A section of University Boulevard (MD 193) between the Capital Beltway and Wheaton.

By Montgomery Planning Staff

Community engagement is a cornerstone of the planning process. During the process for the University Boulevard Corridor Plan (UBC), we heard about the concerns and aspirations for the plan area from community members, businesses, and other key stakeholders.

During the outreach process, it was important for us to meet this community where they were. Through community meetings, conversations, mailings, door knocking, and more, we were able to get a sense for a vision that the community wanted to see. This feedback directly inspired the draft recommendations that are currently being reviewed by the Montgomery County Planning Board. View a complete list of our engagement efforts.

Part of the Planning Board’s review included a public hearing in February 2025. In response to the comments received at the hearing and sent to us as written testimony about the plan, we developed a list of answers to the most common community questions we’ve heard. View the full Q&A document for more community questions and answers.

How does the University Boulevard Corridor Plan ensure that development benefits current residents?

The draft University Boulevard Corridor Plan prioritizes community-driven growth by encouraging mixed-use development to bring housing, retail, and public amenities together. For some properties in blocks along the corridor, the plan would allow property owners to build more housing types than what the law currently allows—but there is no obligation to do so. The plan also promotes what is called “Complete Communities,” where residents have more convenient access to daily needs. Finally, the draft plan advocates for investing in infrastructure improvements, such as better sidewalks, bike lanes, and public transit.

How does this plan fit into the broader goals of Thrive Montgomery 2050, and what does that mean for my neighborhood?

The draft University Boulevard Corridor Plan directly supports Montgomery County’s General Plan, Thrive Montgomery 2050, by:

• Focusing development along University Boulevard that is near a variety of public transit options and gives people more ways to get around.
• Encouraging the construction of a mix of housing types, sizes, and prices.
• Promoting the enhancement and creation of green spaces and sustainability initiatives to improve the urban environment.

Overall, this means a gradual transition toward a more walkable, transit-friendly community.  View an interactive map of the zoning recommendations in this plan.

The plan area already has diverse homeownership demographics. Will allowing more types of housing drive up prices or limit availability?

The core purpose of any zoning changes will be to make it easier for people to buy or rent a house in the plan area—primarily by allowing more kinds of homes in more places. Having options on the supply side means we’ll have options on the demand side, too. The only change to housing we’re talking about here—and indeed, the only type of policy change Montgomery Planning is empowered to recommend—is zoning, which requires a public hearing before both the Planning Board and the County Council. Zoning merely describes what kinds of buildings and development are allowed where; again, this is about giving property owners options, not compelling anyone to build.

The draft plan suggests increasing density, but what safeguards exist to ensure that existing single-family neighborhoods don’t become overcrowded or lose their character?

The draft plan introduces measures to ensure compatibility between new growth and existing neighborhoods. It seeks transitions between single-family homes and denser developments, restricts building heights near single-family areas, and uses design guidance to maintain consistency. The zoning change is focused on blocks along University Boulevard and near planned Bus Rapid Transit stations, not within existing single-family areas that do not front University Boulevard.

What steps are being taken to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety along University Boulevard?

The draft plan includes several measures to enhance pedestrian and bicyclist safety along University Boulevard:

• Sidepaths that are separated from traffic by a landscaped buffer are recommended to make walking and biking safer and more appealing.
• Safer crosswalks and pedestrian signals are recommended, particularly near schools and transit stops. Specific measures include upgrading all intersections with high-visibility continental or ladder crosswalk markings for all pedestrian approaches.
• Speed reduction strategies and Vision Zero policies seek to eliminate severe and fatal crashes through redesigned intersections and traffic-calming measures.
• Right-sizing roadways and intersections to create a safer and more comfortable driving and pedestrian environment. This involves creating a complete network of comfortable walkways and low-stress bikeways, connected by safe, and more frequent protected crossings.