Plan recommends ways of improving commuter rail station areas in Boyds and Germantown, while preserving historic districts and expanding transportation choices
Silver Spring, MD – The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, will present the Working Draft of the MARC Rail Communities Plan to the Montgomery County Planning Board on December 21, 2017. This master plan evaluates land use, zoning, design and access conditions at the Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) stations in Boyds and Germantown.
Review the Working Draft of the MARC Rail Communities Plan
The plan is designed to enhance the transit station areas in Boyds and Germantown. Its recommendations follow four principles:
- Preserve the historic character of the Boyds and Germantown communities.
- Connect Boyds and Germantown, both internally and externally, to ensure a viable range of transportation choices, including expanded MARC ridership, improved pedestrian and bicycle mobility, and efficient vehicular travel.
- Sustain the area’s natural resources while acknowledging and respecting environmental and infrastructure constraints.
- Renew the Boyds and Germantown station areas with new uses that support MARC commuter rail service, preserve and enhance community character, and serve community residents.
In Boyds, the plan maintains the integrity of the Boyds Historic District, provides for sensitive development of new commuter rail facilities using historic buildings and recommends a new and relocated highway underpass to resolve traffic congestion.
In Germantown, the Plan recommends mixed-use development at an appropriate scale as well as additional commuter facilities at the existing station. The Plan also recommends a “road diet”—targeted steps to improve the travel route for pedestrians and cyclists—along Middlebrook Road that can be accommodated without creating traffic congestion.
Development of the MARC Rail Communities Plan included extensive public outreach, including an intensive four-day design workshop in Germantown and a number of community meetings designed to solicit the views, concerns and suggestions of affected residents, businesspeople and other stakeholders.
For more information, contact lead planner Roberto Duke at 301-495-2168 or Roberto.Duke@montgomeryplanning.org.