FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 29, 2025
CONTACT:
Carrie Kisicki, carrie@smartergrowth.net
Stewart Schwartz, 703-599-6437
Montgomery County Council votes to remove the unbuilt northern portion of the M-83 highway from Master Plan
The Montgomery County Council voted today to remove the unbuilt northern portion of M-83 from the Master Plan of Highways and Transitways, a move strongly supported by the Coalition for Smarter Growth and local leaders in the TAME Coalition.[i] The decision marks a major step away from decades-old, environmentally damaging approaches to transportation planning, and towards effective and sustainable transportation options for upcounty.
The vote was 10 to 1, with Councilmembers Stewart, Jawando, Albornoz, Fani-González, Friedson, Glass, Katz, Luedtke, Mink, and Sayles voting to remove the highway from the master plan and Balcombe voting against its removal.
CSG has long partnered with local residents and advocates in asking the County to remove M-83 from county plans and invest in sustainable transportation upcounty. We are deeply grateful to our friends and partners in the TAME Coalition, whose leadership and civic engagement through forums, walking tours, research and reports demonstrated the environmental and community harm, the ineffectiveness of the proposed highway, and the benefits of more sustainable alternatives.
The decision to remove M-83 was supported by dozens of residents, citing concerns about the highway’s impact on nearby communities, streams, forests, farmlands, and wildlife. It was backed up by the research and reports of county staff.
“Plans for M-83 were based on obsolete planning assumptions that are out of sync with what we know today about effectively meeting transportation demand and protecting community and environmental health,” said Carrie Kisicki, Montgomery Advocacy Manager for CSG. “With their vote to remove M-83, the County Council showed we are ready to offer upcounty residents transportation solutions that will offer real relief—not a costly and environmentally harmful false promise.”
“CSG and TAME have long offered a comprehensive set of alternatives that include modern bus rapid transit along Route 355, express buses on I-270, local street connections and intersection improvements, and mixed-use walkable development, including building out Clarksburg’s long-promised commercial center,”[ii] said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director for CSG. “We are pleased that the analysis by county staff confirmed our findings and that the Council voted today to remove this destructive concept from the county’s Master Plan.”
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CSG advocates for walkable, bikeable, inclusive, and transit-oriented communities as the most sustainable and equitable way for the Washington, DC region to grow and provide opportunities for all.
[i] Transit Alternatives to Mid-County Highway Extended, https://tamecoalition.org/
[ii] The Case for Cancelling the Mid-County Highway Extended (M-83), 2015: https://www.smartergrowth.net/better-public-transit/report-the-case-for-cancelling-the-mid-county-highway-extended-m-83/
Select Environmental Inventory and Impact Analysis for Amphibians, Forest Birds, Rare Flora, & Significant Habitats in North Germantown Greenway & Great Seneca Park in the vicinity of the proposed M-83 Highway Alignment, 2004: https://tamecoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/PARRISH-M83-REport-FINAL.pdf
Image credit: TAME