Press Releases

Montgomery County Council Committee Meetings on March 2, 2026

For Immediate Release: Friday, February 27, 2026

Committees will receive a briefing about WMATA Red Line shutdown mitigation measures, review a zoning measure to amend overlay zones and continue to review Fiscal Year 2027-2032 Capital Improvements Programs

The Transportation and Environment (TE) Committee will meet on Monday, March 2 at 9:30 a.m. to receive a briefing about Washington Area Metro Transit Authority (WMATA) Red Line shutdown mitigation measures. In addition, the committee will continue to review the Mass Transit Subcategory of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027-2032 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) for transportation projects.

The members of the TE Committee include Chair Evan Glass, Council Vice President Marilyn Balcombe and Councilmember Stewart.

The Public Safety (PS) Committee will meet at 10:15 a.m. to review the FY27-32 CIP for Judiciary Security Improvements, the Montgomery Police Department (MCPD) and Department of Correction and Rehabilitation (DOCR).

The members of the PS Committee include Chair Sidney Katz and Councilmembers Dawn Luedtke and Kristin Mink.

The Planning, Housing and Parks (PHP) Committee will meet at 1:30 p.m. review Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 25-14, Optional Method Public Benefits – Overlay Zones. In addition, the committee will review FY27-32 CIPs for the Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA) and the Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC).

The members of the PHP Committee include Chair Andrew Friedson, Council President Natali Fani-González and Councilmember Will Jawando.

More detail on each agenda item is provided below.

Washington Area Metro Transit Authority (WMATA) Red Line Shutdown Mitigation Measures

Briefing: The TE Committee will receive a briefing from WMATA, State Highway Administration (SHA) and Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) representatives about measures these groups plan to implement to mitigate the transportation impacts of WMATA’s planned shutdown of the Red Line between North Bethesda and Friendship Heights from July 6, 2026, until Sept. 6, 2026. The planned shutdown is necessary to conduct maintenance on the Red Line in this section and to connect the Purple Line to the Bethesda Metrorail Station.

FY27-32 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) - Transportation - Mass Transit

Review: The TE Committee will review the Mass Transit Subcategory of the FY27-32 CIP for transportation projects. The more than $1.3 billion in funding for the Mass Transit Subcategory represents the largest portion, or more than 58 percent, of the more than $2.2 billion recommended Transportation FY25-30 CIP. This funding level represents a more than 27 percent increase from the FY25-30 approved CIP for mass transit. This subcategory covers items including Bus Rapid Transit, the Bus Priority Program, Ride On bus improvements, zero emissions bus fleet expansion, County park and ride lots, and the Purple Line project.

The TE Committee previously reviewed the other six subcategories in the FY27-32 CIP for transportation projects at a meeting held on Feb. 19. These included highway maintenance, traffic improvements, bridges, parking, roads, and pedestrian facilities and bikeways.

The County Executive is recommending more than $2.2 billion for the transportation category within the six-year period of the FY27-32 CIP. In May 2025, the Council approved $1.83 billion for this CIP. The recommended amendments transmitted by the County Executive represent a more than $455.5 million, or 25 percent, increase in the Transportation CIP. The increase in the recommendation is primarily funded by a $295 million increase in General Obligation (GO) Bond funding and a $144 million increase in assumed federal aid.

The Executive is recommending eight new projects in the FY27-32 CIP. These include the Advanced Digital Construction Management System, Parking-Silver Spring, Public Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure, Burnt Hill Road Bridge, Greentree Road Bridge, Park Bridge Improvements, Parklawn Entrance Bridge, Valleywood Drive Bridge and the Zion Road Bridge.

FY27-32 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) - Judicial Security Improvements

Review: The PS Committee will review the $98,000 FY27-32 CIP for Judicial Security Improvements, which represents a decrease of more than $1.4 million, or 93 percent, compared to the Amended FY25-30 CIP. This project is expected to be completed in FY27 and the recommended CIP includes funding for phase two of the project.

This project provides for the installation of new security doors at each level of the North Tower of the Circuit Court building to restrict access to two elevators on each floor for judicial use.  The project was revised in the Amended FY25-30 CIP to include phase two costs. Phase one of this project addressed the terrace level and third floor and was completed in FY25. Phase two will address the remaining floors.

FY27-32 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) – Police

Review: The PS Committee will review the more than $52.6 million recommended FY27-32 CIP for MCPD, which represents an increase of more than $17.9 million, or 51.8 percent, compared to the Amended FY25-30 CIP. The change is primarily due to the addition of the new 4th District Police Station and Park Police Headquarters project, which includes a recommended $40 million in funding over the six-year period. There are four active projects in the CIP, which include the Outdoor Firearms Training Center, Police Body Armor, Police Enterprise Records Management System, and the Public Safety Communications Center, Phase II projects. In addition, there are two projects that are pending close-out, which include the 6th District Police Station and the Olney Satellite Station projects.

FY27-32 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) - Correction and Rehabilitation

Review: The PS Committee will review the more than $105 million FY27-32 CIP for DOCR, which represents an increase of $92.9 million, or 13.9 percent, compared to the Amended FY25-30 CIP. The CIP includes two projects: the Justice Center Project and the Montgomery County Correctional Facility Refresh Project. The increase in the CIP is due to an updated escalation and delivery schedule of the Justice Center Project, which provides for the design and construction of a new Justice Center on the County property north of Wootton Parkway and east of Seven Locks Road. The Montgomery County Correctional Facility Refresh Project will provide for the medical unit modifications and the remediation of clogged vents in inmate cells.

Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 25-14, Incentive Zoning Overlay Zone

Review: The PHP Committee will review Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 25-14, Optional Method Public Benefits - Overlay Zones, which would amend the overlay zones to make them consistent with the new Optional Method Public Benefits System.

In July 2025, the Council adopted ZTA 25-05, Development Standards – Optional Method Public Benefits, which created new Optional Method Public Benefits standards. ZTA 25-14 will apply the new Optional Method Public Benefits standards adopted in ZTA 25-05 to the overlay zones. The impacted overlay zones are the Bethesda (B) Overlay Zone, Downtown Silver Spring (DSS) Overlay Zone, Germantown Transit Mixed Use (GTMU) Overlay Zone, Great Seneca Life Sciences (GSLS) Overlay Zone and Transferable Development Rights (TDR) Overlay Zone. ZTA 25-14 will grandfather the existing public benefits points system standards from the overlay zones to allow for a transition period.

The lead sponsor of ZTA 25-14 is the Council’s PHP Committee.

FY27-32 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) - Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA) – Housing & Community Development

Review: The PHP Committee will review the $160 million FY27-32 CIP for Housing, which represents a decrease of $172 million, or 51.8 percent, compared to the Amended FY25-30 CIP. The reduction is due to significant one-time funding being expended in prior years. The PHP Committee will also review the more than $6.3 million FY27-32 CIP for Community Development, which represents a decrease of $2.1 million, or 25.3 percent, compared to the Amended FY25-30 CIP.

The Executive is recommending seven projects in the six-year period for DHCA. These include the Countywide Façade Easement Program, White Oak Commercial Area Improvements and Revitalization, Facility Planning for Housing & Community Development, Affordable Housing Acquisition and Preservation, the Affordable Housing Opportunity Fund, the Nonprofit Preservation Fund, and Revitalization for Troubled and Distressed Common Ownership Communities.

FY27-32 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) - Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC)

Review: The PHP Committee will review the $7.5 million FY27-32 CIP for HOC. The expenditures are associated with a single project: Supplemental Funds for Deeply Subsidized HOC Owned Units Improvements. The recommended CIP also includes three projects which do not have any expenditures in the six-year period but are required to be published as legal disclosures. Additionally, HOC has requested increased funding for three projects. Since each of these projects would be funded with current revenue, the County Executive has entirely or partially deferred recommendations on these projects and will consider funding as part of the FY27 operating budget process.

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The Committee meeting schedule may change from time to time. View the current Council and Committee agendas, Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for Council review on the Council website.

Council and committee meetings are streamed live on the Council’s web page via YouTube and on Facebook Live and can be watched on County Cable Montgomery on Xfinity/RCN 6 HD 996/1056, Fios 30, and on the CCM live stream.

Release ID: 26-068
Media Contact: Sonya Healy 240-777-7926, Benjamin Sky Brandt 240-777-7884