 MCDOT Wins Six NACo AwardsMCDOT has won six 2022 National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Awards, accounting for about 20 percent of the 31 total awards won by Montgomery County. Award categories include transportation, information technology and financial management. The six Achievement Awards won by MCDOT are: Learn more here.  TONIGHT: MCDOT Hosts Virtual Public Forum on the Proposed Addition of Bus Route 27 in Silver Spring on Thursday, June 2MCDOT 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. Attendees will have an opportunity to provide comments and ask questions as the County works to grow transportation access and initiate community-wide feedback on the proposed route. Learn more here. |
 MCDOT Wants Public Input on the New Flash Bus Corridor Take the online survey or join an MCDOT “pop-up” event between May 20 - June 21, 2022. Each event will have interactive displays, giveaways, and will collect community feedback.  For a list of all MD 355 CAC meetings and other outreach activities visit the project website here.  For a list of all North Bethesda CAC meetings and other outreach activities visit the project website here.  For a list of all New Hampshire CAC meetings and other outreach activities visit the project website here.  Winners of MCDOT's ’Paint the Plow’ Middle School Snowplow Naming Art Contest AnnouncedTeams from 14 Montgomery County middle schools participated in the first-ever MCDOT ‘Paint the Plow’ middle school snowplow naming 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. The winners were named as MCDOT concluded its event to celebrate “Public Works Week” to honor essential workers. During the special week, MCDOT recognized the Division of Highway Services employees with a social media campaign and the Paint the Plow contest. The entries to the contest were showcased during MCDOT’s family ‘Truck Day’ event that was held on Saturday, May 21. Attendees were asked to vote for their favorite snowplow name and design. The winners selected were: - First place and awarded $300: John Poole Middle School (Poolesville) for its decorated snowplow named “Kaplow.”
- Second place and awarded $200: Kingsview Middle School (Germantown) for its decorated snowplow named “Melted.”
- Third place and awarded $100: Eastern Middle School (Silver Spring) for its decorated snowplow named “Be Transformed.”
The contest was a unique and fun way to introduce students to some of the work done by MCDOT. Pictures of the painted plows can be viewed online here. |
 Montgomery County Council Approved FY23 Operating Budget and FY23-28 Capital Improvements ProgramThe Council agreed with 99.8 percent of County Executive Marc Elrich’s budget recommendations and approved $6.3 billion in the operating budget and $5.3 billion in the capital budget to be spent over six years. The approved budget is a 6.2 percent increase from the FY22 approved budget without any tax rate increases. The FY23 operating budget will go into effect on July 1. Transportation Related Highlights of the FY23 Operating Budget: - $459.1 million for Bus Rapid Transit
- $438.1 million for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) projects along MD355 and Veirs Mill Road
- Construction of BRT Route along MD355 from Rockville to Germantown to extend fast, high-capacity transit for communities not served by Metrorail, with additional funding for designing the remaining portions (Rockville to Bethesda and Germantown to Clarksburg)
For a full list of transportation highlights, click here. |
 Community Meetings Announced as Purple Line Work ContinuesWith 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. The public is invited to both, open houses and Community Advisory Meetings (CATs) 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. Learn more here. |
 Participate in Maryland Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Plan (ZEVIP) Webinar on Friday, June 10 at 1 p.m. and Take the SurveyOn Friday, June 10 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., the public is invited to join the Maryland Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Plan (ZEVIP) webinar. MDOT will present the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) planning efforts to date which allocates funding to states to strategically deploy EV charging stations along highway corridors and establish an interconnected network to facilitate data collection, access and reliability. Register to attend online here. There is still time to participate in the ZEVIP survey to provide your feedback on goals, priorities, and locations for EV infrastructure deployment. As of February 28, there are over 43,700 EVs registered in Maryland. |
METRO NEWS Metrorail Weekend Service Adjustments for Saturday, June 4 through Sunday, June 5 Learn more here. Rockville Metro Station West Side Closure – Temporary Bus Stop Relocations Are in Effect Until June 6 Due to Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority construction and paving work at the Rockville Metrorail station, Ride On and Metro bus stops on the West Side Kiss & Ride lot are closed until June 6 and have been temporarily relocated. Wayfinding signs are placed at the Metro station and MCDOT's Ride On staff are onsite for rider assistance. Learn more here. New App Will Help Low Vision Riders Navigate Transit System A new navigation app designed to help persons with a vision disability is launching at three select metro stations including the Silver Spring Metro station in Montgomery County. The app works by feeding directions auditorily through a free and downloadable app, regardless of wifi access or cellular signal strength. It’s accurate up to three feet of a destination, and instructs a user on exactly how many steps to take and how many degrees to turn, while also adding contextual information. The app doesn’t require Metro to install any new equipment or technology in their cars, buses and stations — it simply uses a software to track how people move. According to a WMATA Accessibility Advisory Committee report earlier this month, Waymap began piloting the project in late April, after the company spent roughly a month scanning, mapping, and filming the first three stations. Metro has partnered with Waymap, a new UK-based start-up, will soon be available in at least 30 Metro trains and nearly 1,000 bus stops by this September; with the entire system scheduled to be brought online by early 2023. Read the DCIST article here. |
 Lane Closure Kicks Off Major Work on Beltway Widening in VirginiaA rush-hour traffic lane will close permanently this week along a busy stretch of Interstate 495 in Virginia as major construction begins on the extension of the express lanes closer to Maryland. Read the Washington Post article here. |
 Maryland Begins Issuing Digital Driver’s Licenses, ID CardsThe Transportation Security Administration announced that Maryland residents can now add a digital version of their license or ID to their Apple Wallet. These digital IDs are acceptable at BWI and Reagan National airports. Maryland is the second state to offer this feature. Arizona was the first. Read the Washington Post article here. |
 A Crisis on the Roads: Traffic Fatalities Hit a 16-Year High in 2021, Data ShowsNearly 43,000 people were killed on U.S. roads last year, the highest number in 16 years as Americans returned to the roads after the coronavirus pandemic forced many to stay at home. The 10.5% jump over 2020 numbers was the largest percentage increase since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began its fatality data collection system in 1975. Read the WUSA9 article here. |
 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 to your email inbox or mobile phone. |
