Press Releases
First Neighborhood Greenway ‘Shared Streets’ to Support Increased Pedestrian and Bicyclist Activity Will be Launched on Monday, June 15, by Montgomery County Department of Transportation
For Immediate Release: Tuesday, June 9, 2020
Two local streets with long term plans to become neighborhood greenways will be transformed by the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) into more friendly roadways for pedestrians and bicyclists. Starting on Monday, June 15, the first Neighborhood Greenway “Shared Streets” will go into effect in Aspen Hill and soon will be followed by a location in Silver Spring. The measures will support residents in the near term during the COVID-19 health crisis and may be expanded to other locations in the County.
A neighborhood greenway typically is a street where the priority is safe movement of bicycles and pedestrians and the fast movement of vehicles is discouraged. Temporary Shared Streets along planned neighborhood greenways will maintain access for emergency vehicles while marking select streets as “local access only” to create more space for pedestrians and bicyclists—and discourage vehicular traffic.
The streets involved in the pilot program will be Holdridge Road (1.2 miles) from Olympic Street to Urbana Drive in Aspen Hill and Grove Street (0.5 miles) from Bonifant Street to Sligo Avenue in Silver Spring.
MCDOT will install signs around the Aspen Hill and Silver Spring Shared Streets informing roadway users and neighbors of the temporary changes. Safety, slower speeds and keeping alert for vulnerable roadway users will be emphasized for drivers. Traffic control devices (such as barrels) will be placed with signage to calm traffic, alert drivers and highlight to pedestrians and cyclists that the roads have been adapted to support safety for all users.
MCDOT will post maps and additional information to the Shared Streets website at montgomerycountymd.gov/DOT/sharedstreets/
The website includes information on streets with limited access to support outdoor dining and curbside pickup zones for restaurants and retail activity.
“We are excited to be able to build off of the neighborhood greenways work our planners and engineers have been developing for some time in order to create immediate relief for our residents seeking space for biking and walking, ” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. “While we continue toward our longer term and more permanent safety improvements, residents have been calling for temporary changes now to support changed transportation patterns and space for physical distancing. I am proud of the work MCDOT’s team is doing to respond to resident and business needs in areas that have been hard-hit by COVID-19, and we look forward to implementing these first Neighborhood Greenway Shared Streets as we strive to support safety and recovery in the County.”
In addition to public engagement that has already taken place to support long term planning efforts, there is an active survey seeking input from residents and businesses.
If the Shared Streets pilot locations prove successful, MCDOT will select additional locations based on criteria that includes access for Equity Emphasis Areas, connections between residents and activity centers, connections to other trails and parks, lack of existing sidewalk infrastructure and population density.
The Shared Streets concept follows the County’s Vision Zero plan to reduce severe injuries and fatalities from traffic-related incidents.
For ongoing updates, follow @MCDOTNow on Twitter or go to the department website at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcdot.
For the latest Montgomery County updates during the health crisis, visit the County’s COVID-19 website and follow Montgomery County on Facebook @MontgomeryCountyInfo and Twitter @MontgomeryCoMD.
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Media Contact: Hannah Henn 240-777-8389