Press Releases - Department of Transportation

Montgomery County Receives Maryland Quality Initiative ‘Award of Excellence’ for MD 355 Crossing Project in Bethesda

MCDOT's MD 355 Crossing Project in Bethesda was selected as a winner of the 2022 “Award of Excellence” by the Maryland Quality Initiative (MdQI) in the category of “Projects Over $5 Million.”

The project was managed by MCDOT to enhance capacity and access to the Medical Center Metrorail Station and improve pedestrian and bicycle safety between the west and east sides of MD 355/Rockville Pike at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Naval Support Activity Bethesda (NSA Bethesda), home of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC). Learn more here.

How a New Transit Network Will Improve Transportation in Western Montgomery County

A new transit network is coming to western Montgomery County. The Great Seneca Transit Network will serve the fast-growing Great Seneca Science Corridor, including the Shady Grove Metro, the Universities at Shady Grove, Adventist Hospital, and other key destinations. Read the Greater Greater Washington article here.

MCDOT’s Bike Match Program Receives New Bike From Bike to Work Day Raffle Winner

Local resident, Michael Milton, donated the bike he won in a Bike to Work event raffle last month to MCDOT’s Bike Match program. MCDOT Director, Chris Conklin, accepted and thanked Michael at a small event in Silver Cycles on June 7. Watch a live stream here. 

MCDOT’s Bike Match program started in June 2020 and enables people with unused bicycles in good working condition to connect with local residents who are in need. They make a huge impact on the lives of children who would not otherwise have a bike and on adults that depend on them for connectivity, to run essential errands and for first mile/last mile access to public transportation. Bikes improve access to affordable transportation, promote health and are an environmentally friendly way to get around.

To date, the program has received and placed 260 bike donations, but there are nearly 600 bike requests.

If you have an adult or child’s bicycle in good working condition that is not in use, please consider following Michael’s lead and donating it to the Bike Match MoCo program. There is a large, local community need for these bikes and they will be put to good use.

Learn more about this program here.

Montgomery County High School Students Become ‘Vision Zero Youth Ambassadors’ to Help Make Roadways Safer 

MCDOT held the Vision Zero Youth Ambassadors Graduation Ceremony on Saturday, June 1. Speakers included MCDOT Director Chris Conklin, Montgomery County Police Department Sargent Jeremy Smalley, Montgomery County Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Avan Browning, and Vision Zero Coordinator Wade Holland.

Ambassadors served as youth keynote speakers and presented to parents and community leaders their plans, outcomes and best practices at an in person graduation ceremony at the Public Safety Headquarters. Ambassadors received certificates and earned up to 20 SSL hours. 

Youth Ambassadors were tasked to complete group projects that encompasses engineering, education or enforcement topics. Resources and project guidance were provided by MCDOT to execute projects that will ultimately improve the safety of County residents. Students joined one of five project teams: 

• Students created a framework for conducting a safety walk to educate the public about pedestrian safety and explain the significance of learning more about safety while walking.
• Students created a plan for a virtual middle and high school Art/Writing contest promoting safe driving.
• Students created a plan for a walking audit to observe the safety behaviors of students around their four schools for recommendations for pedestrian improvements.
• Students created a youth-centered road safety week educational toolkit to be distributed throughout the county to middle and high schools. Schools will be equipped next school year to mobilize students to make safe decisions as youth road users. 
• Students created a survey to gather student feedback on how safe students feel at school, in terms of road safety.

The next opportunity for high school students to apply to the program will be in Spring 2023.

Learn more about Vision Zero here and follow @VisionZeroMC on Twitter for ongoing updates on the Vision Zero effort in Montgomery County. 

Montgomery County Releases Third Quarter Updates of the Climate Action Plan

The updates highlight the progress that is being made to implement actions from the Climate Action Plan.

Highlights of Quarter 3 include:

• Transportation: MCDOT and DEP launched the EV Purchasing Co-op Pilot and asked residents and local businesses to "make the pledge" to purchase an EV for their next vehicle.
• Transportation: MCDOT completed the MD355 Crossing Project, with an underpass providing a safe, efficient crossing for pedestrians and cyclists between the National Institutes of Health and Naval Support Activity Bethesda/Walter Reed, and directly connecting with the Metro station. 

Learn more here.

MCDOT Selects Contractor to Develop ZEB (Zero Emission Buses) Transition Plan

STV has been selected by the MCDOT in Maryland to develop a master plan to support its transition to zero-emission buses (ZEB). As part of this initiative, STV will evaluate MCDOT’s existing transit infrastructure for integration needs, while also investigating potential funding opportunities to support the client’s investment priorities.

STV will help the county meet its goal of having a zero-emission fleet by 2035. Read the Mass Transit article here.

MDOT MTA Hosts In-Person Meetings to Address Progress of Purple Line Construction

With the recent selection of a new contractor and construction activities of the Purple Line continuing, the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA), which manages the project, has been hosting a number of in-person community meetings in Montgomery County.

At the last two meetings listed below, MDOT MTA will introduce the community to the new contractor, Maryland Transit Solutions (MTS), talk about construction activities and traffic impacts. The public will have an opportunity to ask questions.

Silver Spring 
Tuesday, June 21, 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Silver Spring International Middle School - Media Center
313 Wayne Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20910

Long Branch 
Tuesday, June 28, 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Oak View Elementary School - All Purpose Room
400 East Wayne Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20901

Fairland and Briggs Chaney Placemaking Festival - Community Questionnaire Ends Monday, June 20

The Fairland and Briggs Chaney community is working together to bring to life the goals of the Master Plan and temporarily re-envision a small portion of the Briggs Chaney Park and Ride lot for a two day, community-led placemaking event that will help the community get creative with their neighborhood space on Friday, October 21 and Saturday, October 22. Residents can complete a short questionnaire to help guide this effort at  ow.ly/eICi50Jxkra. For questions, contact Kristin Leiber at  [email protected].

Rockville Metro Station East Side Closure Temporarily Relocates Bus Stops Through Sunday, June 26

Due to Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Administration (WMATA) construction and paving work at the Rockville Metrorail station, all bus stops on the East Side are temporarily relocated to either the west side or on the street at MD 355. Wayfinding signs are placed at the Metro station to guide riders to their bus stop. Learn more here.

Metro Service Information for Monday, June 20 in Honor of the Juneteenth Holiday

Metrorail will open at 5 a.m. and close at midnight with Red Line trains operating on normal service every 10 minutes. Metrobus will operate on a Saturday Supplemental schedule. Bus service varies by route, view these timetables. All subscription Metro Access trips will be canceled. Learn more here.

Wheaton Metro Station Construction Will Impact Ride On Bus Route 34 From Tuesday, June 21 to Wednesday, August 3

Construction and rehabilitation of the parking garage at the Wheaton Metro Station bus loop will impact Ride On bus route 34. The bus route 34 stop will be relocated from Bay F to Bay P and Metrobus lines C, Q, and Y will use temporary bays T1, T2, and T3 on southbound Georgia Avenue.

Metro’s Sales Office at Metro Center Station to Close Permanently on Thursday, June 30

Services offered at the Sales Office—including pass sales, balance transfers, and adding SmarTrip value—are available through a variety of other sources, including: 

• At fare vending machines in stations 
• In the SmarTrip app 
• The SmarTrip Store (online) 
• At participating retail outlets, including Giant and CVS, or at commuter stores (such as MCDOT’s Mobile Commuter Store and the TRiPS Commuter Store at the Silver Spring Transit Center).

Metro encourages customers to sign up for mobile payment options, including adding their existing SmarTrip card to Apple Wallet or Google Pay and downloading the SmarTrip app. Learn more here.

**Traffic Alert** Emergency Road Repair on Southbound I-270 Closes Two Right Lanes in Montgomery County; Motorists Are Urged to Use MD 355 (Frederick Road) as an Alternate Route

The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) has closed two right lanes on southbound I-270 prior to I-370 in Gaithersburg to assess a failed corrugated drainage pipe. Crews are currently assessing the extent of the damage and will begin work as soon as possible. Currently, there is no estimated time for lanes to reopen.   

MDOT SHA is working with MCDOT to adjust traffic signal timing on MD 355 (Frederick Road), which runs parallel to I-270. Additionally, MDOT SHA is using overhead message signs to alert drivers of the situation, including both directions of I-70 in Frederick County. Learn more here.

Road Resurfacing Begins on One Mile Stretch of I-270 as Part of Acceleration Lane Expansion Project to Improve Traffic Flow and Riding Surface 

The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) began a project on Wednesday, June 15, to resurface one mile of southbound I-270 (Eisenhower Highway) between Clarksburg Road (MD 121) and Old Hundred Road (MD 109) in Montgomery County. The resurfacing is part of an overall $4.3 million project to improve traffic flow by extending the acceleration lane along southbound I-270, beginning at the existing I-270 southbound truck weigh station, south of Old Hundred Road.   

There are single and multiple lane closures between 7 p.m. to 4 a.m., Sunday evenings through Friday mornings through mid-July.

Other project activity may require single or multiple lane closures on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. until the project is completed in late summer.

For a list of additional major MDOT SHA projects in Montgomery County click here.

A Portion of Georgia Avenue (MD 97) is Closed in Silver Spring Through Monday, June 27

Silver Spring Apartments, LLC has closed southbound lanes on Georgia Avenue (MD 97) Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. and northbound lanes between 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. near the Spring Street intersection for an ongoing commercial construction project at 8787 Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring.

For questions contact Shannon Strong at [email protected] or 410-703-6544.

U.S. Department of Transportation Proposes Rules for National EV Charging Network, Including 97% Uptime and 150 kW Requirements  

The proposal, which requires fast-charging stations to offer a standard plug and at least four charging ports, would apply to projects funded by the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program. Read the Smart Cities Dive article here.

Amtrak Improving Infrastructure Between New York City and Washington, D.C.

This summer, Amtrak will be performing more than $55 million in infrastructure improvements between Washington, D.C., and New York City.

Work includes updating up to 25 miles of track in the Southern Mid-Atlantic Region and replacing 40 track switches throughout New York and the Northern and Southern Mid-Atlantic regions. Read the Transportation Today News here.

Maryland Begins New Study on Chesapeake Bay Crossing Options

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge has outlived its expected 50-year lifespan — and now Maryland is taking steps toward a long-term solution to crossing the Bay. Watch the News 4 segment here.

Building on efforts from Gov. Larry Hogan’s administration to counter congestion and assess future traffic demand for the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland progressed to a $28 million, Tier 2 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) study this week.