Chair Evan Glass
And Members, Transportation and Environment Committee
Montgomery County Council
Stella Werner Council Office Building
100 Maryland Ave.
Rockville, MD 20850
March 9, 2026
Re: US29 Flash BRT Phase 2 Capital Budget Prioritization
Dear Chair Glass, Councilmember Stewart, and Council Vice President Balcombe,
We the undersigned are writing to express our support for transportation investments that prioritize public transit and active transportation where Flash Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is planned on US29. The east campus of Montgomery College and Viva White Oak are examples of the great future the East County deserves. The corridor includes a jewel of Montgomery Parks, Burnt Mills East and West Special Parks. These activity centers should provide safe access for pedestrians, bus riders, and bicyclists.
We urge the County Council to stick with the plan for bus-only lanes through Four Corners. The US29 Phase 2 project is an opportunity to improve riders’ mobility, decrease travel times, include pedestrian and bicycle improvements, and make it easier and safer to get to the bus stations. Since the passage of the Countywide Transit Corridors Functional Master Plan in 2013, Montgomery County has repeatedly committed itself to prioritizing transit on US29, and now the county is partnering to extend the Flash bus into Howard County.
We recognize that the constricted fiscal situation facing Montgomery County means difficult choices must be made about the best way to improve transit. The county can provide high-quality transit service through the US29 corridor in an economically responsible manner. If necessary, it is preferable to repurpose the current pavement to operate curbside bus-only lanes for use by all buses throughout the area included in the US29 Phase 2 Capital Budget. East County residents deserve affordable and frequent transit instead of being left to contend with the ever-increasing costs of car ownership.
Prioritizing frequent buses offers cost savings and more freedom of choice to residents. Residents should not have to wait for the full implementation of BRT to experience frequent and reliable transit.
Intersection improvements should be rejected because it would likely result in expensive road widening, and it is an expense that will not relieve congestion. Repeated studies have shown that widening does not reduce traffic because of induced demand. It is important to remember that transit riders do not cause traffic jams. Traffic jams are the consequence of too many cars on the road. Spending more money on road widening contradicts the claim that the budget is tight. It sends the message that the budget is tight unless it is for cars.
Road widening will also make US29 more dangerous than it already is for bus riders, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Montgomery County knows the burden of unsafe walking, rolling, and biking conditions falls the heaviest on Equity Focus Areas, including the US29 BRT planned area. Addressing the crisis of our residents risking their lives and limbs to catch a bus, shop for food, and to go to school or religious services is key to improving life in this part of the county. It means we must add other forms of transportation to the mix, not just cars, and that should include repurposing our current road space to widen the sidewalks and consider a sidepath from Four Corners to Tech Road.
Public health research demonstrates lane narrowing is actually safer for everyone – including drivers – because it reduces extremely high vehicular speeds that kill and maim. Furthermore, road widening will build a future of emitting more greenhouse gas emissions, which contradicts the county’s own climate goals. Increased emissions also threaten public health, and this is a community that has long been marginalized.
Everyone involved in transportation policy decisions and advocacy must keep in mind the people who have borne the burden of past transportation decisions. Sadly, we do not have to go far back into the past. Florence Chumbow was killed when two drivers crashed their cars into her on US29 at Fairland Road on January 12, 2026. She had just gotten off the bus and was walking home.
Thrive 2050, the Pedestrian Master Plan, the Climate Action Plan, and the Bicycle Master Plan all point in the direction of a county where transit, walking and biking are convenient, safe and attractive options for getting around. Montgomery County imperils the future of the East County if it does not reverse the prioritization of moving automobile traffic at the expense of everyone else. We urge the County Council to prioritize the future the county already approved in its plans through the budget. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Shanika Whitehurst, President, Action Committee for Transit
Peter Gray, Montgomery County Organizer, Washington Area Bicyclist Association
Dan Reed, Maryland Policy Director, Greater Greater Washington Bill Pugh, Transportation & Climate Director, Coalition for Smarter Growth
cc: County Council President Natali Fani-González
Councilmember Kristin Mink, District 5
Christopher Conklin, MCDOT Director
Stephen Kenny, Legislative Analyst for Transportation, County Council