Montgomery Planning Board Approves Permanent Road Diet on Little Falls Parkway

The Montgomery County Planning Board approved the Little Falls Parkway pilot project with four votes for the project and one abstaining, at a work session on Thursday, April 27, 2023. The Board approved reducing the number of lanes between Arlington Road and Dorset Avenue from four to two and incorporating turn lanes, shoulders, a median at the Capital Crescent Trail crossing, and a median between the travel lanes where feasible.

Per Montgomery Parks: The Little Falls Parkway pilot project was initiated in 2022 to study whether two lanes between Arlington Road and Dorset Avenue could accommodate vehicle traffic on this stretch of roadway. To further the County’s Vision Zero goals along the parkway, traffic counts were conducted on Little Falls Parkway between Arlington Road and Dorset Avenue during May, July, September, and December of 2022 and showed the parkway functions well with two lanes of traffic and the traffic calming improves safety for all road users, including pedestrians and cyclists.

Prior to the work session, Montgomery Parks conducted extensive outreach and held a public meeting in February 2023 before briefing the Planning Board at a public hearing on March 30, 2023. Montgomery Parks will now begin work on the permanent design and then construct the roadway enhancements after obtaining all necessary approvals. Parks will also create a temporary linear pilot park with activities and programming, including seating, games and events.

 At a future date, the Parks Department will begin community outreach to seek input on repurposing the unused travel lanes before seeking Planning Board approval for that project.