This project provides for planning-level evaluation of projects suggested for improving or rehabilitating capital facilities and other programmatic initiatives to support the County's roads program. The intention of the project is to develop a platform for informed decision-making regarding the merits of the project, the potential impacts of the project, and an order-of-magnitude cost estimate for the project. In many instances, a preferred project conceptual plan and cost estimate, or a recommendation not to advance the project will be the outcome of this effort. In other cases, preliminary engineering activities may be needed to inform decision-making. Principal activities in these project studies include: establishing the project purpose and need; identifying reasonable alternatives that meet the project requirements; identifying community resources, environmental resources and other elements of context that will frame implementation of a project; evaluating and selecting an alternative; and developing a conceptual design cost estimate. Some projects may require site selection and other technical studies to inform decision-making.

There is a continuing need to define the scope and determine need, benefits, implementation feasibility, horizontal and vertical alignments, typical sections, impacts, community support/opposition, preliminary costs and alternatives for master planned transportation recommendations. Facility Planning provides decision makers with reliable information to determine if a master planned transportation recommendation merits inclusion in the CIP as a stand-alone project.

Starting in FY23, Mass Transit and Pedestrian/Bike related projects are funded in Facility Planning: Mass Transit (P502308) and Facility Planning: Pedestrian Facilities/Bikeways (P502312), respectively.

A pedestrian impact analysis will be performed during design or is in progress. Expenditures will continue indefinitely. 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.

Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Maryland State Highway Administration, Maryland Department of the Environment, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Permitting Services, Utilities, Municipalities, Affected communities, Commission on Aging, Commission on People with Disabilities, Montgomery County Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee