Thursday, May 2, 2013
Residents are asked to weigh in on a 79-mile, 10-route bus rapid transit system that aims to relieve congestion for commuters.
Would dedicating one lane of traffic on major thoroughfares like Rockville Pike and Colesville Road for buses reduce overall traffic? Planners proposing a 79-mile, 10-route bus rapid transit system think so. Now, members of the Montgomery County Planning Board want to hear what you think. A public hearing is planned for Thursday, May 16 at 6 p.m. at Park and Planning Headquarters auditorium, 8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring. To sign up to speak, head here: www.montgomeryapps.org/planning_board/testify.asp. Bus Rapid Transit would focus on highly traveled routes within the county and provide connections to Metrorail, MARC and the planned Purple Line. Recommendations included some dedicated lanes with high-speed buses, along routes that …
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
The planning board will once again take up a bus rapid transit concept, including a proposal to dedicate Rockville Pike travel lanes for the high-speed buses.
The Montgomery County Planning Board will decide Thursday whether to advance a proposal for a 79-mile, 10-route bus rapid transit system into the public hearing stage. As a part of the proposal, Montgomery County planners are recommending that two travel lanes of Route 355 from the Capital Beltway to Western Avenue be re-purposed as dedicated rapid transit bus lanes. Planners say the rapid transit route would draw high ridership, but drivers could see their afternoon rush trip increase by nearly six minutes from Western Avenue to Cedar Lane by 2040. Recommendations for corridors across the county vary from buses driving in mixed traffic to developing new busways separated from traffic. Planners are also recommending taking out travel …
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Taking out two travel lanes from the Beltway to Western Avenue could add six minutes of travel time on the stretch for motorists by 2040.
Montgomery County planners are recommending that two travel lanes of Route 355 from the Capital Beltway to Western Avenue be re-purposed as dedicated rapid transit bus lanes. Planners say the rapid transit route would draw high ridership, but drivers could see their afternoon rush trip increase by nearly six minutes from Western Avenue to Cedar Lane by 2040. The recommendation is part of a staff draft of a Countywide Transit Corridors Functional Master Plan presented to the Montgomery County Planning Board Monday evening. The master plan includes a proposal for a 79-mile bus rapid transit system using 10 routes across the county. The draft will undergo an extensive public hearing process before it’s submitted to the Montgomery County …
Friday, January 25, 2013
Notable outcomes include county residents speaking out against a proposed smoking ban, Council cutting funding for a bus study in half, and the approval of a controversial apartment complex in Bethesda.
The Montgomery County Council met Tuesday, Jan. 22. Notable outcomes from the meeting include: County Residents Speak Out Against Proposed Smoking Ban A bill, introduced by Councilwoman Nancy M. Floreen, intending to ban smoking on any property owned or leased by county government was met with negative feedback from county residents during a public hearing, The Washington Examiner reported. One resident said the ban was comparable to making it "illegal to consume on county property food containing trans fats ... genetically modified corn snacks ... and sugary sodas more than 12 ounces," adding, "It should also be illegal to wear inadequate clothing in the wintertime," according to the report. Others testified that the ban could hurt …
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett says the county cannot afford to build a 10-route bus rapid transit system.
The bus rapid transit system proposed by Montgomery County planners for major county routes received a blow on Monday: Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett said the system would be too expensive to build, The (Washington) Examiner reported. "Instead, Leggett suggested a significantly smaller system with fewer bells and whistles than the proposed high-end bus rapid transit, or BRT, system," The Examiner added. The planners' proposal was for a 10-route system, which would have cost less than the 23-route bus rapid transit system proposed by the all-volunteer Transit Task Force last spring. The task force put its system's price tag at $1.8 billion, while Montgomery County Master Planner Larry Cole figured the 23-route system would have…
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
The task force's 150-page report was unveiled Tuesday.
A county-commissioned task force Tuesday called for a “comprehensive” bus rapid transit network across Montgomery County that would span 160 miles, providing an alternative to congested roads. A bus rapid transit network was first envisioned four years ago by County Councilman Marc Elrich (D-At Large) of Takoma Park, The Gazette reports. The task force unveiled a detailed report Tuesday outlining their vision for the transit system. The group refined the vision over a period of 15 months, meeting more than 30 times to create the 150-page report, The Washington Post reports. Officials have touted the system as the “future of transportation” in Montgomery County, according to The Gazette. In a statement Tuesday, Elrich called the group’s …
Monday, April 23, 2012
Transit Task Force recommends system operational within nine years, the Washington Examiner reports.
What’s the price tag for a world-class bus rapid transit system in Montgomery County? Estimates put it at $1.83 billion in capital costs and another $1.1 million per mile to run, so says a county-commissioned task force, according to the Washington Examiner. Findings by the Transit Task Force are set to be presented to County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) this week, the Examiner reported. The group is recommending a 161.5-mile bus rapid transit network be up and running in nine years, featuring “sleek and stylish” vehicles running along 23 county routes. The system should be built in three phases, the task force suggests, according to The Examiner. Thoroughfares that should be targeted for the first phase include: Read the full story at The …
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Montgomery County has changed its recommendation for the Corridor Cities Transitway from the light rail to bus rapid transit.
Bus Rapid Transit may be in Montgomery County's near future, extending the county's transportation services into the upcounty. The Montgomery County Council unanimously voted Tuesday to support County Executive Isiah Leggett’s recommendation to use Bus Rapid Transit instead of Light Rapid Transit as the preferred mode on the Corridor Cities Transitway. This recommendation is a switch from the county's previous decision to support light rapid transit as the preferred mode of transportation. "There's a couple of advantages of shifting to this mode," said Councilmember Hans Riemer (D-At large). "The flexibility of the system is that buses can leave the route or enter the route at various points along the way. That is something that might be…
LenGray
11:52 am on Friday, April 5, 2013
My concern with the BRT and the various terminals is that will they become the same issue as the bus terminal near Lakeforest Mall? Montgomery County has not handled that crime issue well at all. more ›