Press Releases - Department of Transportation

For Immediate Release: Friday, January 10, 2020

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich held a virtual town hall, which is an online forum that allows County residents to send questions, or comments, directly to County Executive. At the January 9 Town Hall, Elrich answered a number of questions about transportation. See the questions and answers below:

Question: We know that the first and last mile are the biggest obstacle when people choose whether or not to use public transit. We also know that climate change requires us to get more cars off the road. In the upcoming budget, will you commit to allocating specific funds to install/update sidewalks one mile out from every Purple Line stop?

Marc Elrich: My proposed FY21-26 CIP budget includes significant increases to the Purple Line Bicycle and Pedestrian Priority Area CIP project which will address these concerns. However, it has not been made public yet.

I will be announcing my proposed FY21-26 budget next week, and it will address this issue in more detail. However, I can share with you some of the steps we have already taken to support access to the Purple Line for people who are within walking and biking distance of the stations. The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) has been working with the University of Maryland to analyze sidewalk and bicycle infrastructure within ½-mile of the new Purple Line stations. MCDOT completed a survey of existing conditions and has identified gaps in the pedestrian and bicycle network.

The good news is that a lot of sidewalks already exist in these areas, and we have recently completed major bicycle improvements.

Projects recently completed, underway or planned include:

Construction now underway by Purple Line contractors includes a $62 million investment from the County to construct the Capital Crescent Trail and the Silver Spring Green Trail in conjunction with the Purple Line. These facilities will provide high-quality bicycle and pedestrian facilities and link communities to eight of the ten Purple Line stations located in the County.
The recently completed Wayne Avenue Cycle Track improves bicycle access to the station at the Silver Spring Transit Center.
Construction of Phase I of the Woodmont Cycle track will begin soon to provide improved bicycle access to the Bethesda station.
MCDOT is designing solutions to address critical gaps, such as installing sidewalks along 16th Street from Lyttonsville Road to Woodside Station.
MCDOT is working closely with communities like Lyttonsville to install sidewalks that provide connectivity to the Purple Line, schools, and places of worship while addressing community concerns for trees and other impacts associated with new sidewalks.

More will be included in the CIP that I will be announcing next week.

Question: What is your opinion on the current proposal for expansion of the I270 lanes? I saw mention of a potential monorail system between Shady Grove and Frederick along 270 in recent weeks... was that a pie-in-the-sky idea or a real possibility?

Marc Elrich: I am generally encouraged by the changes in the State’s proposal to provide managed lanes on the American Legion Bridge and I-270. The County will play a more substantial role in the shaping of this project. I share concerns that the project needs to stay within the walls of I-270 and not have impacts on the surrounding communities, and we will be asking that the state continue its evaluation of the use of reversible lanes. I also believe that using the state to fund the construction would result in a lower cost project and benefits to commuters who would use the additional lanes.

I am very happy that the State is committed to funding transit as part of this project. It is essential that we have a balanced and equitable set of improvements that emerge. In terms of monorail, I know the State is advancing a feasibility study, and this type of solution, among other possibilities like commuter bus and MARC improvements, might be able to meet some of the longer-distance travel needs on the I-270 corridor.

Question: What is Montgomery County doing to replant/replace the many trees in Silver Spring that are being lost to the Purple Line and other construction in the DTSS area?

Marc Elrich: Certified arborists on staff at the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) have and continue to collaborate with the State and Purple Line contractors. Our arborists are working to ensure that every effort is made to minimize the amount of right-of-way and limit disturbance resulting from the construction of the Purple Line. While our arborists are available for consultation and advice and review on project plans when possible, our control over the final plantings is limited because this is a state project, and many of the areas of disturbance in Silver Spring are along state roads (i.e. Wayne Avenue).

As a part of the Purple Line project, all loss of tree canopy is being mitigated by the State in accordance with the Maryland Conservation Act, most of which will include offsite reforestation in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. MCDOT is making the best efforts to hold the State to its commitments on replacement landscaping where it has committed to doing so.

The State has made it clear that no landscaping plantings associated with the project are permitted to take place outside of the project’s limit of disturbance. As such, we are working to support and provide information on tree planting programs that support rebuilding the urban canopy outside of the project limits. MCDOT has been working closely with community associations along the Purple Line route to identify planting opportunities within the right-of-way in those neighborhoods.

For residents in Silver Spring who are interested in supporting the development of our urban tree canopy and own private property that is a potential location for tree planting, we encourage you to take advantage of free and reduced cost tree programs available through Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection and Montgomery Planning:

Tree Montgomery – free planting of and long-term assistance in care for shade trees.
Shades of Green - Free trees for eligible properties to support the urban tree canopy.
Leaves for Neighborhoods - $40 off qualifying trees at select nurseries.

Question: What is being done to expedite the Crabbs Branch bus depot relocation? The facility is preventing the creation of new housing, business, and park space approved in the 2006 Shady Grove sector plan.

Marc Elrich: We continue to look for alternative sites, and we are talking with potential property owners; but as you know, we can't simply move this from one neighborhood to another. Empty space of the right size and in the right location is a rare commodity in the County. I know this needs to be addressed. I have been working on this since the day I started; and I will continue to do so.

See the full transcript of the January 9 forum online.

Release ID: 20-005
Media Contact: Hannah Henn 240-777-8389