The Department of Transportation's Parking program is responsible for providing, operating, and maintaining an economically self-sufficient system of public parking which promotes the economic growth and welfare of the Central Business Districts (CBDs) of Silver Spring, Bethesda, and Wheaton. The objective of the Parking program is to develop and implement a program that meets the parking needs within the CBDs. This effort consists of the planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of parking lots and garages.The public parking system is designed to complement other travel modes and support a balanced total transportation system serving the needs of...
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PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES
The Department of Transportation's Parking program is responsible for providing, operating, and maintaining an economically self-sufficient system of public parking which promotes the economic growth and welfare of the Central Business Districts (CBDs) of Silver Spring, Bethesda, and Wheaton. The objective of the Parking program is to develop and implement a program that meets the parking needs within the CBDs. This effort consists of the planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of parking lots and garages.
The public parking system is designed to complement other travel modes and support a balanced total transportation system serving the needs of the CBDs in accordance with County transportation and development policies and goals. Construction and maintenance of parking lots, garages, mixed use garages, and use of air rights development are some of the strategies employed to provide public parking facilities in accordance with the urban planning goals of the County.
A program for providing public parking is related to the availability of mass transit service and the County's policy with regard to encouraging greater usage of transit services. In Bethesda, for example, the County seeks to promote higher usage of buses and carpools for commuting while balancing the parking needs of the Bethesda business community. Therefore, the number of public parking spaces in that district is limited so that it is consistent with the desired modal split between private cars and transit and is consistent with the County's ridesharing objective of obtaining higher occupancy rates in private cars.
Development of the Parking program is based on existing and projected parking needs. Evaluation of existing, approved, or proposed development within the CBDs provides the Parking program with an assessment of parking facilities required to support and promote economic development. Privately-owned parking is accounted for in determining the need for supplemental public parking to be provided. A public parking system which achieves an overall peak parking occupancy of 90 to 95 percent is programmed for the CBDs.
PROGRAM CONTACTS
Contact Jose Thommana of the Department of Transportation at 240-777-8732 or Anita Aryeetey of the Office of Management and Budget at 240-777-2784 for more information regarding this department's capital budget.
CAPITAL PROGRAM REVIEW
There are twelve ongoing projects in the Parking component of the Department of Transportation's FY27-32 Capital Improvements Program. The total cost of the recommended six-year program is $73.3 million and is $4.4 million, or 5.7 percent, less than the FY25-30 amended CIP amount of $77.7 million.
The Bethesda, Silver Spring, and Wheaton Parking Lot Districts each have a facility renovation project and a facility planning project. Each of the three Parking Lot Districts is financially structured as an enterprise fund and is treated as a separate entity for accounting purposes. The districts are self-supporting and most parking facility projects are funded with current revenues generated from the parking districts.
In combination with existing facilities, the recommended program will provide a total of 20,290 public parking spaces in Silver Spring, Bethesda, and Wheaton; and fund the renovation of existing garages to either correct or prevent deterioration. The following chart depicts the existing and proposed parking spaces for construction for each of the Parking Lot Districts.
Montgomery County Parking Lot Districts - Public Parking Spaces
HIGHLIGHTS
Two new projects are recommended for inclusion in the FY27-32 Capital Improvements Program: The Advanced Digital Construction Management System - Transportation that will enhance technological capabilities to optimize the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of transportation infrastructure, and the Parking Silver Spring: Public Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure that will provide fast-charging electric vehicle stations in County-owned parking garages located in Silver Spring.
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