University Boulevard Corridor Plan

Overview

The University Boulevard Corridor (UBC) Plan will build on previous initiatives, such as the Countywide Transit Corridors Functional Master Plan, Thrive Montgomery 2050, and Vision Zero. The UBC Plan focuses on a three-mile stretch of University Boulevard (MD 193), with the aim to understand community needs in relation to traffic safety, regional connectivity, environmental sustainability, and economic development. The plan explores opportunities for new development, bikeways, and bus rapid transit (BRT), as well as the creation of a complete street with wider sidewalks, comfortable public transportation stops, and safe access. Community involvement is key to the success of the process, and Montgomery Planning is offering virtual and in-person opportunities for feedback. The University Boulevard Corridor Plan is part of a larger vision for compact growth, supported by an excellent transit system and a safe, appealing network for walking, biking, and rolling.

Scope of work

Montgomery Planning staff presented the University Boulevard Corridor Plan’s Scope of Work to the Planning Board on February 16, 2023. Watch the Scope of Work presentation and download the slides.

View the Scope of Work Vea el Alcance del Trabajo

Plan boundary

The plan area is centered on a three-mile stretch of University Boulevard (MD 193) from the edge of East Indian Spring Drive, just south of i-495, to Amherst Avenue in Wheaton. The Plan boundaries were expanded based on conversations with the community after the two open house events in November 2022 and will be presented to the Planning Board for approval with the Plan’s Scope of Work.

View map full screen

About the plan area

The University Boulevard Corridor is home to a linguistically, economically, and ethnically diverse community.

Educational Institutions

There are five Public Schools in the plan area, including three elementary schools and two high schools. The plan area is also home to 12 private educational institutions that offer educational services from early-childhood care to high school.

Religious Institutions

Ten places of worship are in the plan area.

Demographics

The demographics of the study area, which is larger than the plan area, are very similar to the County’s demographics with a slightly higher percentage of Black residents and a slightly lower percentage of Asian residents.

Non-Residential Development

The plan area has less than 1 million square feet of non-residential development. Approximately 73% of the existing non-residential development was built between 1950 and 1980.

Past events

University Boulevard Corridor Plan virtual workshop, I-495 to Dennis Avenue, May 3, 2023

University Boulevard Corridor Plan in-person workshop, I-495 to Dennis Avenue, April 26, 2023

Groups of people at round tables with maps, cards, markers at workshop community members sit at table with large area map, index cards, and markers at in-person workshop

University Boulevard Corridor Plan virtual community meeting, March 14, 2023

University Boulevard Corridor Plan community meeting, March 8, 2023

Download March 8 community meeting presentation slides

University Boulevard Corridor Plan open house meeting, November 2022

Download presentation

Frequently asked questions

What is the University Boulevard Corridor Plan?

The Montgomery County Planning Department launched the University Boulevard Corridor Plan in November 2022. This plan builds on major Montgomery County Initiatives including the 2013 Countywide Transit Corridors Functional Master Plan, Thrive Montgomery 2050, and Vision Zero to establish a vision for the future of University Boulevard and its surroundings. The plan area includes both sides on University Boulevard beginning at Amherst Avenue in Wheaton and extending just past the Capital Beltway (I-495).
Does Montgomery Planning have recommendations for University Boulevard?
What is the Urban Land Institute Technical Assistance Panel?

Montgomery Planning pursued a Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) through the Urban Land Institute this winter to provide an independent perspective from regional experts in design, planning, architecture, engineering, and real estate. The TAP offers innovative ideas for the Planning Department to consider as the University Boulevard Corridor Plan is being developed. The TAP’s findings are not the Plan’s recommendations. The TAP’s findings are a ULI product and is independent from future recommendations, Montgomery Planning will develop the final recommendations for the University Boulevard Corridor Plan in consultation with the community.
How does this Plan relate to Thrive Montgomery 2050?

The Approved and Adopted Thrive Montgomery 2050 Plan (The General Plan) lays out an overarching vision for the county’s future that notes the importance of corridors, such as University Boulevard. The General Plan states that corridors create a web, connecting residents to existing and future centers of activity and Complete Communities. These corridors also either have robust transit service in place or planned or are located close to existing concentrations of jobs, services, and infrastructure in ways that lend themselves to supporting more intensive development.

Looking ahead, Thrive Montgomery 2050 highlights the importance of several existing and evolving corridors, including Rockville Pike/MD 355, Columbia Pike/US 29, Fairland and Briggs Chaney, and University Boulevard. The University Boulevard Corridor Plan is expected to be one of the first to follow that vision.

Thrive Montgomery 2050 also designates different growth areas in the county including the Corridor-Focused Growth area, Limited Growth area and the Rural Areas and Agricultural Reserve. University Boulevard is included in the Corridor-Focused Growth area, an area that The General Plan states “should have the largest share of new growth” as it “encompasses the most developed part of the county with highest-density population and employment centers, and the infrastructure to support existing and new development” (p.42). Within the growth areas, the General Plan also identifies “several existing and potential centers of activity at a variety of scales, including Large, Medium, and Small as well as Villages and Neighborhood Centers” (p.43). Along the University Boulevard Corridor Plan area, Wheaton is included as a large center and Takoma-Langley is included as a medium center.
What is a corridor plan? Why does Montgomery Planning do corridor plans?

Corridors have occupied a significant place in county planning since the 1964 Wedges and Corridors Plan. Similarly, the idea of focusing growth along corridors is far from new; prior plans, such as the Veirs Mill Corridor Master Plan and the White Flint Sector Plan, have addressed major roadway corridors. Existing corridors, such as MD 193, already play a significant role in the lives of the people who live near them, and what happens on the corridor can affect quality of life in meaningful ways. Additionally, corridors are also where the county envisions high-quality BRT transit, development opportunities, and economic connectivity and serve as connections to centers of activity.
I am interested in learning more about this plan – who can I contact?

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Last Updated: May 12, 2023

Montgomery County
Planning Department
2425 Reedie Drive, 14th Floor
Wheaton, MD 20902

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