Montgomery County’s Celebration of ‘Public Works Week’ Will Include Truck Day Event on Saturday, May 21
“Public Works Week” is a national week in May to honor essential workers. In recognition of MCDOT employees in the Division of Highway Services, a social media campaign is underway highlighting the essential work they do. The week will conclude with a free, family-friendly Truck Day event on Saturday, May 21, that will allow the public to tour and sit in County-owned vehicles.
TRUCK DAY
Saturday, May 21
10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Gaithersburg Depot
17000 Crabbs Branch Way
“Public Works employees provide vital services for our residents,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “These essential workers keep residents safe and are always ready to respond. I am very thankful for the amazing job these men and women do—keeping our infrastructure safe through storm and flood response and right-of-way management. They help make Montgomery County a great place to live.”
MCDOT Highway Services employees provide and sustain essential services that improve the County’s quality of life. Those services include clearing trees in roadways, snow removal, flood response, storm management, assist with national disasters as well as seasonal services like street cleaning and leaf collection.
Residents can show their support by following and liking @MCDOTNow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #PublicWorksWeek.
Click below to meet MCDOT Highway Services Supervisor Robert as he explains what his job entails.
|
MCDOT Sponsors Six Pit Stops During 'Bike to Work' Day on Friday, May 20
National Bike to Work Day will be held tomorrow morning, Friday, May 20, and Montgomery County intends to be fully involved once again.
The event is held across the nation on the third Friday of May to celebrate bicycling as a clean, fun, and healthy way to get to work. Bike riders in Montgomery County can stop by one of the six pit stops sponsored by MCDOT for refreshments, to listen to music, and visit local vendor displays during varying times on May 20. MCDOT’s pitstops will all begin at 6:30 a.m. and run until either 8:30 a.m. or 9 a.m. There will be free raffle prizes throughout the morning and two new bikes will be raffled off as grand prizes at each MCDOT-sponsored pit stop.
Participants should visit the Find Your Pit Stop Map to plan a route in advance.
MCDOT-sponsored pit stops will be at the following locations:
Additional pit stops will be hosted by other organizations throughout the County. Teleworkers and leisure riders are encouraged to participate. Learn more here.
|
MCDOT Encourages Residents to Vote for the 'Paint the Plow' Snowplow Naming Contest at Truck Day on Saturday, May 21
MCDOT is hosting its first ‘Paint the Plow’ middle school snowplow naming contest.
Teams from 14 Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) middle schools participated in the contest. Snowplows and paint supplies were delivered by MCDOT to each school and the student teams had four days to name and decorate their snowplows.
The decorated plows will be part of the MCDOT fleet that will be clearing snow from streets this winter.
On Saturday, May 21 the painted snowplows will be parked at MCDOT's Gaithersburg Depot for judging during MCDOT's free Truck Day event at 17000 Crabbs Branch Way, Gaithersburg.
Residents are encouraged to cast their vote for their favorite snowplow between10 a.m. to 3 p.m. First, second and third place winners will be announced at 2:30 p.m., for a chance to win cash prizes of $300, $200, and $100. The painted snowplows will also be put into service this winter. Photos will be displayed on MCDOT’s website and on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Participating Middle Schools include: Sligo Redland, Hallie Wells, Parkland Magnet, William H. Farquhar, John Poole. White Oak, Kingsview, Odessa Shannon, Pyle, Rosa Parks, Shady Grove and Roberto Clemente.
The contest was a unique and fun way to introduce students to some of the work done by MCDOT.
|
Elementary and Middle School Students are Invited to Participate in Free Virtual 'Safety Week' Through Saturday, May 21
MCDOT's Safe Routes to Schools program and Montgomery County Public Schools host this annual “Virtual Safety Week” to promote safety while walking, biking, riding in a car and taking public transportation through various online interactive and creative activities, video demonstrations, raffles and giveaways.
Students and their families are encouraged to participate in the virtual activities each day and submit a photo demonstrating their participation online here for a chance to win an Amazon gift card. MCDOT will share selected images from social media that include the hashtag #MoCoSafetyWeek.
Virtual Safety Week is part of Montgomery County’s Vision Zero initiative to end traffic-related deaths and serious injuries by 2030.
MCDOT Bicycle Swag Bag Contest Continues Through May 28
MCDOT is promoting this Friday's Bike To Work Day with the ‘Bicycle Swag Bag’ contest.
This week, bike riders are encouraged to take a photo or selfie of themselves enjoying their favorite bike path, trail, or bike lane in Montgomery County. Tag your photo with @MCDOTNow along with the hashtag #MoCoBikes on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram, or e-mail the photo to MCDOT Commuter Services to be entered into a weekly prize drawing for a Swag Bag prize. Winners are announced and notified on social media and by email on Monday of the following week. Learn more here.
|
Public Invited to Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) / Flash Bus Corridor Advisory Committee (CAC) Virtual Meetings
MCDOT staff will provide updates on the ongoing analysis and review upcoming outreach efforts for each BRT location below:
- North Bethesda BRT will be Held on Tuesday, May 24 at 7 p.m.
Online registration is required to attend and a recording of the meeting as well as presentation materials will be available on the project website.
- MD 355 BRT will be Held on Wednesday, May 25 at 7 p.m.
Since the last meeting in February, MCDOT has been busy advancing the preliminary design from Grosvenor Metrorail Station to the Milestone Park and Ride in Germantown. 25% of the plans have been completed and will be presented to the public via a series of pop-up events around the project area and virtual chats in late May and June.
Online registration is required to attend and a recording of the meeting as well as presentation materials will be available on the project website.
- New Hampshire Avenue BRT will be Held on Thursday, June 2 at 7 p.m.
Online registration is required to attend and a recording of the meeting as well as presentation materials will be available on the project website.
|
MCDOT Holds Public Forum on New Proposed Bus Route in Silver Spring on June 2
MCDOT will hold a virtual public forum on Thursday, June 2, starting at 6:30 p.m., to discuss a new bus route that will provide service between Hillandale Transit Center/Tech Road Park and Ride lot and US 29, with a stop at the Adventist Healthcare White Oak Medical Center.
The proposed route will have stops along Powder Mill Road, Cherry Hill Road, Plum Orchard Drive, Broadbirch Drive, Tech Road, and the Tech Road Park and Ride lot and provide connections with Metrobus, Ride On, and Flash bus routes as well as other transportation services within the network.
For additional information on the new route and to join the meeting click here.
|
Community Invited to the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Placemaking Festival Virtual Kickoff Meeting on Wednesday, June 1 at 6 p.m.
The Montgomery County Planning Department and nonprofit Better Block Foundation invite residents and business owners to collaborate on a special placemaking initiative to demonstrate the goals of the ongoing Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan at a virtual kickoff meeting to discuss the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Placemaking Festival scheduled for this fall.
During this kickoff event, community members will be asked for ideas and feedback on how to temporarily transform the Briggs Chaney Park and Ride (3300 Briggs Chaney Road, Silver Spring, MD 20904) area into a fun and inviting place for residents to visit.
Online registration is required to attend. Requests for accessibility or translation accommodations for the meeting are due by Monday, May 23.
|
Community Meetings Announced as Purple Line Work Continues
With the recent selection of a new contractor and construction activities of the Purple Line continuing, the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA), which manages the project, will be hosting a number of in-person community meetings in Montgomery County.
The Purple Line is a 16-mile light rail line that will extend from Bethesda in Montgomery County to New Carrollton in Prince George's County. It will provide a direct connection to the Metrorail Red, Green and Orange Lines at Bethesda, Silver Spring, College Park, and New Carrollton. The Purple Line will also connect to MARC, Amtrak, and local bus services. The Purple Line has a planned completion date of 2026.
Please see the list of community meetings, both open houses and Community Advisory Meetings (CATs) the state has set up to give Montgomery County residents updates on the Purple Line on the project’s website at purplelinemd.com/upcoming-meetings. These meetings are open to the public, and questions are permitted during the Question-and-Answer portion of the meeting.
At these meetings, MDOT MTA will introduce the community to their new design-build contractor, Maryland Transit Solutions (MTS) and you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions and hear updates on:
- Construction activities in your area.
- The maintenance of traffic during construction including any upcoming detours (if applicable)
Upcoming Meetings:
Montgomery County Open House
Wednesday, May 25 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Silver Spring Civic Building 1 Veterans Pl, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Bethesda/Chevy Chase (CAT)
Tuesday, June 7 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
North Chevy Chase Elementary School
3700 Jones Bridge Road Chevy Chase, MD 20815
Greater Lyttonsville/Woodside (CAT)
Tuesday, June 14 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Rosemary Hills Elementary School
2111 Porter Road Silver Spring, MD 20910
Silver Spring (CAT)
Tuesday, June 21 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Silver Spring International Middle School
313 Wayne Avenue Silver Spring, MD 20910
Long Branch (CAT)
Tuesday, June 28 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Oak View Elementary School
400 East Wayne Avenue Silver Spring, MD 20901
The Purple Line Outreach team is returning to in-person meetings to engage in meaningful dialogue about the project. Specific questions a community would like to have addressed should be sent to MDOT MTA’s Outreach Team 10 days in advance of the meeting date. Contact the Purple Line Outreach Team at 443-451-3706 or via email at outreach@purplelinemd.com.
Learn more about the state-managed, Purple Line project here.
|
METRO NEWS
Weekend Service Adjustments for Saturday, May 21 through Sunday, May 22
Learn more here.
Metro Ridership Projections Trending Ahead of Forecast
Metro ridership is outpacing projections through the first three quarters of fiscal year 2022 by nearly 40 percent. Through March, ridership has exceeded the initial forecast by 28 million passenger trips as more people chose bus and rail for travel throughout the region. Metrobus leads the way, accounting for 60 percent of overall Metro ridership, compared to about 40 percent for rail. Learn more here.
WMATA is Considering Making Some Railcars Mask-Only
WMATA is considering designating some railcars as mask-only, after making face coverings optional on all its services in April. Learn more here.
Metrobus Service Changes Go In Effect on Sunday, May 29
The White Flint Station buses will serve the stop along northbound Rockville Pike north of (farside) Marinelli Road adjacent to the station entrance. Learn more here.
|
New Interactive EV Charging Station Map Available
Data from the U.S. Department of Energy's Alternative Fuels Data Center is powering a new interactive map.
Users can click on each state or select an interstate route for EV charging stations that include some in Bethesda, Silver Spring and along I270 and MD 355. A pop-up window displays metrics like state population, total electric vehicles, EVs per 1,000 people, the number of charging stations and charging stations per EV. Clicking on an individual charging station also displays details such as the date it was installed and its operating hours.
|
For more information on MCDOT programs and services visit montgomerycountymd.gov/mcdot, follow @MCDOTNow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and subscribe to receive MCDOT news in your email inbox or mobile phone.
|
