Comprehensive countywide technical update proposes 101 changes to county roads and five new urban road code areas
SILVER SPRING, MD – The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), presented the Working Draft of the Master Plan of Highways and Transitways to the Montgomery County Planning Board on Thursday, December 21, 2017.
View the Working Draft of the Master Plan of Highways and Transitways (MPOHT).
The plan proposes updating the county’s road and transitway network master plan with recommendations that range from road classification changes to Urban Road Code boundary changes in an effort to bring the MPOHT into conformance with the Montgomery County Code. It is the first time that such a comprehensive update has been done in more than 60 years. The Bicycle Master Plan Working Draft, currently being reviewed by the Planning Board, is independent from this document.
This update to Montgomery County’s Master Plan of Highways and Transitways provides a comprehensive summary of all significant existing and proposed highway and transitway facilities within the county. The new master plan presents a “road map” for making transportation investments within the context of a long-range vision. It also contains the future network of transportation facilities designed to serve residents, businesses, visitors and people passing through the county.
“This update to the Master Plan of Highways and Transitways will make information transparent and accessible for the public and decision-makers,” says project manager, Stephen Aldrich. “All of these changes were noted in separate master and sector plans over the last 70 years, but now they will all be contained in one place and be more easily accessible.”
A public hearing for the Master Plan of Highways and Transitways is tentatively scheduled for February 15, 2018 at the Planning Department headquarters (8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD). Consult the Planning Board agenda for more details.
Planning Board work sessions to refine the Master Plan of Highways and Transitways will take place following the public hearing.
About the Technical Update to the Master Plan of Highways and Transitways
The current update to the Master Plan of Highways and Transitways is the first major revision to this plan since 1955. Over time, incremental changes have been made to roadway classifications through master and sector plans, and changes have also been made to the road code. The update will collect and record these changes in one document. This plan essentially is a technical update to bring consistency and usability to the transportation network.
As part of this update, staff will propose a regular schedule of annual or biennial revisions to the Master Plan of Highways and Transitways so future changes are recorded and the plan is kept current.
The Master Plan of Highways and Transitways Technical Update will:
- More closely align the Master Plan of Highways and Transitways (MPOHT) with the current County Road Code, which was amended in 2008 and 2014, to make our roads more pedestrian-friendly and context-sensitive, and reflect a complete streets approach to road design.
- Modify road classifications to conform to full range of 2008 County Road Code road types.
- Correct inconsistencies in roads affecting multiple master plan areas.
- Create a user-friendly web interface to allow the public to examine and search for existing and planned elements of the master-planned transportation system.
View the current Master Plan of Highways and Transitways web page. Details on planned public outreach activities can be found in the Outreach section of the web page.