Selected candidates will support planners with their community knowledge and technical expertise to improve pedestrian safety and accessibility
SILVER SPRING, MD –The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), is seeking members of the community to participate in its Pedestrian Master Plan Advisory Group. Selected candidates will serve alongside representatives from key stakeholder groups to support Montgomery Planning staff in identifying challenges and opportunities in the pedestrian environment, drafting recommendations and providing feedback on the plan as it develops.
Advisory group members will serve as a link between their communities and Montgomery Planning staff. They will assist staff in developing the Pedestrian Master Plan by applying their community knowledge and technical expertise. Members must be available to attend all meetings, be active participants in discussions and be open to considering different points of view.
The advisory group will meet approximately five times in 2020, starting in January and ending in December. All meetings will take place on weekdays between 7 and 9 p.m. at the Planning Department’s current headquarters (8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD) or its future headquarters (11219 Grandview Avenue, Wheaton, MD) after mid-August 2020.
To apply to become a member of the Pedestrian Master Plan Advisory Group, please complete the online application by Sunday, December 8, 2019. For more information, contact Eli Glazier at eli.glazier@montgomeryplanning.org or (301) 495-4548.
Background on Pedestrian Master Plan
The new Pedestrian Master Plan, now being developed by Montgomery Planning’s Functional Planning and Policy Division, will address all reasons for walking – commuting to and from work or school, running errands, recreation, entertainment, exercise and everything in between. Planner recommendations will support making walking universally accessible to county residents of all ages and abilities and will consider walking by foot (including with a cane, a walker or a stroller), by wheelchair or by mobility scooter.
The Pedestrian Master Plan will identify best practices, analyze information from people who walk and roll and examine ways of improving the pedestrian experience using several analytical tools, including a pedestrian comfort analysis and a crash analysis. The resulting Pedestrian Master Plan will provide county leaders and agencies, such as Montgomery County Department of Transportation and the Department of Permitting Services, recommendations and guidance related to:
- Prioritization of pedestrian pathways and safe crossings.
- Pedestrian-supportive policies and operational practices.
- Pedestrian design toolkit of treatments and operational approaches to traffic calming, signal timing, accessibility features and more.
The Pedestrian Master Plan will complement the 2018 Bicycle Master Plan, Thrive Montgomery 2050 planning and other Vision Zero-related efforts to make streets safer and more accessible, including the 2019 Veirs Mill Corridor Master Plan and the 2019 Aspen Hill Vision Zero Study.