MCDOT plans to install temporary combined bus and bicycle lanes on University Boulevard to speed riders and cyclists along and enable data collection for a future redesign. In the longer term, the corridor will get a comprehensive overhaul with the addition of a Flash Bus Corridor. Montgomery County’s Bus Rapid Transit is marketed as Flash. Flash is Montgomery County’s bus rapid transit (BRT) system. Nationally, BRT is recognized as a high-capacity bus-based transit system that delivers fast service that may include dedicated bus lanes, traffic signal priority, off-board fare collection, elevated platforms and enhanced, modern stations. Pedestrian and bicycle enhancements are incorporated as part of the Flash implementation long term.
The bus and bike lane pilot will serve buses, bicycles, and emergency vehicles; cars will be allowed in the lane only to turn right. Giving buses their own lane to zip past traffic is the gold standard for advancing transportation equity, attracting new riders, and lowering congestion. In the next several years, Montgomery County plans for a substantial portion of its projected network to meet this standard. Route 29 Flash is the first corridor in the County and is in service.
The University Boulevard pilot is the largest of MCDOT’s bus priority projects and will extend over 2 miles from Amherst Avenue to Dennis Avenue. It will carry the C2 and C4, bus lines with the highest ridership in Maryland and among the top 5 or 6 in the Washington region.
