Corridor Forward: The I-270 Transit Plan

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Montgomery County is considering potential transit opportunities that could serve the I-270 Corridor, but there is a need for a clear strategy to ensure resources are directed to the most efficient and valuable projects. The plan will take a strategic look at the potential transit options that could serve the county’s main north-south corridor. It will prioritize these options based on the county’s strategic, economic, environmental, and community needs, and will create a roadmap detailing the major steps that will need to be taken to realize the highest-priority project(s).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this plan all about?

Montgomery Planning’s first transit-focused plan for the I-270 corridor (the county’s main north-south corridor) will help the County understand the costs and benefits of potential transit investments between the City of Frederick County and Tysons. 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 by toll revenue from the state’s Managed Lanes project or other sources.
Where is the I-270 Corridor, exactly?

This project defines the “I-270 Corridor” as the transportation network extending through Montgomery County between the City of Frederick in Frederick County, MD and Tysons in Fairfax County, VA. It encompasses 30 major activity centers including Germantown, the Great Seneca Life Sciences Center, White Flint, and Bethesda. Because many of our region’s residents and employees commute into and out of the county, the Corridor includes jurisdictions beyond Montgomery County’s boundaries.
Why now?

The rationale for this project’s timing is twofold. Foremost, if constructed, the State’s I-495 and I-270 Managed Lanes projects have the potential to generate revenue that could be used to support transit; however, the county does not have a clear picture of what transit options can best support accessibility along the Corridor. Additionally, as the I-270 Corridor becomes more constrained and we learn more about the costs associated with personal vehicle travel, stakeholders have become more interested in studying options that can reduce dependency personal on vehicle travel.
Why does the County need to prioritize transit opportunities for the Corridor?

The county has several Council-approved plans that recommend high-quality transit for the Corridor. These include the Countywide Transit Corridors Functional Master Plan—which recommends Bus Rapid Transit service along MD 355 and the Corridor Cities Transitway—and the Shady Grove Sector Plan and White Flint Master Plan, which recommend integrating MARC stations into the existing Brunswick Line. At public meetings, the Planning Department frequently receives questions about the potential to extend WMATA’s Red Line north from Shady Grove. Transit advocates have also proposed other solutions, such as the potential for a monorail system or the extension of the Purple Line into Northern Virginia.

The county cannot realistically fund and operate each of these transit opportunities, and no plan to date strategically prioritizes which options have the most merit. This plan will prioritize transit opportunities to ensure resources are not spread thinly across multiple options, but instead directed to the projects that best satisfy the county’s strategic, economic, environmental and social values.
What transit opportunities will the plan study?
The plan will study several different transit opportunities including:
- Transit service along I-270, including express bus, bus rapid transit, rail, and monorail;
- Transit service from Bethesda to Tysons, including an 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; and
- Extension of WMATA’s Red Line
How will the plan prioritize the different transit opportunities?

Montgomery Planning believes that ridership projections are important to compare the merits of various transit options; however, ridership alone is not indicative of whether a particular project should be a high priority. During the planning process, Montgomery Planning will develop a series of metrics based on the county’s strategic, economic, environmental, and social values. These metrics will be evaluated for each of the transit opportunities to provide a comprehensive picture of each transit option’s merits. The resulting information will be used to prioritize the transit opportunities. Some examples of potential metrics could include operating costs per rider served, intensity of energy use, and how well the options serve transit-dependent populations.
How does the Plan relate to the I-495 & I-270 Managed Lanes projects?

The State’s I-495 & I-270 Managed Lanes projects, if constructed, are anticipated to generate toll revenue that can be used to support transit within Montgomery County. Because this plan’s recommendations will be available prior to the construction of the toll lanes, the plan will inform Montgomery County’s ability to direct funds to the best projects. The plan will not compare the potential of transit against the State’s highway projects. This is a transit plan that will not evaluate roadway capacity projects. Highway projects are being studied by the State through separate processes.
Who is the Planning Department coordinating with?

Montgomery Planning is coordinating directly with other jurisdictions and state and regional agencies to ensure their input is captured in the planning process. Montgomery Planning will also coordinate with non-governmental stakeholders, including local economic interests and transit advocates.
How can I be involved?

Montgomery Planning will be conducting a series of informal and formal outreach events. Meeting times and dates will be posted to the Department’s website, and the general public is encouraged to attend these events. Additionally, Montgomery Planning will “meet people where they are” by conducting informal pop-up events, including jurisdictions within and beyond Montgomery County. These “pop-ups” will also be advertised at MontgomeryPlanning.org.