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Description

This project will complete design for the Southern and Northern segments of the MD 355 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor. The Southern segment is from the Montgomery College Rockville Campus to Bethesda Metro station. The Northern segment is from the Montgomery College Germantown Campus to Clarksburg. This is part of the larger MD 355 BRT corridor that extends from Bethesda to Clarksburg. The Central segment will be designed and constructed as a separate project. Planning conducted by the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) resulted in several alternatives retained for detailed study in 2017. The project includes dedicated BRT lanes, new BRT stations with level boarding and off-board payment, Transit Signal Priority (TSP), purchase of new zero-emission BRT buses, and other associated pedestrian and bicycle improvements along the corridor. In addition, the project will consider the inclusion of a new transit center in the Clarksburg area to facilitate connections between different transit services as demand increases.
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Phase

Preliminary Design Stage

Status

Active
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Budget Snapshot
$12.5M Total
Expenditures/Funding
$12.5M 6 Year Total
Expenditures/Funding
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Location

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Estimated Schedule

Preliminary engineering was completed in FY24 (see fiscal note). Final design will begin in FY25 and is anticipated to be completed by FY26. Planning and design for the Clarksburg Transit Center will occur in FY27 and 28. The construction schedule is unknown at this time and is dependent on funding availability.
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Justification

The project will transform mobility options with the completed implementation of a 22-mile, premium, branded, limited-stop BRT service along MD 355 between Clarksburg and Bethesda. This new service will improve transit travel time and increase opportunity for a broad range of users along a highly congested corridor. The project will improve passenger transit mobility by connecting riders to high density housing and employment centers. The project is being phased to accelerate delivery. The first phase will implement BRT between Rockville and Germantown. Extensions to Bethesda and Clarksburg will be completed as a second phase.
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Fiscal Note

Programming of funds through final design improves the project's eligibility for potential entry into the Federal Transit Administration's Capital Investment Grant program. Preliminary engineering for this phase is funded in the MD 355 Central project (P502005). This project will utilize Op Lanes Maryland revenue proceeds, which have been pledged by the Maryland Department of Transportation to fund high priority public transit projects in Montgomery County. State aid in FY24-25 includes State grants for capital projects in Montgomery County programmed during the 2023 Maryland General Assembly session. Op Lanes Maryland funding was deferred in FY23 to allow the new State administration time to move the project forward.
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Disclosures

A pedestrian impact analysis will be performed during design or is in progress. The County Executive asserts that this project conforms to the requirement of relevant local plans, as required by the Maryland Economic Growth, Resource Protection and Planning Act.
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Coordination

Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration & Maryland Transit Administration, Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Permitting Services, Washington Gas, Pepco, Verizon, Comcast, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and Federal Transit Administration (FTA), City of Rockville, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Commission on People with Disabilities, Transit Advisory Group, Neighborhood and Civic Associations, and MD 355 BRT Corridor Advisory Committee
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Budget Snapshot
$12.5M Total
Expenditures/Funding
$12.5M 6 Year Total
Expenditures/Funding
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Project Details
Project NumberP502309
Date Last Modified01/07/24
Administering AgencyTransportation
CategoryTransportation
SubCategoryMass Transit (MCG)
Planning AreaCountywide
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Total Expenditures by Cost Element (000s)
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Total Funding by Source (000s)
EXPENDITURES (000s)
Cost ElementsTotalThru FY23Est FY24Total 6 YearsFY 25FY 26FY 27FY 28FY 29FY 30Beyond 6 Years
Planning, Design and Supervision1249600124965117537910001000000
Land00000000000
Site Improvements and Utilities00000000000
Construction00000000000
Other00000000000
Total Expenditures1249600124965117537910001000000
FUNDING (000s)
Funding SourceTotalThru FY23Est FY24Total 6 YearsFY 25FY 26FY 27FY 28FY 29FY 30Beyond 6 Years
Op Lanes Maryland Transit Funding20000020000010001000000
State Aid1049600104965117537900000
Total Funding Sources1249600124965117537910001000000
APPROPRIATION AND EXPENDITURE DATA ($000s)
Appropriation FY 25 Request0
Year First AppropriationFY23
Appropriation FY 26 Request0
Last FY's Cost Estimate12496
Cumulative Appropriation10496
Expenditure / Encumbrances0
Unencumbered Balance10496