In 2013, the Montgomery County Council unanimously approved an 81-mile bus rapid transit system – which may be the most ambitious bus rapid transit plan for any suburban jurisdiction in the United States. Once built, the approved corridors will connect Montgomery County’s major neighborhoods, employment centers, and commercial corridors. Montgomery County is currently doing studies for the first three BRT routes: MD355, Veirs Mill Rd, and RT.29.
As of May 2017, the Montgomery County Council has signed off on $7.5 million to design the Rt. 29 BRT line and to continuing studying BRT along MD 355. The Montgomery County Department of Transportation has also been awarded $10 million in TIGER grant funds to construct the Rt. 29 BRT line, named “Flash.” It is set to open in 2020. The route is planned from the Burtonsville Park and Ride to Downtown Silver Spring in both dedicated shoulder lanes and mixed traffic. Plans for more dedicated space in the southern portion of the corridor are underway. This will be the first BRT line in Montgomery County.
Resources
Here are some additional great resources to learn more about our work for BRT in Montgomery County:
- Montgomery says it can’t build BRT, but there’s money for new roads (February 2, 2016 – Greater Greater Washington)
- Press release: CSG supports rapid transit funding in CIP (January 21, 2016)
- Report: Best Practices in Rapid Transit System Design (August 2015)
- Montgomery County’s Rapid Transit System official page
- Montgomery County RTS details at Communities for Transit
