The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, is launching its Bicycle Master Plan with community meetings in September so the public can learn more about the goals and methods of this Countywide effort.
The Bicycle Master Plan will consider the newest types of bikeways, such as separated and buffered bike lanes and bicycle boulevards, as well as secure bicycle storage facilities at transit stations. The network will be developed using an evaluation of the varying levels of stress imposed by traffic on cyclists along each roadway in the County.
The first public meeting will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. on September 8 at Paint Branch High School (14121 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville, MD). The second meeting will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Germantown Regional Services Center (Room A, 12900 Middlebrook Road, Germantown, MD).
Three subsequent meetings will take place during September and October in Silver Spring and Bethesda. The different locations allow County residents to pick the one that is most convenient for them so they can more easily participate in the planning process.
Each event will consist of a short presentation by County planner and project manager David Anspacher, followed by an opportunity to meet with Planning Department staff and learn about relevant topics, such as how traffic stress affects cycling and the state of bicycling in Montgomery County.
Attendees will also have the chance to contribute comments about bicycling safety and facilities they would like to see on a large “feedback map,” created for that part of the County associated with the meeting location. Community comments will be used to guide the planners during their work.
“These five meetings are intended to engage residents throughout the County and give them the opportunity to meet staff, learn about the plan and give feedback,” says Planning Director Gwen Wright. “I’m excited about new technology tools, such as interactive maps, that will help us plan new facilities so we can be one of the first suburban jurisdictions to comprehensively plan for bikes.”
Bicycle Master Plan Meeting Schedule:
All meetings will be held from 7 to 9 pm. Meeting RSVPs are encouraged but not required. Register to attend each of the Bicycle Master Plan Kick-Off meetings listed below.
Tuesday, September 8 – Meeting 1 at Paint Branch High School, 14121 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville, MD. RSVP for Meeting 1.
Wednesday, September 9 – Meeting 2 at the Germantown Regional Services Center, Room A, 12900 Middlebrook Road, Germantown, MD. RSVP for Meeting 2.
Tuesday, September 15 – Meeting 3 at the Planning Department headquarters, 8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD. RSVP for Meeting 3.
Monday, September 21 – Meeting 4 at the Wheaton Library, 11701 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD. RSVP for Meeting 4.
Tuesday, October 6 – Meeting 5 at Walter Johnson High School, 6400 Rock Spring Drive, Bethesda, MD. RSVP for Meeting 5.
Bicycle Master Plan Background:
The official kickoff of the Bicycle Master Plan comes after planners participated in Councilmember Hans Riemer’s Second Great MoCo Bike Summit on Saturday, June 6 at the Silver Spring Civic Center. That event focused on ways of incorporating next-generation bicycle facilities into the County’s transportation network and included participation by Planning Board Chair Casey Anderson and the County Department of Transportation.
At the summit, County planner David Anspacher presented an overview of the new Bicycle Master Plan and its focus on developing a high-quality network of cycling routes throughout the County.
In addition to hearing the presentations, the approximately 100 attendees had the opportunity to provide written feedback on a large scale County map affixed to the wall of the Silver Spring Civic Center. Attendees were asked to give comments on how the bicycle connections in the County could be improved. Those comments have now been included on an online map and will be considered by planners as work begins on the update to the Bicycle Master Plan. View the feedback map from the June 6 Bike Summit.
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