Projects in this program are intended to enhance mobility by providing convenient and affordable mass transit alternatives to single occupancy vehicle travel and to reduce traffic congestion and vehicle emissions.The County's Mass Transit/WMATA Capital Program provides an essential alternative to single occupant vehicle travel and contributes to the reduction of traffic congestion. The goal of the County's Mass Transit/WMATA Capital Program is to provide infrastructure, equipment, and supporting facilities for the operation of safe, reliable, convenient, and affordable public transportation systems to the residents of Montgomery County. The infrastructure, equipment, and supporting facilities for these transit systems...
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PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES
Projects in this program are intended to enhance mobility by providing convenient and affordable mass transit alternatives to single occupancy vehicle travel and to reduce traffic congestion and vehicle emissions.
The County's Mass Transit/WMATA Capital Program provides an essential alternative to single occupant vehicle travel and contributes to the reduction of traffic congestion. The goal of the County's Mass Transit/WMATA Capital Program is to provide infrastructure, equipment, and supporting facilities for the operation of safe, reliable, convenient, and affordable public transportation systems to the residents of Montgomery County. The infrastructure, equipment, and supporting facilities for these transit systems must be constructed, maintained, rehabilitated, and replaced to ensure safety and operational effectiveness.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Maintain funding to implement Veirs Mill Road Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) with completion in FY27.
- Maintain funding to implement MD 355 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Central phase, with completion in FY29.
- Add funding in the Bus Priority Project to enhance Countywide bus system performance.
- Add funding to continue planning for BRT System Development.
- Continue design and construction of the Great Seneca Science Corridor Transit Improvements, with Pink and Lime lines to launch service in FY25.
- Replace 182 diesel and natural gas Ride On buses with zero-emissions buses in FY25-30 with the goal of a transition to a 100% zero-emissions fleet by 2035.
- Construct a hydrogen generation and fueling site to provide green hydrogen fuel for Ride On buses.
- Add funding for planning and preliminary design of a new zero-emissions Ride On bus depot.
- Add funding to support the construction of a mezzanine for the south entrance of the Bethesda Metrorail Station in coordination with the Purple Line project.
- Provide oversight and financial support for the Purple Line project which will provide significant economic and mobility benefits.
- Continue efforts to improve the condition of Ride On bus stops.
- Add funding to stabilize the historic Hoyles Mill building, in addition to constructing a new bus loop and parking lot, at the Boyds MARC Station.
PROGRAM CONTACTS
Contact Brady Goldsmith of the Department of Transportation at 240.777.2793, or Gary Nalven of the Office of Management and Budget at 240.777.2779 for more information regarding this department's capital budget.
CAPITAL PROGRAM REVIEW
The FY25-30 Mass Transit component of the Transportation capital budget includes 19 active projects. The program totals $900.2 million over the six year period. This represents an increase of $35.9 million or 4.2 percent from the $864.3 million in the Amended FY23-28 program. This increase is largely due to an increase in Ride On bus replacement costs to reflect the transition to a zero emissions bus fleet as well as a cost increase for the Bethesda Metro Station South Entrance mezzanine. The Mass Transit capital budget includes significant state and federal aid to fund Bus Rapid Transit projects in the County.
STATE TRANSIT PROGRAM/PURPLE LINE
In addition to transit projects programmed by Montgomery County, the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) develops and provides transit services within the County on the Brunswick MARC rail line from Brunswick to Silver Spring, providing a convenient connection to the Washington regional Metrorail system.
The State's Draft Consolidated Transportation Program (CTP) is released each October. Final action on the Statewide CTP is taken by the General Assembly. The County continues to work with the State and the concessionaire under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) for the 16-mile Purple Line light rail project. In addition to completing the design and construction of the project in 2027, the concessionaire will operate and maintain the light rail corridor for a period of 30 years.
The Purple Line project is included to provide oversight and financial support to this State project. As with any large infrastructure project, significant impacts to the community - both residents and business along the corridor - are anticipated during the construction period. The County is actively engaged with the community throughout the various project stages. The County is also providing technical review and oversight of both the County-funded projects (Bethesda Metro Station South Entrance, Silver Spring Green Trail, and Capital Crescent Trail) and the overall Purple Line project to ensure that they are in keeping with County standards.
BUS RAPID TRANSIT
The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) continues to advance Flash Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) to deliver a new high-quality, high-capacity transit option in the County. Making efficient use of existing roadways, Flash will provide a more robust and reliable system that will increase transit ridership. Design, land acquisition, and/or construction of projects are funded on three BRT corridors from the adopted Countywide Transit Corridors Functional Master Plan - MD 355, MD 586 (Veirs Mill Road), and US 29. Leveraging state grants and anticipated federal aid, MCDOT will add median dedicated bus lanes and construct level boarding platforms, intersection queue jumps, and other system improvements to provide Flash service on zero-emission BRT buses from Rockville to Germantown on MD 355. BRT will also be implemented on Veirs Mill Road through a combination of some dedicated shoulder bus lanes and other improvements, connecting to MD 355 in Rockville to expand the Flash in the central part of the County from Wheaton to Rockville. In addition, bicycle and pedestrian improvements associated with the Veirs Mill and Randolph Road Bicycle & Pedestrian Priority Areas (BiPPA) are being accelerated to further increase access to Flash stations while improving pedestrian and bicycle safety along the Veirs Mill Road corridor. MCDOT will continue engineering for the entire MD 355 transit corridor to eventually extend Flash service south to Bethesda and north to Clarksburg.
The US 29 Flash line has completed construction and began operation in 2020, with planning and design underway to add more dedicated bus lanes. Planning for the North Bethesda Transitway and New Hampshire Avenue BRT corridors was completed in FY24.
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