MCDOT Offers Adult Bike and Scooter Classes this September, October and November

In collaboration with the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA), MCDOT is offering both Learn to Ride and Basic Skills classes for adults 18+. Advance registration is required and costs $10 for Montgomery County residents or no charge for WABA or Capital Bikeshare For All members. 

MCDOT will also offer four FREE, walk-up scooter classes following select bike classes. View locations and details here.

Stop By MCDOT’s Booth at the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair, August 11-19

MCDOT will staff a large booth from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair that runs August 11-19. From bus drivers to pedestrian safety advocates and highway services emergency response team members will be there with games and prizes and to distribute helpful information.

To save time and money, attendees are encouraged to take the Ride On bus when visiting the fairgrounds on Perry Parkway in Gaithersburg. Learn more and view bus routes here.

MCDOT Promotes Pedestrian Safety at MCPS Back-to-School Fair, Saturday, Aug. 26

From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the MCDOT Pedestrian Safety Team will take part in the Montgomery County Public School’s (MCPS) Back to School Fair at Westfield Wheaton all located at 11160 Veirs Mill Rd. in Wheaton.  The team will prepare students to have a safe school year by sharing tips for pedestrian and bike safety. Attendees will also learn about the school system, and other county programs and services. The public is invited to attend and enjoy free music, entertainment, giveaways a free immunization clinic and youth activities.

Free shuttles will be offered from Montgomery Blair, Paint Branch, Gaithersburg, and Richard Montgomery high schools. 

MCDOT Celebrates National Night Out on Tuesday, Aug. 1

MCDOT joined the Montgomery County Police Department and other agencies for this annual event which is held the first Tuesday of every August and provides an opportunity for the community to engage with police officers and others in public safety, while enjoying food, entertainment and family activities.

The Flash outreach team and MCDOT’s TRips Mobile Commuter Store were a part of the event at the White Oak Garden Apartments in Silver Spring. where more than 130 residents spoke with staff about commuting options, Capital Bikeshare, Ride On and other transportation alternatives. 

The Pedestrian Safety team participated in the event at the Fair Hill Shopping Center in Olney.

Virtual Public Meeting on the Schaeffer Road Bridge Over Little Seneca Creek Replacement Project in Poolesville to be Held on Wednesday, Sept. 6

Starting at 7 p.m., MCDOT will present the project details, costs, schedules and obtain public comments and answer questions regarding the replacement of the Schaeffer Road Bridge Over Little Seneca Creek. The bridge inspection revealed that the structure is in poor condition, considered structurally deficient and needs replacement. The completed project will enhance safety for motorists and bicyclists as they travel to nearby schools and facilities.

Online registration is required to attend. Learn more here.  

MCDOT Partners with Senior Connection

Montgomery County residents aged 60+ can receive rides and assistance getting groceries through Senior Connection, a local non-profit that provides an array of free services and workshops on how to use public transit and assists with applications for programs like Call-n-Ride and Metro Access. For more information, call 301-962-0820 or visit seniorconnectionmc.org.

Free Bikeshare Membership for Qualified Participants Living or Working in Montgomery County

Capital Bikeshare offers affordable, accessible, and fun transportation options for everyone, regardless of income. You can still get the classic red and gold cruiser that makes riding comfortable in a variety of urban and suburban settings. Or, go for the all black or gray and gold e-bike with always-on pedal-assist technology. That’s two ways to enjoy convenient two-wheeled transportation.

Be sure to also check out Capital Bikeshare’s special initiatives, such as its equity program called Capital Bikeshare for All. It’s available to residents of Montgomery County and certain other D.C.-area jurisdictions, ages 18 and older who qualify for a state or federal assistance program. View eligibility and program information at capitalbikeshare.com/pricing/for-all.

Council Updates the Rustic Roads Master Plan

Rustic roads are historic and scenic roadways that reflect the agricultural character and rural origins of the County and have been protected by legislation. This classification restricts the type of maintenance that can be performed on these roads so that the rural character can be maintained. There are 112 Rustic Roads in Montgomery County and they are preserved and maintained by the MCDOT.

New Section of 95 Express Lanes in N. Va. to Open Thursday, Aug. 17

Toll operator Transurban announced the opening of this Fredericksburg extension, which will bring Virginia’s network of express lanes to nearly 100 miles, spanning Interstates 66, 95, 395 and 495. Read the Washington Post article here.

Pepco Project Closes Portion of Randolph Road in Rockville for Eight Weeks

Pepco project construction has closed Randolph Road between Nebel Street and Parklawn Dr. to vehicular traffic. This is a daily closure between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., for 8 weeks. Pepco and MCDOT traffic control plan will allow eastbound traffic only on Randolph Rd. Westbound traffic will be detoured to Parklawn Dr. and to Rockville Pike (RT 355).

Sidewalks on Randolph Rd. will remain open through construction.

Pepco is constructing a new substation in the White Flint area. This involves both underground transmission and overhead transmission construction. Work began in 2020 and is expected to be completed in 2024. Project details including detour information can be found online here. View the project fact sheet here.

For questions and feedback contact Pepco External Affairs Manager, Tony Ruffin at [email protected]. Members of the news media can contact Pepco Media Relations anytime 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on the media hotline by calling, 202-872-2680.

New Traffic Pattern Coming to Rockville Town Center in Early August

The city’s contractor is planning final pavement markings in early August. New traffic patterns are expected on North Washington St. and East Middle Ln. as the city’s contractor reallocates the existing motor vehicle travel lanes to create new bike lanes and on-street parking spaces. Learn more here.

METRO

Metro Will Roll Out All-Door Bus Boarding This Fall

The initiative — set to debut in 450 buses, or about a third of the fleet, starting this year — is part of a large-scale effort to improve bus riders’ experience in the capital region. Learn more here. 

Metro Testing Bus Signal Lights for More Convenient Rail to Bus Transfers

Metro customers may soon notice strobing lights at some bus stops outside Metrorail stations to alert Metrobus operators when a train is approaching a station during off-peak hours (9 a.m. - 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. - midnight), allowing them to delay the bus’s departure to give customers time to make a quick connection to their bus. Learn more here.

WMATA and DDOT Start 45-Day Minimum Warning Period for Clear Lanes Program

Under the program, which aims to improve bus speed and reliability, cameras mounted on Metrobuses will capture video and photos of vehicles illegally operating, parking, standing or stopping in dedicated bus lanes and bus zones. Read the Mass Transit article here.

Metro's Customer Service Leader Eyes Navigation Improvements

Read the Washington Post article here.

PURPLE LINE/MARC RAIL

Montgomery County Provides More Funds for Businesses Affected by Purple Line Construction

Between Tuesday, Aug. 15 and Saturday, Sept. 30, businesses affected by the Purple Line Rail Project can apply to receive $5,000 from the county’s Business Center.

The county will hold informational sessions on the program from Tuesday, Aug. 29 to Thursday, Aug. 31 at 8070 Georgia Ave. in Silver Spring. Learn more here.

MDOT MTA Purple Line Will Open in the Spring of 2027

An agreement between the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) and Purple Line Transit Partners (PLTP) will see the 16-mile Purple Line open for service in the spring of 2027. Learn more here.

Maryland's Laurel MARC Train Station Will Close Monday, Aug. 21 for 10 Weeks

The $2.6 million project is being undertaken to optimize safety for riders during and after construction, with passenger convenience a primary consideration in scheduling the work simultaneously on both platforms. Several alternate travel options are available. Learn more here.

Registration is Open for the Annual Tour De Mount Vernon Community Bike Ride, Saturday, Oct. 21

This popular community bike ride starts and ends at George Washington’s Mount Vernon including a portion of the closed George Washington Memorial Parkway with beautiful views of the Potomac River. Riders can register for either the short (approx. 20 miles) or long (approx. 40 miles) ride. Take advantage of the Early Bird discount by registering before Fri., Sept.1. Learn more here.

Six local trails for walking an

Improvements Coming to Maryland and DC Multi-Use Trails

d biking across Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties and in Washington, DC, will see improvements over the next few years through the rehabilitation of some of the region’s oldest trails and the construction of new trail segments. The trail projects will rehabilitate Sligo Creek Trail and Northwest Branch Trails.

The new trail segments add safe connections to Metro and passenger rail stations, including three future Purple Line light rail stations. They provide access for more than 600,000 residents within a mile and a half of the trails and active, sustainable commuting options to the 53,000 workers that are within a half-mile of the trails. Learn more here.

August, Smog-ust: Why You Should Drive Less This Month

Officials are asking residents to help limit air pollution by driving less this month. While much of the air pollution this summer has come from particulate matter drifting into the region from wildfires in Canada, there’s also plenty of homegrown pollution from the region's cars, trucks, and power plants. Chemicals from tailpipes and smokestacks interact in the presence of heat and sunlight, forming ground-level ozone, more familiarly known as smog.

As much as a quarter of those chemical ingredients that form smog come from vehicles. And because smog needs heat and light to form, it’s usually worst in the hottest days of summer — in other words, right about now. Read the DCIST article here.

Downtown Travel has Not Recovered From COVID-19, Data Shows

A new report by INRIX shows that traffic and transit activity is still down in the nation’s largest cities when compared to pre-2020 levels, a sustained byproduct of remote work arrangements. Read the Government Technology article here.

A Bright Future for Your Commuter Railway

Public transit ridership, which had dwindled from 10% to 40% of its usual rates during the earliest stages of the pandemic, bounced back to 70% of pre-pandemic levels by the final months of 2022. Read the Metro Magazine article here.

7 Automakers Form Massive EV Charging Network Joint Venture

The collaboration will create one of the largest public EV charging networks in North America and will include 30,000 high-powered chargers. BMW Group, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Stellantis and the Mercedes-Benz Group will collaborate in a new joint venture to install at least 30,000 high-powered electric vehicle chargers along major highways and in urban locations in North America, the companies said Wednesday.

The first charging stations will open in the U.S. in the summer of 2024, the companies said in a statement. Read the Smart Cities Dive article here.

People are Using Google Maps to Cut Down Tailpipe Pollution

A Google Maps feature showing the most fuel-efficient route has saved 1.2 million tons of carbon dioxide from reaching the atmosphere. Read the Verge article here.