This project provides for a comprehensive feasibility study, planning, and implementation of the relocation of the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Bus Depot from the County Service Park on Crabbs Branch Way. It includes build-out of a new facility, staff supervision, consultant costs, demolition of existing improvements, and environmental clean up on the east side of Crabbs Branch Way.

Environmental clean up of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission facilities occurred in FY17, and demolition was completed in FY19. The Council intends that the Executive branch continue to work with MCPS to conduct a renewed site selection study for possible locations to replace the multiple functions on the current Shady Grove MCPS Transportation site. These include the central heavy maintenance facility and repair bays, MVA driver training course, and parking sufficient to replace the over 400 buses currently housed at the Shady Grove location. Site identification should include multiple options and an implementation plan and timeline to transition that maintains continuity of services for MCPS. The implementation plan should also reflect the initiative to transition the MCPS fleet to electric over the next 12-15 years. Build-out of new space is expected to begin in the Summer of 2025 and to complete in the Fall of 2026.

Planning funds in this project are programmed in conjunction with planning funds in the New Transit Maintenance Depot project (CIP No. 502402). Planning funds in these projects support community engagement, project scoping, and preliminary design for a shared use transit facility, central maintenance, and associated MCPS Bus Depot and Maintenance Relocation bus parking for Montgomery County Public Schools school buses and Ride-On transit buses planned to be built on a portion of the Jeremiah Park parcel on Crabbs Branch Way in Derwood. Concurrently, the Department of General Services is also exploring an opportunity to split the uses between different sites. The Department of General Services will provide monthly written progress reports to the Chairs of the Transportation and Environment and Education and Culture Committees. In addition to this shared use facility or facilities, other locations for bus parking and operations will need to be identified to fully house expanded operations of both fleets in the future.