Online map shows travel patterns along the I-270 Corridor; data shows many commutes are over 45 minutes.
SILVER SPRING, MD – The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), recently launched an interactive online map, titled I-270 Commute Patterns, as part of the Corridor Forward Plan. The map displays information on where people live and work, how they travel to work and the travel options available to them. This map represents the first step in creating the Corridor Forward Plan, which will evaluate and prioritize potential transit options to serve residents living and working along the I-270 Corridor, the County’s major north-south transportation network.
View the I-270 Commute Patterns Web Map.
The online map displays:
- Activity centers, which are communities that function as employment centers or are anticipated for future growth.
- Whether employees travel to their jobs at given activity centers by car or by transit.
About the Corridor Forward Plan
There are several Montgomery County Council-approved plans that recommend high-quality transit along the I-270 corridor, including Bus Rapid Transit service along MD 355, the Corridor Cities Transitway and the North Bethesda Transitway; a third rail for the MARC Brunswick Line; and new MARC stations in White Flint and Shady Grove. The Corridor Forward Plan aims to prioritize transit opportunities to ensure resources are directed to the projects that best satisfy the county’s strategic, environmental, equity and economic goals.
In the Corridor Forward Plan, planners will study the following transit opportunities:
- Transit service along I-270, including express bus, BRT, rail and monorail.
- Transit service from Bethesda to Tysons, including a potential extension of the Purple Line, the North Bethesda Transitway, and/or other BRT alignments.
- Transit service serving the Corridor Cities Transitway communities.
- Enhanced transit service along the existing MARC rail line.
- Extending WMATA’s Red Line.
The Corridor Forward Plan will prioritize transit options based on the following values:
- Strategic Connections: Transit opportunities that serve high-demand origin and destination pairs, balancing costs of implementation with projected benefits.
- Economic Health: Transit opportunities that enable existing development and master-planned communities to realize their potential as livable and economically vibrant places.
- Community Equity: Transit opportunities that align with the County’s social equity goals and principles.
- Environmental Resilience: Transit opportunities that operate sustainably and reduce negative environmental impacts.
The plan will involve community engagement and a detailed evaluation of potential projects, resulting in a prioritized list of transit projects that could be funded with toll revenue from Maryland’s I-495 and I-270 Managed Lanes project or other sources.
Corridor Forward Plan Scope of Work
The launch of the online map follows the Planning Board’s approval of the Corridor Forward Plan Scope of Work on April 30. Highlights from the Planning Board meeting include the following:
- Beyond traditional transit metrics, Montgomery Planning staff will develop metrics based on the environmental, economic and equity values of Thrive Montgomery 2050.
- The Board also recommended the development and use of evaluation metrics that can assess efficiency of different transit options, as well as transit’s competitiveness with personal vehicle travel.
- After options are prioritized, staff will work on developing an implementation plan that details how the highest priority project(s) can be realized.
- During the scope of work discussion, the Board encouraged staff to continue its coordination with external stakeholders, including the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Transit and State Highway Administrations, as well as the Montgomery County Department of Transportation.
- Finally, the Board recommended enlarging the study area to include employment destinations in the District of Columbia.
- The Board unanimously approved the scope of work, including the recommendations listed above.
Learning more about the Corridor Forward Plan
For more information about the Corridor Forward Plan, visit the project webpage.
If you have any questions, contact Patrick Reed, Corridor Forward Plan project manager, at 301-495-4538 or patrick.reed@montgomeryplanning.org.
Stay informed and subscribe to the Corridor Forward Plan eLetter.