Go Montgomery! December 10, 2019

MCDOT Leaf Collection to be Completed Mid-December Leaf vacuum collections along every district street continue through mid-December, weather permitting. Residents are asked to pile leaves near the street, but off the road. Avoid placing leaves on road shoulders, bike lanes and rain gardens to avoid disruption to traffic, safety, and stormwater systems. MCDOT to Hold Public Hearing for Proposed Sidewalk Construction in Olney Acres/Macduff Avenue Community Dec.11 MCDOT invites the public to provide comments concerning construction of a sidewalk proposed to facilitate safer travel. Learn more. MCDOT to Hold Public Forum on Dec. 12 About Proposed Service Changes to Routes 75, 79 and 90 in Clarksburg MCDOT is seeking public input on proposed Ride On bus route changes that will discontinue service in some locations and introduce new service in other locations along Routes 75, 79, and 90. A public forum will be held starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Rocky Hill Middle School in Clarksburg. Read more. Bus Stop Location Changes Around Silver Spring Transit Center Delayed until January Previously announced temporary bus stop location changes in and around the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center in Downtown Silver Spring to accommodate construction of the Purple Line and Capital Crescent Trail have been delayed until January. Read more.  Elected Officials Meet with Transportation Management District Committees County Executive Marc Elrich, MCDOT Director Chris Conklin, County Councilmember Tom Hucker and other officials attended a special joint meeting of Transportation Management District (TMD) Advisory Committee members from Silver Spring, Bethesda, North Bethesda, Friendship Heights and Greater Shady Grove. TMDs meet monthly to discuss transportation issues, encourage the use of transit and make recommendations. Learn more.  Montgomery County is Leading the Nation in Making Streets Safer  A recent StreetsBlog article acknowledged Montgomery County’s efforts to implement policies that make its suburban neighborhoods safer for pedestrians and cyclists.  Read more. Creating a Pedestrian Master Plan that Supports Vision Zero Montgomery County planners recently asked residents to tweet about their experiences as pedestrians as the County begins developing its first-ever pedestrian master plan. Read Washington Post article. County Executive Elrich Comments on Proposal to Rebuild American Legion Bridge The governors of Maryland and Virginia recently announced a plan to rebuild the American Legion Bridge that connects the Beltway between Montgomery County and Fairfax County.  Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich issued the following statement on the overall proposal. Apple Maps App Now Displays Metro Service in Real Time iPhone users can finally view real-time Metro information in Apple Maps. The app will show train and bus schedules, departure and arrival times, vehicles current locations and transfer points. Read article. Maryland State Highway Administration Proposes Pedestrian Safety Improvements in Downtown Bethesda The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA), at the request of local elected officials and community stakeholders, announced a tentative intersection improvement plan for Wisconsin Avenue at Middleton Lane, Avondale Street/Commerce Lane, and Chase Avenue. The improvements are the result of a corridor review for pedestrian safety in downtown Bethesda. Learn more. Comment on the Online Interactive Map of Pedestrian Pathway and Street Crossing Comfort Levels Residents are invited by the Montgomery County Planning Department, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, to comment on the Pedestrian Level of Comfort Map, which allows community members to visualize the varying comfort of the county’s sidewalks, pathways, trails and street crossings for pedestrians. The project is part of the ongoing Pedestrian Master Plan. Read more. Learn About E-scooter Safety Rules and Regulations in Montgomery County This year, Montgomery County expanded the dockless e-bike program to include e-scooters. E-scooters are a unique, easy and sustainable way to get around Montgomery County. Learn the rules as well as some helpful tips for operating e-scooters safely. Watch this to learn more. Metro Offers After-Hours Pilot Program Need a ride to or from work between midnight and 4 a.m. when Metro does not operate? Metro will cover the first $3 of your shared ride with Lyft within a defined service area for up to 40 trips per month. Learn more. Self-Driving Shuttle Testing Completed on County Roadway A self-driving shuttle received approval from the Maryland Department of Transportation to operate in Montgomery County for a brief test period in November. Olli is an autonomous electric shuttle that is driven by Robotic Research’s AutoDrive® technology. The Olli can carry up to eight passengers and was tested on a half-mile stretch of public roadway between Robotic Research’s two office locations in Clarksburg. NTSB Calls for Action to Curb Spike in Bicycle Fatalities  The National Transportation Safety Board has called for a major policy overhaul after completing its first study of bicyclist safety since 1972.  Read more. December 10, 2019 To receive MCDOT’s latest news in your inbox or phone subscribe here. MCDOT Hosts Virtual Reality Safety Challenge at Westfield Wheaton Mall Dec. 14 Shoppers will get a chance to participate, learn about safety and receive giveaways starting at 10:00 a.m. This interactive, virtual reality experience lets participants encounter multiple traffic scenarios and learn ways to reduce injuries to pedestrians and bicyclists. MCDOT Participates in Thanksgiving Parade MCDOT helped kick off the holiday season at this year's Silver Spring Thanksgiving Day Parade, promoting the new FLASH Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service coming to US 29 and the TRiPS Mobile Commuter Store that offers transit-related services at various locations throughout the week.  With Hypothermia Alerts Last Week, Montgomery County Provides Cold Weather Information  Wear layers if you go outside and take extra precautions if you spend significant time outdoors. Learn more. MCDOT Visited Nine High Schools in November to Promote Safety MCDOT, Police and the Fire and Rescue Service completed November’s Be Safe Be Seen safety campaign, which included outreach to students who walk and bike to/from school or are new drivers. The final events of the month took place at Richard Montgomery and Watkins Mill High Schools. MCDOT Hosted Bike Rodeo at Dufief ES Over 30 students attended the event to learn about bike safety, the rules of the road and how to perform hand signals in MCDOT's custom bike rodeo. Students were given helmets, educational material and reflective gear. How About Giving the Gift of Capital Bikeshare this Holiday Season? An Annual Membership is only $85 and includes unlimited 30 minute classic bike rides for a whole year! Plus, you can use any of the Capital Bikeshare stations in the DC, Maryland and Virginia areas! Learn more at www.capitalbikeshare.com. Reedie Drive Temporarily One-Way Westbound Traffic in Wheaton Reedie Drive is temporarily one-way westbound traffic between Georgia Avenue and Grandview Avenue. Triangle Lane will remain open to traffic at all times. The Wheaton Revitalization project is 78% complete and scheduled to open May 31, 2020. www.wheatonproject.com. Go Montgomery is distributed by Montgomery County Government Department of Transportation.