I-495 and I-270 Managed Lanes Study: Let Your Voice Be Heard
So many of us know the feeling of being stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic jams on I-270 during rush hour. In 2019, a study by Texas A&M University found that the average DC-area car commuter spends 102 hours a year in traffic, which puts it in the top three of metro areas in the entire nation.
The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) is seeking to address these concerns through the I-495 and I-270 Managed Lanes Study. This study, a part of Governor Larry Hogan’s Traffic Relief Plan, hopes to find a solution to the traffic congestion on I-495 and I-270. MD’s DOT is working in cooperation with the Montgomery County Planning Board and other government entities to sort the best step forward for traffic congestion solutions.
A major portion of this process involves taking public comment from citizens concerned with the process; the Maryland Department of Transportation has set up an online page for comments to be shared. The MD DOT tells us that they are accepting comments through Monday, November 9th, 2020. To share your opinion on the traffic congestion situation (and your solutions) on our highways, you can visit the MD DOT’s study webpage here.
A Tale of Three Cities: Rockville’s Sister Cities
Many of us have spent a warm summer evening sampling Rockville Town Square’s various eats or tossing a football at Woodley Gardens Park. Rockville is a uniquely American city, full of diverse cultural touches and flavors. At every different corner, you might find someone who speaks a different language, or perhaps a new local restaurant that has opened up to share another unique iteration of the countless cuisines that are already represented in the area.
It only makes sense that such a heterogenous city has cast its eyes beyond its city limits to see how it can share the bonds of friendship and cooperation with others. With this mindset, Rockville has sought to establish unique partnerships with cities abroad to engage in cultural exchange. Pinneberg, Germany and Yilan City, Taiwan are Rockville’s two sister cities.
Sister cities are affiliations between cities that are created in order to develop meaningful instances of cultural exchange and understanding. While Rockville is the only incorporated city in Montgomery County to have these uniquely codified relationships with other cities, Montgomery County has similar relationships with Morazan (El Salvador), Gondar (Ethiopia), Xi’an (China), Huderabad (India), and Daejeon (South Krea).
Pinneberg, Germany is located in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, just 30 minutes outside of Hamburg. Rockville’s sisterhood with Pinneberg dates back to 1957, when Rockville’s Mayor and Council approved a resolution on October 13, 1957. You may have noticed a “Pinneberg Avenue” in the Twinbrook area — this is why! Various official delegations, exhibits, and exchange groups having crossed the Atlantic. Boasting a population of just under 45,000, Pinneberg is known in the region for its castle that dates back to the 14th century — unfortunately, the castle is no longer as intact as it once as. These days, Pinneberg is a charming city that is fairly densely populated for its size. It’s also home to plenty of wonderful local cuisine in the backdrop of a lovely countryside.
Yilan City, Taiwan is a much newer member of Rockville’s family, having had their sisterhood cemented on July 17, 2019 when the Yilan Sister City agreement was signed. Yilan has a population of just under 96,000; the city is known for its proximity to Guishan Island, which is a volcanic island off of the east coast of Taiwan. Rockville recently hosted a delegation from Taiwan for the 2019 Bubble Tea Festival that happened last year in Rockville Town Square. In addition, Richard Montgomery High School’s Jazz Ensemble performed in Yilan as student ambassadors in October of 2019.
Did you know that you can suggest future sister cities for Montgomery County? To find out more, visit https://montgomerysistercities.org/future-cities/.
Featured image courtesy of the Yilan Museum of Art
The DMV has many scenic areas and buildings that have been used as striking locales for filming film and TV. Whether it’s downtown D.C., Baltimore, or Annapolis, location scouts consistently look to our surrounding areas as visual homes for their stories. Montgomery County is no different.
Here are five movies (in no particular order) where you can see Montgomery County on the big screen:
1. The Blair Witch Project (1999), dir. by Daniel Myrick/Eduardo Sanchez. It’s impossible to write any list about Montgomery County’s film legacy without discussing this spooky selection. Much has been shared on this website and others about this cult classic — though the movie is set in Frederick County, much of the film was shot in Seneca Creek State Park.
2. Lillith (1964), dir. by Robert Rossen & starring Warren Beatty. This film follows the story of a war veteran who falls in love with a fellow patient at a mental institution. Much of the film takes place in a mental institution, and many of these scenes were shot at Chestnut Lodge, a well-known psychiatric institution in Rockville that was set to become condos, but burned down in 2008.
3. A Year and Change (2015), dir. by Stephen Suettinger. Director Stephen Suettinger grew up in MoCo, graduating from Wooton High School. This indie film follows a year in the life of a character named Owen and his efforts to live life differently following a tough New Year’s Eve. The film features many prominent MoCo locations, including historic Rockville Cemetery, which was established all the way back in 1738.
4. Body of Lies (2008), dir. by Ridley Scott & starring Russell Crowe/Leonardo DiCaprio: This action thriller follows the struggle of American and Jordanian intelligence authorities to capture a terrorist known as Al-Saleem. While the film is based in the Middle East, scenes that were set in the CIA offices were actually shot in the National Geographic Building in Gaithersburg, which was their headquarters at the time. National Geographic has since moved to D.C., and Montgomery County’s Public Safety headquarters is now housed there.
5. Philomena (2013), dir. by Stephen Frears & starring Judi Dench. This film is based on the book The Last Child of Philomena Lee (by journalist Martin Sixsmith) and follows the journey of a mother searching for her son who had been forcibly taken from her 50 years previously. The film features scenes filmed in a home in Potomac off of River Road as one of the central locations of the film. St. Paul Community Church in Poolesville is also a location that was used in the film.
What are some of your favorite movies with MoCo/DMV ties?
