Public invited to provide testimony on the proposed plan for transit network along the I-270 corridor
Per Montgomery Planning:
Montgomery Planning will hold a public hearing for the Corridor Forward: The I-270 Transit Planon December 9 (starting at 6:30 p.m.).
The meeting will be held at the M-NCPPC Wheaton Headquarters, broadcast live online and will be available on demand after the meeting. Residents are invited to testify in person (vaccination proof is required) or virtually.
Sign up to testify for the December 9 Public hearing and learn more about testifying at the Planning Board. The public hearing was set on November 4 after a briefing to the Planning Board..
View the Public Hearing Draft of the Corridor Forward: I-270 Transit Plan.
The draft Plan, developed by the Montgomery County Planning Department, proposes a near-term transit network of dedicated bus lanes known as the Corridor Connectors that build on existing master planned projects, including the MD 355 and Veirs Mill Road Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) projects, to serve communities and employment centers along the I-270 corridor. Additionally, Corridor Forward includes an ambitious long-term recommendation for an extension of Metrorail’s Red Line to further expand transit options along the I-270 corridor. This Draft Plan re-envisions the master planned Corridor Cities Transitway (CCT) as the Corridor Connectors, a network of more buildable dedicated bus lanes which connect I-270 corridor communities to the county’s existing and planned rapid transit network.
Beyond the proposed network, Corridor Forward offers additional recommendations that support the proposed transit network and strengthen the potential to advance regional transit connectivity.
The Public Hearing Draft is the result of an iterative planning process, in which Planning staff:
- Compared transit vehicle attributes and inventoried transit options that could serve the I-270 Corridor.
- Completed a pre-screening analysis, which evaluated the initial list of inventoried transit options based on indicators such as travel time, population access, job access, ability to accommodate growth and equitable access and advanced six transit options for detailed analysis.
- Refined and analyzed the six transit options, including an evaluation of strategic metrics, economic and financial outlook, and potential implementation challenges and risks.
- Completed additional evaluation on combinations of the six transit options to inform the development of the Plan’s recommendations.
The draft Plan is a product of more than two years of transportation analysis, stakeholder coordination and community outreach.
Updated Corridor Forward Plan Schedule
The community will have the opportunity to continue to provide comment and testimony through the Planning Board process.
- December 9 – Planning Board Public Hearing
- December 16 – Anticipated Planning Board work session #1
- December 23 – Anticipated work session #2 and Planning Board vote to transmit to County Council
About the Corridor Forward Plan
The goal of Corridor Forward is to comprehensively evaluate, prioritize and advance transit options in the I-270 corridor area that achieve the best combination of the following values, consistent with the Planning Board Draft of Thrive Montgomery 2050:
- Strategic Connections: Serve high-demand origin and destination pairs, balancing costs of implementation with projected benefits.
- Economic Health: Enable existing development and master-planned communities to realize their potential as livable and economically vibrant places.
- Community Equity: Align with the county’s social equity goals and principles.
- Environmental Resilience: Operate sustainably and reduce negative environmental impacts.
To create the plan, Montgomery Planning has worked with state and county agencies, neighboring jurisdictions, county municipalities, advocacy groups, and community members as we analyzed and prioritized transit options to develop the Public Hearing Draft. Montgomery Planning has engaged community members about their needs and values related to transit through the Corridor Forward Plan’s Transit Values Questionnaire and Transit Stories campaign.
Montgomery Planning staff will present preliminary recommendations for Corridor Forward: The I-270 Transit Plan.
The Montgomery County Planning Department will hold a virtual public meeting for Corridor Forward: The I-270 Transit Plan on October 20 (7 – 8:30 p.m.).
Per Montgomery Planning:
At the meeting, Montgomery Planning staff will present preliminary recommendations, including a recommended transit network, to serve communities and employment centers along the I-270 corridor.
The community meeting will follow an October 7 briefing to the Montgomery County Planning Board, at which time Planning staff will present and receive guidance on the Plan’s preliminary recommendations. RSVPs are required to attend. The meeting will be held via Microsoft Teams.
The preliminary recommendations are the result of an iterative planning process, in which Planning staff:
- Compared transit vehicle attributes and inventoried transit options that could serve the I-270 Corridor.
- Completed a pre-screening analysis, which evaluated the initial list of inventoried transit options based on indicators such as travel time, population access, job access, ability to accommodate growth and equitable access and advanced six transit optionsfor detailed analysis.
- Refined and analyzed the six transit options, including an evaluation of strategic merits, economic and financial outlook, and potential implementation challenges and risks.
- Completed additional evaluation on combinations of the six transit options to inform the development of the preliminary recommendations.
About the Corridor Forward Plan
The goal of Corridor Forward is to comprehensively evaluate, prioritize and advance transit options that achieve the best combination of the following values, consistent with the Planning Board Draft of Thrive Montgomery 2050:
- Strategic Connections: Serve high-demand origin and destination pairs, balancing costs of implementation with projected benefits.
- Economic Health: Enable existing development and master-planned communities to realize their potential as livable and economically vibrant places.
- Community Equity: Align with the county’s social equity goals and principles.
- Environmental Resilience: Operate sustainably and reduce negative environmental impacts.
To create the plan, Montgomery Planning is working with state and county agencies, neighboring jurisdictions, county municipalities, advocacy groups, and community members as we analyze and prioritize transit options. Montgomery Planning has engaged community members about their needs and values related to transit through the Corridor Forward Plan’s Transit Values Questionnaire and Transit Stories campaign.
Is the Corridor Forward Plan part of the Managed Lanes project?
The purpose of Corridor Forward is to evaluate and prioritize transit options to serve communities and employment centers along the I-270 corridor. The Plan stands on its own and will provide guidance to the county regardless of the outcome of the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Managed Lanes effort. While the Plan will not specifically consider the role of transit in relation to the Managed Lanes study, it will identify transit options which offer an alternative to travel by car. Each of the options advanced for detailed study is anticipated to reduce vehicle miles traveled, and a combination of these options will further transit accessibility and competitiveness for communities along the corridor.
Montgomery County Councilmembers Hans Riemer, Gabe Albornoz, Andrew Friedson, Nancy Navarro and Craig Rice released the following statement in advance of the Transportation Planning Board vote regarding rebuilding the American Legion Bridge and adding capacity to I-270:
“In a letter to the County Council today, Maryland Transportation Secretary Greg Slater clarified the State’s commitment to fund a major transit project serving Montgomery County with toll revenue from Maryland’s program to expand capacity for the American Legion Bridge and I-270 Corridor.
“This new commitment builds on prior changes we have been asking for, including removing the eastern section of the beltway from the plan, rebuilding the American Legion Bridge so that it can structurally support a future transit line, and including a shared use trail on the bridge.
“For more than a decade, Montgomery County has supported adding capacity to the American Legion Bridge and the Beltway west of the I-270 Spur, in the context of a multi-modal approach to the 270 Corridor. Based on recent conversations, we appreciate the State’s new commitment to specifically fund design of one of our longstanding transit priorities, either the Corridor Cities Transitway or bus rapid transit on Route 355, at the outset of the project and work collaboratively with the County to develop plans for construction, operation, and final delivery funded through ongoing toll revenue. It should also be noted that the express toll lanes and their direct connections to several crossing roads afford the opportunity to provide high-speed bus rapid transit service up and down the I-270 Corridor and to Tysons Corner, Dulles Airport, and other destinations in Virginia.
“In addition to sustained funding for transit priorities as part of a multi-modal project, we will continue to advocate for changes to the project that: sufficiently mitigate impacts on residents and businesses; safeguards the interests of Montgomery County taxpayers; and achieves an appropriate and respectful resolution to protect sensitive community resources such as the Moses Morningstar Cemetery.
“We hope to move forward and work collaboratively and constructively with Secretary Slater on these issues of concern and to do so in a way that does not make the much-needed improvements to the American Legion Bridge ineligible for federal approval and funding.
“Ultimately, we recognize that Montgomery County must remain tightly connected with the rest of the Washington metropolitan region. With a real transit alternative and further opportunities to work with the State to improve the project moving forward, we believe the County should vote to allow the project to be included in the ‘Visualize 2045‘ air quality conformance analysis at the Transportation Planning Board.”
Collision Causes Truck to Overturn on 270, Four Lanes Blocked
8:45AM Update: Three right main lanes reopened SB I-270 past Muddy Branch Rd. from earlier traffic incident. Expect significant residual delays as clean up continues.
Montgomery County Emergency Management tweeted that the four main lanes of southbound I-270 are closed as of approximately 8am.
Per MCFRS PIO Pete Piringer, a collision caused and truck to overturn with one person initially trapped inside the vehicle.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue are currently on the scene.
Community invited to attend virtual meeting on Corridor Forward: The I-270 Transit Plan on July 20
Staff will present an overview of the transit options evaluated to serve communities and employment centers along I-270
Per Montgomery Planning:
The Montgomery County Planning Department will hold a virtual public meeting for Corridor Forward: The I-270 Transit Planon July 20 (7 – 8:30 p.m.).
At the meeting, Montgomery Planning staff will present an overview of the six transit options retained for detailed analysis and evaluation, which were identified in the initial stage of the plan. Planners will also discuss the evaluation metrics that will be used to prioritize the transit options and outline how responses from the Transit Values Questionnaire informed the development of these metrics. RSVPs are required to attend. The meeting will be held via Microsoft Teams.
During the first phase of the plan, Montgomery Planning staff identified six transit options to advance from an original 13 conceptual transit options, a result of the plan’s pre-screening process. The options are:
- Enhanced MARC Rail
- Red Line Extension
- Corridor Cities Transitway
- Purple Line Extension
- New Rail Connection to Frederick
- I-270 Corridor Bus Rapid Transit
About the Corridor Forward Plan
The goal of Corridor Forward is to comprehensively evaluate, prioritize and advance transit options that achieve the best combination of the following values, consistent with the Planning Board Draft of Thrive Montgomery 2050:
- Strategic Connections: Serve high-demand origin and destination pairs, balancing costs of implementation with projected benefits.
- Economic Health: Enable existing development and master-planned communities to realize their potential as livable and economically vibrant places.
- Community Equity: Align with the county’s social equity goals and principles.
- Environmental Resilience: Operate sustainably and reduce negative environmental impacts.
To create the plan, Montgomery Planning is working with state and county agencies, neighboring jurisdictions, county municipalities, advocacy groups, and community members as we analyze transit options and an evaluation methodology. Montgomery Planning has engaged community members about their needs and values related to transit through the Corridor Forward Plan’s Transit Values Questionnaire.
Is the Corridor Forward Plan part of the Managed Lanes project?
The purpose of Corridor Forward is to evaluate and prioritize transit options to serve communities and employment centers along the I-270 corridor. The Plan stands on its own and will provide guidance to the county regardless of the outcome of the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Managed Lanes effort. While the Plan will not specifically consider the role of transit in relation to the Managed Lanes study, it will identify transit options which offer an alternative to travel by car. Each of the options advanced for detailed study is anticipated to reduce vehicle miles traveled, and a combination of these options will further transit accessibility and competitiveness for communities along the corridor.
Featured Photo Courtesy of TrafFix Devices, Inc.
Around 11AM Monday morning, a Maryland State Highway Administration Contractor was conducting a mobile sweeping operation on Northbound I-270 near West Diamond Avenue (MD-117) in Gaithersburg. As the sweeping convoy was headed northbound, a passing SUV crashed into one of the Contractor’s trucks.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported in this crash. That was, at least in part, due to the fact that the truck that was hit was equipped with a Scorpion Truck Mounted Attenuator. These attenuators absorb the impact of striking vehicles, protecting workers ahead while also protecting the occupants of the vehicle by bringing it to a slower stop than if it just ran right into the back of the actual truck.
The Maryland State Rockville Barrack handled the crash report for this incident. Information about any citations remained unknown Tuesday morning.
Car Flips on I-270
Shortly before 5PM Wednesday, a car overturned onto its roof on Northbound I-270 near Montrose Road.
Responders arrived and found a vehicle had hit the crash cushion attached to the concrete barrier and then rolled over.
The driver and single occupant was evaluated on scene by Fire and Rescue personnel and transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.
Germantown-based Geyers Towing & Recovery handled the scene cleanup.
Photo courtesy of @jdmdineroo (Instagram)
Bucket Truck Crashes Through I-270 Barrier, Overturns
Featured Photo Courtesy of Battalion Fire Chief Steve Mann
Around 12PM Tuesday, a bucket truck travelling on northbound I-270 near I-370 crashed through the concrete barrier separating the local lanes from the express/main lanes.
The truck, which caused major damage to the concrete barrier, came to rest overturned on its side. Some news footage showed logos of a cable and internet provider on the truck; it was unclear if the truck was owned and operated by that company or a contractor.
The driver of the truck was evaluated by Montgomery County Firefighters and Paramedics and had only minor injuries.
Several lanes were closed for cleanup Tuesday afternoon.
State Trooper Assaulted, Injured on I-270
Shortly after 2PM Friday, the Maryland State Police Rockville Barrack received a call reporting a pedestrian walking on I-270 between Montrose and Falls Roads. Maryland State Troopers responded to the scene and the pedestrian quickly became combative with the first Trooper who arrived.
Montgomery County Police and Rockville City Police Department units responded to assist the Trooper.
One of the Troopers sustained minor injuries and was transported to an area hospital. The suspect was taken into custody and charged with assault. It was unclear why the suspect was walking on the Interstate in the first place.
Driver Ejected, Seriously Injured in I-270 Crash
Featured Photo courtesy of the Bethesda–Chevy Chase Rescue Squad
Around 12:30AM Wednesday, a Maryland State Police Rockville Barrack Trooper was on patrol when he spotted a vehicle that had ran into trees and crashed on the ramp from Southbound I-270 to MD-355. The Trooper then discovered that the driver of the vehicle had been ejected and seriously hurt during the crash.
Firefighters and Paramedics then arrived and began to treat the driver’s injuries and stabilize the crashed vehicle which came to rest on its side. The driver was then transported to the hospital for further evaluation and treatment.
A Maryland State Police crash reconstructionist responded from the MSP’s Frederick Barrack to the scene to document the crash scene. The ramp from Southbound I-270 to MD-355 was closed for several hours early Wednesday morning.
Have you noticed what seem to be traffic lights during rush hour on entry ramps on I-270?
They are ramp meters; ramp meters are a part of the I-270 Innovative Congestion Management (ICM) Project, a traffic-congestion improvement project spearheaded by the MD Department of Transit’s State Highway Administration.
Ramp meters are a tool that have been used for decades in multiple big cities across the country. Ramp meters are installed along the entrance ramps to freeways where they regulate the rate at which vehicles can enter the main highway, with the goal of reducing congestion on the highway.
Some opponents of ramp meters have asserted that the meters can cause backups that spill off into the entry ramps’ feeder streets, in addition to causing merging troubles off of some ramps. Supporters say that the meters help to reduce overall congestion on 270, particularly in the local lanes.
MD plans to continue installing ramp meters on I-270, with completion expected at the end of summer 2021. To learn more about the I-270 Innovative Congestion Management (ICM) Project, you can click here.
What are your thoughts on ramp meters?
Image courtesy of the MD DOT SHA website.
