The Bicycle Master Plan team will participate in the Olney community bike ride, Metropolitan Branch Trail review, Bike to Work Day and Third Great MoCo Bicycle Summit
SILVER SPRING, MD – The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, is participating in several local cycling events this spring as staff continues to develop the Countywide Bicycle Master Plan.
On Saturday, May 7, the Bicycle Master Plan team will join Planning Board Chair Casey Anderson and community residents on a bike ride from 1 to 2 p.m. around Olney, Maryland. The bicycle tour, which will depart promptly at 1 p.m. from the Olney Library (3500 Olney Laytonsville Road, Olney, MD), is open to the public, but several on-road segments may be uncomfortable for less experienced riders. Consult the Montgomery County Bicycle Stress Map for details. Following the tour, a discussion about the Bicycle Master Plan will be held at the Olney Bagel Bakery (3490 Olney Laytonsville Road) from 2 to 3 p.m.
On Thursday, May 19, 2016, Planning Department staff will lead the Planning Board in a review of the proposed Metropolitan Branch Trail. The date for this Planning Board discussion is tentative and may be changed. When the date is confirmed, the session will be posted on the Planning Board website at www.montgomeryplanningboard.org/agendas/.
The Montgomery County Planning Board welcomes your participation at this trail review. You may sign up online to testify at the meeting. Written comments must be submitted at least one full business day before a scheduled hearing (by 9 a.m. on the Wednesday morning before a Thursday hearing) and sent to Planning Board Chair Casey Anderson by email at mcp-chair@mncppc-mc.org. They can also be sent by mail to the Montgomery County Planning Board (8787 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20910) or via fax at (301) 495-1320.
On Friday, May 20, 2016, the Planning Department will participate in this year’s Bike to Work Day. This regional event is organized by Commuter Connections, a division of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, and the Washington Area Bicyclists Association (WABA).
Bicyclists are invited to join convoys led by experienced cyclists and commute to their work places. Pit stops throughout the County will offer refreshments and prizes. Members of the Planning Department will be at pit stops in Silver Spring, Takoma Park and Bethesda to discuss the Bicycle Master Plan.
On Saturday, June 18, the Planning Department’s transportation planner David Anspacher will join County Councilmember Hans Riemer at the Third Great MoCo Bicycle Summit. The morning event starts with a family-friendly group bike ride from 9 to 10 a.m., beginning at the intersection of the Bethesda Trolley Trail and Tuckerman Lane. The route proceeds through Rockville to the Council Office Building (100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, MD) where the presentations in the third floor hearing room run from 10 a.m. through noon. David Anspacher will speak about the update to the Bicycle Master Plan starting at 11:15 a.m.
About the Bicycle Master Plan
Launched in July 2015, the Bicycle Master Plan is focusing on developing a high-quality, low-stress network throughout Montgomery County that reflects the newest biking practices. Separated bike lanes, buffered bike lanes and bicycle boulevards, as well as secure bicycle storage facilities, are being studied for specific locations. This current effort will consolidate all bicycle recommendations into a single plan for the first time since 1978.
The 21-member Bicycle Master Plan Community Advisory Group was appointed in 2015 to guide planners in developing the Plan. The group consists of 13 members from cycling and other organizations, and eight community members who applied to be part of the effort.
A draft of the Bicycle Master Plan is expected to be presented to the Planning Board in spring 2017.