydrants, private property or businesses. Residents are free to move inappropriately parked vehicles out of the way. Or, contact the vendor directly (labels with a phone and website are on each vehicle) or call County 311. MCDOT Sponsored Fourth Annual PARK(ing) Day Celebration in Silver Spring and Bethesda Beautiful spaces bloomed under the Montgomery County sun. Check out photos of the fun parks that were created.  MCDOT Seeks Innovators for MD 355 FLASH Learn about MCDOT’s Request for Information from firms that can help support cost-effective Bus Rapid Transit on MD Route 355 in Montgomery County. New Maryland Laws Became Effective October 1 Hundreds of new laws took effect including a pedestrian safety bill that increases the maximum fine for drivers who fail to stop for pedestrians from $500 to $1,000 and a bill that increases the severity of penalties for drunk and drugged driving offenses. Learn more about these and many of the other new laws. Bethesda Residents Asked to Take MCDOT Transportation Survey MCDOT is conducting a five-minute survey of Bethesda-area residents who live in multi-family dwellings that will help the department improve transportation services. Take the survey and enter a drawing for a $25 gift card.  MCDOT Attends Spread the Green Expo MCDOT’s Commuter Services helped provide information on some of its green initiatives at the Spread the Green Expo, an event for County employees who wanted to learn more about County efforts to green operations and improve sustainability. Among the programs promoted by Commuter Services were the October 18 Bike Drive; Guaranteed Ride Home and Ride Share programs; Bikeshare; and other transit options to support commuters.  Elrich to Hold First of Five FY21 Operating Budget Forums on October 7 Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich is holding the first of five budget forums to seek input from residents about Fiscal Year 2021 Operating Budget priorities. Learn more. Burtonsville Volunteer Fire Department's Open House Oct. 13 MCDOT is pulling out all the stops with the Street Smart Virtual Reality Challenge at this year's Burtonsville Volunteer Fire Department's open house in Silver Spring. WABA will be on site giving safe bicycling instructions and look for the shiny Camaro with the virtual reality challenge, an interactive, virtual reality experience that lets participants encounter multiple traffic scenarios and learn ways to reduce injuries to pedestrians and bicyclists. Celebrating October as ‘Energy Action Month’ Montgomery County’s Department of Environmental Protection will spend more than four weeks spreading its messages to help protect the environment and lower energy costs in October for Energy Action Month. Attend one of the Energy Roadshows that help answer all types of question on how to lower energy usage and save money. Learn more. October 2, 2019 On October 18, Celebrate Community Service Month Bike Drive with MCDOT Have a bike that’s no longer needed? On Friday, October 18, MCDOT will once again sponsor a bike collection during this year’s Community Service month celebration. Donate child and adult bicycles, helmets and bicycle parts to low income families outside the Council Office Building parking garage in Rockville. Learn more. MCDOT Sponsors Adult Learn to Ride Cycle Class on October 5 If you’re feeling less than confident about hopping on a bike, this class is for you!  MCDOT and WABA have teamed up to offer adult classes this fall for all skill levels. The cost is $10 per person and free to Capital Bikeshare and WABA members. Resister for the October 5 class in Chevy Chase today. Leadership Montgomery Uses Ride On to Tour Agriculture Reserve The County’s Office of Agriculture and MCDOT have been partnering to provide educational tours of the County’s Agriculture Reserve. In September, Leadership Montgomery members visited the Agriculture History Farm Park and three local farms to experience the importance and beauty of agriculture in Montgomery County. MCDOT Spreads the Word on Kids Ride Free The MCDOT Ride On team attended the Montgomery County Council of PTA Presidents fall training session September 14, to provide information about the Kids Ride Free program. All K-12 student residents can ride free any time of day and any day of the week on Ride On buses or Metrobus in Montgomery County by showing a school ID or Youth Cruiser SmarTrip card to the bus operator. MCDOT Promotes Alternative Transportation on Car Free Day On September 22, MCDOT staff took to the streets to encourage County residents to leave their car at home on Sunday. Ride On Shuttle Links Montgomery Friendship Picnic and Wheaton Arts Parade and Festival On Sunday, September 22, Ride On provided shuttle service between two popular County events. Ride On regularly supports events that promote a stronger and more connected community. Wheaton Revitalization Update Reedie Drive will be one-way westbound between Georgia Avenue and Grandview Avenue for 12 weeks. The MCDOT project to build a new Town Center, office building for County agencies and departments and underground parking garage is about 75 percent complete. Learn more about the project at www.wheatonproject.com

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