With Planning Board approval of scope of work for new plan to improve pedestrian conditions, community engagement will begin this fall
SILVER SPRING, MD –The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), is set to begin development of the county’s first Pedestrian Master Plan, an effort to make walking in Montgomery County safer and more comfortable, convenient and direct.
The Scope of Work for the plan, defining the purpose, process and timeline required of this initiative, goes before the Planning Board for approval on Thursday, September 5, 2019. Community engagement will occur in fall 2019 and a draft of the completed plan is expected to be presented to the Planning Board in late 2020.
Background on Pedestrian Master Plan
The new Pedestrian Master Plan, to be 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.
Upcoming Community Meetings
- Commission on People with Disabilities on September 11 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the County Executive Office Building (101 Monroe Street, Rockville, MD).
- Commission on Aging on September 25 at 9:30 a.m. at the North Potomac Community Recreation Center (13860 Travilah Road, Rockville, MD).
All members of the community are invited to discuss the plan and pedestrian concerns at the following community meetings:
- October 10 from 7 to 8:15 p.m. at the Olney Library (3500 Olney Laytonsville Road, Olney, MD). RSVP for October 10.
- October 14 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the East County Community Recreation Center (3310 Gateshead Manor Way, Silver Spring, MD). RSVP for October 14.
- October 16 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center (4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda, MD). RSVP for October 16.
- October 21 from 7 to 8:30 at the Montgomery County Planning Department (8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD). RSVP for October 21.
RSVPs are encouraged but not required.
For more information, contact planner Eli Glazier at 301-495-4548 or eli.glazier@montgomeryplanning.org