For Immediate Release: Thursday, June 11, 2020
ROCKVILLE, Md., June 11, 2020—Beginning tomorrow at 5 p.m. and continuing through at least Sunday, June 21, the northbound right lane on Georgia Avenue (MD-97) in downtown Silver Spring will be temporarily closed to make room for expanded outdoor dining. Council Vice President Tom Hucker has worked with the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) and the Silver Spring Urban District to close the northbound right lane on Georgia Avenue between Silver Spring Avenue and Thayer Avenue to allow County residents to enjoy expanded outdoor dining offerings from local establishments.
“I’m grateful for this unique opportunity to create a more dynamic space for diners to go out with their families and enjoy downtown Silver Spring’s excellent selection of food and drink options in a safe, socially distanced way,” said Council Vice President Hucker, who serves as chair of the Council’s Transportation and Environment Committee and on the Public Safety Committee. “This would not have been possible without the unprecedented collaboration we received from SHA, Montgomery County’s Department of Transportation, the Silver Spring Urban District, and most importantly, local business owners. I encourage residents to come out, patronize these local businesses and enjoy the opportunity to eat outside in a shared space.”
“After consulting with local retailers and restaurants, this is a pilot project that responds to what works in this area of Silver Spring,” said Reemberto Rodriguez, director of the Silver Spring Regional Center. “We are looking at other locations throughout downtown as well to help all local businesses come back strong.”
As of June 1, all restaurants, bars and other similar establishments that sell food and beverages for on-site consumption in Montgomery County are permitted to serve customers in outdoor seating areas after completing an easy registration process. The County’s goal is to make this process as quick and efficient as possible so that restaurants can provide outdoor dining in a safe and responsible way.
Guidelines for restaurants and bars providing outdoor seating service can be found at the County’s Reopening Montgomery webpage.
# # #
Release ID: 20-253