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Transportation Development Review

One of the most important ways the Montgomery County Planning Board implements the vision of the County’s General Plan and master plans is by reviewing proposed development and deciding on subdivision requests. The following transportation resources should be consulted to ensure consistency with county master plans, policies, standards and practices.

General Transportation Resources

Functional Plans

All development applications must substantially conform to transportation recommendations in area master plans and functional plans, including:

Resources

The following resources will assist development applicants in conforming to county standards, guidelines and best practices.

Policies

The Planning Board has established transportation-related policies for development projects.

Local Area Transportation Review (LATR)

In 1973, the County Council adopted an Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance and granted the Planning Board administrative oversight to ensure that adequate public facilities exist to accommodate growth. Since then, Montgomery County has considered the impacts of development on the transportation system, guided by the County Council’s Growth and Infrastructure Policy, which is reviewed on a four-year cycle.

The 2023 LATR Guidelines implement the Growth and Infrastructure Policy and guide applicants in evaluating a proposed development’s impacts on the nearby transportation system. All projects that generate 50 or more net new peak hour person trips are subject to the Growth and Infrastructure LATR requirements, which are detailed in the LATR Guidelines.

General

  • Scoping Form: Prior to initiating a Local Area Transportation Review study or transportation exemption statement, a scope of work must be approved by relevant agencies, including the Montgomery County Planning Department, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation, and the State Highway Administration (where relevant).
  • Transportation Policy Area Map: A map that identifies the county’s transportation policy areas.
  • Transportation Management Districts Map: A map that identifies the county’s six Transportation Management Districts.
  • Transportation Infrastructure Commitments: A webpage that identifies pedestrian, bicycle, and bus transit deficiencies that will be mitigated by development and capital projects.
  • LATR Transportation Study Outline: A resource outlining the expected components of an LATR Transportation Study, including tables and sections. Following the outline makes submittals more consistent and easier to review, but is not required.

Traffic Counts

LATR Proportionality Guide

The LATR Proportionality Guide ensures that offsite transportation improvements are not out of proportion with a project’s impact on the overall safety and functionality of the transportation system. For more information on the LATR Proportionality Guide, see Section VIII of the 2023 LATR Guidelines.

Pedestrian System Adequacy

Pedestrian Level of Comfort

Street Lighting

ADA Compliance

Bicycle System Adequacy

Bus Transit System Adequacy

Vision Zero Statement

  • High Injury Network Map: A map displaying the 20 High Injury Network corridors in Montgomery County.
  • High Risk Crash Locations: A list of the top 200 highest risk locations for six crash types from the Planning Department’s Predictive Safety Analysis.
  • Speed Study Database: A list of recent speed studies conducted in the county.
  • Crash Data: This map uses data from the Montgomery County Vision Zero crash data and has been modified by Montgomery Planning staff to more accurately depict crash locations and to simplify and consolidate some of the crash attributes.
  • Vision Zero Community Toolkit: This toolkit presents design treatments known to reduce crashes involving motor vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians, outlines how each treatment addresses safety and the expected reduction in crashes associated with the treatment and describes the applicable locations for each treatment.

Past Guidance Documents (not currently applicable)

Past LATR Guidelines

Past LATR Proportionality Guides

Past LATR Cost Estimation Tool

Other Documents