The Department of Transportation (DOT) Pedestrian Facilities Program provides safe and convenient new pedestrian walkways for County citizens. Sidewalks reduce the risks associated with walking on the roadway, provide an alternative means of transportation for short trips, and provide access to public transit. Two projects, ADA Compliance: Transportation and the Sidewalk Program - Minor Projects, are a part of the Renew Montgomery effort. Renew Montgomery is a comprehensive program that coordinates DOT services to improve the infrastructure of older neighborhoods assuring effective, safe, and attractive vehicular and pedestrian access.ADA Compliance: Transportation and Sidewalk Program - Minor Projects...

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PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES

The Department of Transportation (DOT) Pedestrian Facilities Program provides safe and convenient new pedestrian walkways for County citizens. Sidewalks reduce the risks associated with walking on the roadway, provide an alternative means of transportation for short trips, and provide access to public transit. Two projects, ADA Compliance: Transportation and the Sidewalk Program - Minor Projects, are a part of the Renew Montgomery effort. Renew Montgomery is a comprehensive program that coordinates DOT services to improve the infrastructure of older neighborhoods assuring effective, safe, and attractive vehicular and pedestrian access.

ADA Compliance: Transportation and Sidewalk Program - Minor Projects are focused on improving pedestrian walkability by creating a safer walking environment utilizing selected engineering technologies, and on ensuring ADA compliance.

The DOT Bikeways Program provides for the construction of bike paths and implementation of other bikeways to provide residents, employees, commuters, and visitors the opportunity to ride bicycles safely to their destinations as an alternative to driving automobiles. The program contributes to energy conservation and improved air quality, as well as to the health and safety of the users. Bikeways provide an additional option in the County's balanced transportation system and reduce congestion. DOT also works in conjunction with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) to provide connections to recreational hiker/biker trails in parks, which is integrated into an overall Countywide system of recreational trails.

All projects help the County achieve its Vision Zero goals to reduce deaths and serious injuries on County roadways to zero by 2030.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Add three new projects - Partner with MDOT SHA to design the Sandy Spring Bikeway, a ten-foot-wide shared use path on the north side of MD-108 from Dr. Bird Road to Norwood Road, add funding for the Tuckerman Lane Sidewalk to begin planning for pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements along Tuckerman Lane, and provide funding for the US 29 Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements for the design and construction of pedestrian and bicycle improvements to Flash stations along the US 29 corridor.
• Construct new protected bicycle lanes in Downtown Bethesda to be known as the "Bethesda Circle" to support Vision Zero goals.
• Construct a new shared use path along Good Hope Road including a pedestrian bridge at the intersection of Hopefield Road.
• Construct a new sidewalk along Oak Drive from the southern intersection with MD 27 to John T. Baker Middle School to support Vision Zero goals.
• Seek federal funding for enhanced Pedestrian Priority Area Improvements and Bicycle-Pedestrian Priority Area Improvements - Veirs Mill/Randolph.
• Add funding to Bicycle-Pedestrian Priority Area Improvements - Wheaton CBD to construct additional sub projects.
• Increase funding to Bicycle-Pedestrian Area Improvements - Purple Line for the design and construction of improvements in areas adjacent to future Purple Line Stations.
• Continue funding for two Purple Line-related projects: Capital Crescent Trail and the Silver Spring Green Trail.
• Continue funding for the Metropolitan Branch Trail, including a grade-separated bridge over Georgia Avenue.
• Accelerate MD 355-Clarksburg Shared Use Path.
• Complete the construction of the Franklin Avenue Sidewalk, and MacArthur Blvd Bikeway Improvements.

PROGRAM CONTACTS

Contact Brady Goldsmith of the Department of Transportation at 240.777.2793 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

The recommended DOT Pedestrian Facilities and Bikeways Program for FY23-28 totals $289.3 million and includes 29 ongoing projects. The recommended six-year expenditure total represents an increase of $43.2 million, or 17.9 percent, over the Amended FY21-26 six-year program of $246.1 million. The increase is primarily due to the addition of three new projects, Sandy Spring Bikeway, Tuckerman Lane Sidewalk, and US 29 Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements, shifting several projects, including the Bradley Boulevard (MD 191) Improvements, Goldsboro Road Sidewalk and Bikeway, Forest Glen Passageway, Falls Road Bikeway and Pedestrian Facility, and Oak Drive/MD 27 Sidewalk projects, from the beyond six-year column into the six-year period, and cost increases in a number of projects.

VISION ZERO

Vision Zero is the County's comprehensive plan to eliminate serious and fatal injuries for our roadways. The Vision Zero 2030 Action Plan has 45 action items to move from plan to action. The majority of action items are implemented through Capital Improvement Projects to remake our roads into complete streets with sidewalks, bikeways, new signals, and safe driving speeds. The County has maintained focus on County roads while working with the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration to identify and implement projects on State roads as well. Learn more about Vision Zero and see the latest action plan at montgomerycountymd.gov/visionzero. In total, the recommended CIP includes at least $433 million for Vision Zero projects.

PEDESTRIAN SAFETY

DOT continues to evaluate existing infrastructure, build necessary enhancements, and add to the County's existing infrastructure to increase the safety and comfort level of pedestrians and ensure ADA compliance. DOT conducts regular meetings with the Montgomery County Pedestrian, Bicycle, and Traffic Safety Advisory Committee (PTBSAC) to obtain input and recommendations on pedestrian safety issues. In addition to the projects in the Pedestrian Facilities and Bikeways sub-category, pedestrian safety initiatives will continue to be supported through efforts in the Public Services Program and will continue drawing support from the following ongoing projects: Guardrails, Bus Stop Improvements, Intersection and Spot Improvements, Neighborhood Traffic Calming, Pedestrian Safety Program, Streetlight Enhancements - CBD, Transportation Improvements for Schools, ADA Compliance: Transportation, Resurfacing: Residential/Rural, Sidewalk and Curb Replacement, Streetlighting, Traffic Signals, Advanced Transportation Management System, MCPS - Improved Safe Access to Schools and MNCPPC - Vision Zero.

PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES AND BIKEWAYS IN TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS

In accordance with the Road Code (also known as Context Sensitive Road Design Standards) last adopted in December 2008, all transportation projects are designed and built in a "context sensitive manner," taking into consideration the balance between the provision of new road capacity, pedestrian and bicycling needs, and minimization of impacts to the environment. For this reason, all road projects provide pedestrian and bicycling facilities, unless there are environmental or community impacts that may outweigh the benefits of providing those facilities or there are Master Planned bikeways in the immediate vicinity of the project being undertaken. Furthermore, in some instances the inclusion of pedestrian and/or bicyclist facilities may go beyond the limits of the road project in order to fill in gaps in the pedestrian or bikeway networks. Also, bridge projects typically include pedestrian and/or bikeway enhancements, such as expanded shoulders, to allow for safe on-road bicycling, sidewalks, or bike paths.

The following list presents all road and bridge projects included in the Recommended FY23-28 CIP for which pedestrian and bicyclist facilities are an integral part of the project.

TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS THAT INCLUDE PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES OR BIKEWAYS

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