 MCDOT Celebrates Black History MonthBlack History Month is an annual celebration of achievements and contributions of African Americans who have helped shape the nation. MCDOT celebrated Transit Equity Day on Feb. 4 to commemorate Rosa Park’s birthday, who would have turned 109 this year. Parks, a Black seamstress in Montgomery, Alabama, was a civil rights activist who refused to give up her bus seat to a white man on a public bus in December 1955. This day commemorates Parks, and other civil rights icons, and advocates for accessible, reliable and affordable transit powered by renewable energy as a civil right. MCDOT recognizes the following individuals for inventions that impact the way we travel today: |
 Garrett Morgan
Invented the first 3-light traffic signals in 1923, leading to the “yellow light” as a caution to drivers of an upcoming stop. |
 Isaac R. Johnson
Invented an innovative bicycle frame in 1899, that could be taken apart to allow for easy storage in small places. |
  Meredith Gourdine
Invented an exhaust purification system for vehicles, now known as the catalytic converter, in 1967 that reduces harmful carbon emissions released into the air. |
 Participate in the Love Flash Contest Through Feb. 28There’s a lot to love about Flash! Do you love how frequent and accessible it is? Maybe you love how comfortable and relaxing it can be. We’d love to hear how Flash or Ride On bus makes it easy to get where you need to go. Post a photo or comment on Twitter sharing what you love about the Flash, or other Ride On bus service, for a chance to win a prize pack. Tag @RideOnMCT or @MCDOTNow and use the hashtags #RidetheFlash #LoveFlash. The winner will be announced on Tuesday, March 1 on Twitter and on the Love Flash webpage. The first Flash line operated by MCDOT serves Colesville Road/Columbia Pike (US 29) and connects the Downtown Silver Spring Transit Center with White Oak and Briggs Chaney with stops along the way. Flash service—which uses 60-foot-long articulated buses—carries more than 2,100 riders per day and features bike racks inside, free Wi-Fi service and USB ports. At full capacity, the buses can transport up to 90 passengers making our transportation network more efficient and your travel easier. Learn more here. |
 On Valentine’s Day MCDOT staff passed out sweet treats to riders at the Silver Spring and White Oak transit centers.  Participate in the ‘Heads Up, Phones Down’ Video Safety Contest by Tuesday, Feb. 22Montgomery County teens have an opportunity to win some great prizes by producing videos encouraging peers not to allow cell phones to distract them while driving and walking. MCDOT's “Heads Up, Phones Down” high school video contest is accepting entries of 30-second Public Service Announcements (PSAs) through Tuesday, Feb. 22. Montgomery County public and private high school students can submit videos for the contest individually or as a group, of up to four, in English or Spanish. There is one grand prize and a first and second runner up for both the individual and group submissions. Wining group submissions will split the grand prize with gift cards for each member. Individual submissions may qualify for prizes that include a PlayStation Five, an Apple Watch or a tripod. Learn more here.  County Executive Recommends Funding Bus Rapid Transit/Flash in CIP BudgetThe County Executive’s proposed CIP budget includes advancing two Bus Rapid Transit (BRT, also known as Flash) bus lines located in Equity Emphasis Areas. These include routes on Veirs Mill Road and the central section of 355. These corridors feature faster service with high-capacity buses along highly traveled routes. Flash has vehicles arriving every 15 minutes or less and provides full accessibility for wheelchairs, persons with disabilities, strollers, bikes, and carts. The first Flash route launched last year on US 29 and is one of the highest ridership routes in the County. |
 MCDOT Holds Two Virtual Public Hearings This MonthThe public can provide feedback and has until 5 p.m., Friday, Feb. 18 to register to attend the following hearings: - Proposed Abandonment of Right of Way on Kensington Boulevard in Wheaton, on Tuesday, Feb. 22
The proposed abandonment of a portion of the public right of way on Kensington Boulevard from East Avenue towards Veirs Mill Road in Wheaton. Register online to attend. Learn more here. - Virtual Public Hearing on Public Access Easement Off Landy Lane in Bethesda, on Wednesday, Feb. 23
The proposed abandonment of a public access easement that covers an approximately 1.3-acre parcel located at the terminus of Landy Lane in Bethesda. Register online to attend. Learn more here.
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 The updates highlight the progress that is being made to implement actions in the County’s ambitious Climate Action Plan that was unveiled last year. Through the second quarter of FY22, the County has made progress on dozens of actions to help reach the goals of the plan that include: - MCDOT implemented the first dedicated bus lane project in the County (in Germantown) and expanded micromobility services to the Germantown area.
- MCDOT is administering a tree-planting grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust, with approximately100 trees planted in the right-of-way in Q2 and an additional 150 planned for planting in spring 2022.
- The Department of General Services, MCDOT and Department of Environmental Protection are working with the Department of Defense/Walter Reed and the surrounding community to identify climate change-related vulnerabilities in the transportation, energy and stormwater sectors and develop a Resiliency Implementation Plan for the installation.
The Climate Action Plan is a strategic plan to cut community-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 80 percent by 2027 and 100 percent by 2035. The plan also seeks to reduce climate-related risks to the County’s residents, businesses and the built and natural environment. Learn more here. |
Metrorail Weekend Service Adjustments for Saturday, Feb. 19 Through Presidents' Day, Monday, Feb. 21 Metrorail will open at 7 a.m., Saturday and Sunday, and 5 a.m. on Monday, closing at 1 a.m. Saturday and midnight Sunday and Monday. Trains will serve 85 of 91 stations, operating normal service on the Orange, Silver and Green lines with scheduled service adjustments on the Blue, Yellow and Red lines. Learn more here.  Rockville Metro Station Bus Stops Have Moved Back to Original Locations All bus stops at the west side of Rockville Metro Station have moved back to their original locations adjacent to the west entrance of the station. The bus stops were temporarily relocated during the Rockville canopy replacement project. The bus bays have temporary wooden bus shelters until they can be replaced with permanent shelters in late spring or early summer. Review the map and read more about these current bus route changes. The West Kiss & Ride lot remains temporarily closed for resurfacing for the upcoming Surface Parking Lot Improvement Project. March 1 Deadline Set for Phase-Out of Older SmarTrip Farecards Faster, better faregates are making it easier for customers to tap, pay and ride Metro. This is part of Metro’s fare modernization program to replace and upgrade faregates on Metrorail and fareboxes on Metrobus. As part of this transition, beginning March 1, 2022, SmarTrip® cards purchased before 2012 will no longer work and must be replaced. Visit wmata.com/cardreplacement to learn more. |
Maryland I-270 Toll Lane Project Visit oplanesmd.com for updates. | |  |
 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Makes $5 Billion Available Over Five Years for National EV Charging NetworkThe U.S. Departments of Transportation and Energy announced nearly $5 billion that will be made available, under the new National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program established by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to build out a national electric vehicle charging network. This is an important step towards making electric vehicle (EV) charging accessible to all Americans. Read the Federal Highway Administration press release here. |
 Those Aged 50+ Are Asked to Participate in a Cycling Survey by March 31Researchers at the Mineta Transportation Institute, San Jose State University, are conducting a survey to gather your thoughts and preferences about cycling among older adults. Your opinions are very important, no matter how much or little you cycle, or whether you cycle at all.
The survey takes about 10-12 minutes and is anonymous. Take the online survey here. |
 Roosevelt Bridge Lane Closures Could Worsen Commutes Through Summer as More Workers Return to OfficesEmergency repairs that will enable the Roosevelt bridge to safely support the weight of regular traffic traveling between Washington, D.C. and Virginia will probably last through the summer. The restrictions are prompting transit agencies and some drivers to find other options at a time when traffic levels are rising and Metrorail is operating with reduced service. Read the Washington Post article here. |
 Chesapeake Bay Trust’s Urban Trees Grant Program Now Accepting Tree Planting RequestsUrban Trees Grant Program, a requirement by the Maryland General Assembly as a component of a 5,000,000-tree goal by 2031, welcomes requests for tree planting projects in urban, underserved communities. Applications may be submitted online until 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 3. The goal is to green communities to enhance the quality of life, human health, community livability and improve air quality. Did you know MCDOT manages the tree canopy in Montgomery County? Residents can request a tree to be planted in a street right-of-way. Learn more here. |
 For transportation updates, follow @MCDOTNow on Twitter, visit the department website at montgomerycountymd.gov/mcdot or sign up to receive the latest MCDOT news. |
