Elrich and MCDOT Celebrate 20th Anniversary of Bike to Work Day: Marks Great Strides in Making Biking Options Safer and More Available

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, May 25, 2021

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) had over 1400 people register at 15 MCDOT-sponsored regional stops that included 11 bicycle shops throughout Montgomery County on the 20th Anniversary of Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 21. Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich celebrated Bike to Work at the Takoma Bicycle pit stop. Elrich discussed the importance of biking as a healthy and environmentally friendly form of transportation that is an essential part of the County’s comprehensive approach to expanding mobility.

“For 20 years, Montgomery County has been celebrating Bike to Work Day and has aggressively directed policy efforts, budgetary investments and communication to support bicycling safety,” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. “We have worked toward better access and infrastructure, and we will continue to create more opportunities and improved safety for bicyclists. Bicycling is good for the health of our residents and our environment. We encourage bicycling for commuting, exercise and as a great way to get around Montgomery County.”

Montgomery County has 107 miles of bike lanes, bike-friendly road shoulders and separated bike lanes (cycletracks) countywide (including municipalities). MCDOT installed the County’s first separated bike lane in 2014, and now has about five miles of these lanes. There are 51 miles of signed shared roadways, 20 miles of “sharrows” for on-road cycling and nearly 300 miles of paved paths.

MCDOT has recently completed several bikeways, including:

• Second Avenue/Wayne Avenue Cycletrack in Silver Spring
• Cameron Street Bike Lanes, Georgia Avenue to Second Avenue, in Silver Spring
• Executive Boulevard One-Way Separated Bike Lanes, Nicholson to Woodglen, in Rockville
• Middlebrook Road Cycletrack, Germantown Road to Great Seneca Highway, in Germantown

Currently under construction are:

• Capital Crescent Surface Trail, between Bethesda Avenue and Willow Lane, in downtown Bethesda 
• Woodmont Avenue Cycletrack, between Miller and Montgomery avenues, in downtown Bethesda 
• Cameron Street to Planning Place Bikeway in downtown Silver Spring 
• Frederick Road Bike Path, between Stringtown Road and Brink Road in Clarksburg 
• Emory Lane Shared Use Path between Muncaster Mill and Holly Ridge roads in Olney, which connects to an existing path

Montgomery County’s Capital Bikeshare system now has 90 stations, 10 of which support the Flash bus corridor. The system includes dockless, pedal-assisted-bikes.

In the summer of 2020 to help provide additional space for social distancing and active transportation during the pandemic, MCDOT instituted shared streets/neighborhood greenways that are still in place, including: 

• Grove Street (Silver Spring) 
• Woodland Drive (Silver Spring) 
• Aspen Hill (Wheaton/Glenmont) 
• Windham Lane (Wheaton) 
• Sudbury Road (Takoma / Long Branch) 
• Greenwood Avenue (Takoma Park / Long Branch) 
• Kennebec Avenue (Takoma Park / Long Branch) 

A number of bike facilities are in the design phase, including:

• Montgomery Lane Two-Way Cycletrack, Phase 1 (Woodmont to MD 355). One hundred percent of the design is complete and construction is anticipated to begin this summer.
• Montgomery Lane Two-Way Cycletrack, Phase 2 (MD 355 and Montgomery Lane/Avenue Intersection to Waverly Avenue. Construction is expected to begin late summer/early fall 2021.
• Fenton Street / Philadelphia Avenue / Burlington Avenue Protected Intersection, which includes a shared-use path from King Street to Burlington Avenue and a Cycletrack from Burlington Avenue to Gist Avenue. 
  
  

Construction is expected to begin in 2022.

• Fenton Street Cycletrack, between Gist Avenue and Cameron Street. Construction anticipated to start in 2023 
• Marinelli Road One-Way Separated Bike Lanes, between MD 355 and Nebel Street. Construction anticipated to begin fall 2021. 
• Amherst Avenue Cycletrack in Wheaton.
• Shared-Use Path along MD 355 between Grosvenor Lane and Rock Creek Trail/Beach Drive.  Construction anticipated to begin in 2022.  
• MD 355 Clarksburg Shared-Use Path between Snowdon Farm Parkway and  MD 121.
• Dale Drive Shared-Use Path, between Colesville Road and Georgia Avenue.  Final design is expected to be complete in the summer 2022.
• MacArthur Boulevard Section 3 between the DC line and Oberlin Avenue, with construction to start in 2023.

MCDOT has made other notable bike achievements. The first protected intersection in both the County and the region was installed in 2019 at Second Avenue and Spring Street in downtown Silver Spring.  Two additional protected intersections are currently under construction at Bethesda/Wisconsin avenues (Bethesda) and Cameron/Fenton streets (Silver Spring).

MCDOT installed the County’s and Maryland’s first bike signal installed in 2019 at Second Avenue and Colesville Road. This summer, four downtown Bethesda intersections will get new bike signals at Bethesda/Woodmont avenues; Bethesda/Wisconsin avenues; Woodmont Avenue/Elm Street; and Woodmont Avenue/Hampden Lane. In addition, this fall bike signals will be installed at Montgomery Avenue/East Lane and Montgomery/Wisconsin Avenues.

In 2021, MCDOT is installing 12 new automated bike counters to add to the six already in place in the existing network.

For more information about MCDOT’s efforts to enhance bike facilities, visit the department’s website.

MCDOT also has announced a “Bicycle Swag Bag Contest” to promote Bike to Work Day. Now through May 30, MCDOT encourages bike riders to show their favorite commute to work or place to bike on a recreational bike trail/path in Montgomery County. Bike riders are asked to submit a favorite picture of themselves enjoying their ride along any bike path or trail in the County and to tag @mococommuter and #MoCobikes on Twitter and Instagram or by e-mail to [email protected] to be entered into a weekly drawing.

Winners have previously been selected for submitting photos from the Capital Crescent, Sligo Creek, Carl Henn Millennium, Matthew Henson, Bethesda Trolley and Rock Creek trails. For more information on the contest and future locations can be found at ow.ly/8WBi50Ega7e.

Riders are asked to practice safe social distancing and to wear a face covering and helmet while riding.

To learn more about Commuter Services, visit montgomerycountymd.gov/commuter and follow @MoCoCommuter on Twitter and Instagram.

For transportation updates, follow @MCDOTNow on Twitter, visit the department website at montgomerycountymd.gov/mcdot, subscribe to MCDOT news releases, or subscribe to MCDOT’s ‘Go Montgomery!’ newsletter.

Release ID: 21-070
Media Contact: Hannah Henn 240-777-8389