Doug Duncan's Cycle Montgomery Plan

This is not an endorsement in the Montgomery County Executive race, I just found this is all. It's unusual for a candidate to dedicate so much type to biking

We need to invest in modern, comprehensive solutions for all modes of travel — bus and light-rail transit, roads, sidewalks and bike trails and more. We need leadership and vision to get some big things done, and we need to think outside the box to create state-of-the-art telework centers and better integrated transit, road, pedestrian and bike networks to better serve our communities. It takes an “all of the above” approach to seriously cut congestion and support job growth in our region.

Complete Comprehensive Bike Transportation System:

Bicycling is quickly becoming a popular mode of alternative transit, particularly in high-density areas. The statistics show that a vast majority of people will bicycle if there is some sort of designated or protected lane.

I want to initiate a Cycle Montgomery Plan of setting yearly goals for miles of protected bike infrastructure, including cycle tracks, buffered bike lanes and off road trails. We need to quickly complete the Metropolitan Branch Trail, the ICC bike facilities, and remaking the roads in Bethesda, Friendship Heights, Silver Spring and Takoma Park. This will ensure the success of bikeshare. Through the Montgomery County Department of Transportation, working together with bicycle advocates, such as the Montgomery County Bicycle Action Group or the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, to name a few, we can ensure the success of this plan.

Further, I want to ingratiate the biking culture into our community, particularly in our schools, so it becomes second nature – kind of like when recycling was introduced years ago and now is a given. It will improve our community, our environment and our economy.

Purple Line:

I have long supported the concept of the Purple Line, including both an earlier alternative route that ran outside the beltway and the current route inside the beltway. This project is critical in providing access to closer-in communities from Bethesda to Silver Spring and beyond, and it has my full support. We must work together with the state to pursue and secure federal and private funding to begin construction on the purple line. In doing that, we must ensure that we maintain the quality of the Capital Crescent Trail and work with the businesses and residents it will affect.

I'm not in any position to edit anyone, but is "ingratiate" the right word there. 

Comments

[Greenbelt]

This is excellent way to express the need for better bike infrastructure in my opinion.

Wish we were hearing stuff like this from our Governor candidates.

PS. Duncan's pedestrian plan is just lame -- education is mostly a dodge. Bulb-outs that shorten crossings, squaring off and slowing down right-turn slip lane ramps, shorter light cycles and less wait times at the beg buttons, some damn trees for shade: those are the things that make walking viable and safe, not stupid education campaigns.

[Joe]

What he is saying sounds good, but will it happen? He didn't fund the Matthew Henson Trail and Viers Mill Bridge. The ICC trail was also cut in half during his watch. Maybe he now supports bicycle amenities?

Leggett had a lot of bicycle amenities in the CIP but not the North Branch Trail. Park staff pushed fro the trail and it's now funded. Leggett responded to an email I send requesting a meeting with him concerning the North Branch Trail. In the end he supports the trail and Parks method of finding funds for the trail.

I was pleasantly surprised that Leggett didn't ignore the concern of not funding the trail and actually took time to meet with me.

Andrews is a good guy but has remained neutral on many cycling issues, especially trails. He also is fiscally conservative which equals less money for amenities such as trails. He also tends to be supported by the environmental "nobody but me in the woods" groups.

Who would be better for cycling amenities, Leggett or Duncan? I don't know, but Leggett has been more response to concerns and done more while he has been in office.

What do you all think about which candidate would best help improve cycling amenities?

[Markt322]

I won't comment on the race since it isn't my district - but "ingratiate" bothered me too. Integrate sounds like the right word in the context. But one can hope that the overall effects of increased cycling modeshare would ingratiate cyclists with the driving community...

[Crickey7]

I would say cycling is at best an afterthought for both. Silver Spring's revitalization owes a lot to Duncan, but Leggett's been a very steady hand as the County starts to turn Rockville Pike into something far better than the cycling desert it is now. Hard to pick a favorite.

[Michael H.]

Yeah, that's the incorrect word. He probably meant "integrate." Maybe it was spell-check's fault. Or at least someone might blame it on spell-check.