Wednesday, April 3, 2013
The planning board will once again take up a bus rapid transit concept, including a proposal to dedicate Rockville Pike travel lanes for the high-speed buses.
The Montgomery County Planning Board will decide Thursday whether to advance a proposal for a 79-mile, 10-route bus rapid transit system into the public hearing stage. As a part of the proposal, Montgomery County planners are recommending that two travel lanes of Rockville Pike from the Capital Beltway to Western Avenue be re-purposed as dedicated rapid transit bus lanes. Planners say the rapid transit route would draw high ridership, but drivers could see their afternoon rush trip increase by nearly six minutes from Western Avenue to Cedar Lane by 2040. Recommendations for corridors across the county vary from buses driving in mixed traffic to developing new busways separated from traffic. Planners are also recommending taking out travel …
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Taking out two travel lanes from the Beltway to Western Avenue could add six minutes of travel time on the stretch for motorists by 2040.
Montgomery County planners are recommending that two travel lanes of Rockville Pike from the Capital Beltway to Western Avenue be re-purposed as dedicated rapid transit bus lanes. Planners say the rapid transit route would draw high ridership, but drivers could see their afternoon rush trip increase by nearly six minutes from Western Avenue to Cedar Lane by 2040. The recommendation is part of a staff draft of a Countywide Transit Corridors Functional Master Plan presented to the Montgomery County Planning Board Monday evening. The master plan includes a proposal for a 79-mile bus rapid transit system using 10 routes across the county. The draft will undergo an extensive public hearing process before it’s submitted to the Montgomery County …
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
The county planning staff will make recommendations to the board about future bus rapid transit systems at the meeting on Thursday.
Discussion about the implementation of dedicated bus lanes or bus rapid transit systems in Montgomery County will continue at the Montgomery County Planning Board's next meeting, on Thursday, Feb. 21. The county planning staff will update the board on its recent work on the Countywide Transit Corridors Functional Master Plan. A public hearing for the plan will be held on May 2, according to a planning department briefing. The planning staff recommends that Maryland State Route 355 "is the best candidate for pursuing a high-quality BRT treatment to serve future planned growth," and that U.S. Route 29 "is the best candidate for implementing dedicated bus lanes in the near term," according to the briefing. There is a concern, however, that …
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Whether to reserve existing lanes for buses is among the issue for planners.
On Monday, Patch gave you a chance to “Speak Out” on bus rapid transit in Montgomery County. Meanwhile, County Executive Isiah Leggett told The Washington Examiner the proposed system is too expensive. Now, planners from the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission want to hear from you. Planners will present their preliminary plans for a BRT system on the county’s main roads and hear public input on the plan at three meetings around the county beginning Tuesday evening. One of the topics: Should existing travel lanes be used or are new lanes needed for the network of high-speed buses? Exhibits will be on display between 6:30 and 9 p.m., with a formal presentation at 7 p.m. each night as follows: Click here for more …
Monday, November 12, 2012
It could be a tight squeeze to dedicate traffic lanes for a proposed rapid bus network along some of the county's most congested corridors.
If transportation planners have their way, drivers in some of Montgomery County’s most congested corridors could start losing some of their traffic lanes. The reason: a sprawling network of high-speed buses that will need dedicated lanes, particularly in Silver Spring, Bethesda, Germantown and White Oak. Unlike decades-old proposals for mass transit lines like the Corridor Cities Transitway—which has nearly all of its 15-mile right-of-way already set aside—the Bus Rapid Transit network would have to find room along county roadways. That has raised concerns of even more crowded roadways and increased commute times for those who can’t—or won’t—shake their driving habits, reported The Washington Post. “Is there a risk here? Yes,” Mark Winston…
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Transit Task Force recommends system operational within nine years, The Washington Examiner reports.
What’s the price tag for a world-class bus rapid transit system in Montgomery County? A county-commissioned task force estimates it would cost $1.83 billion in capital costs and another $1.1 million per mile to run, according to The Washington Examiner. Findings by the Transit Task Force are set to be presented to County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) this week, The Examiner reported. The group is recommending a 161.5-mile bus rapid transit network be up and running in nine years, featuring "sleek and stylish" vehicles running along 23 county routes. The system should be built in three phases, the task force suggests, according to The Examiner. Thoroughfares that should be targeted for the first phase include: Read the full story at The …
Matt
7:13 am on Friday, March 22, 2013
I don't think you're comprehending this concept fully. This useless bus lane is going to end at Western Ave. Which means the people will be getting off the bus and onto the Metro. So if your justification is reducing the load on Metro, that's totally invalid. In fact, the opposite will happen. If people who now drive to work decide to use this BRT system, it will be for the purpose of getting to … more ›