Progress report to highlight Maryland’s 15 alternatives for easing traffic congestion on region’s busiest highways
SILVER SPRING, MD – The governing body of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) will be briefed on the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration’s (MDOT SHA) Interstate-495 and Interstate-270 Managed Lanes Study by the Commission’s project coordinators, Carol Rubin for Montgomery County and Debra Borden for Prince George’s County, as well as technical staff assigned to the project. The Managed Lanes Study is one of the initiatives in the MDOT SHA Traffic Relief Plan to reduce traffic congestion in the region.
M-NCPPC will be briefed on the Commission’s staff analysis of the 15-plus alternatives identified by MDOT SHA to address congestion on I-495 in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties and on I-270. The goal is to hear from the Commissioners about their most critical issues and concerns in an attempt to guide MDOT SHA to its recommended selection of Alternatives Retained for Detailed Study (ARDS) prior to the anticipated release of the ARDS in January 2019 for public comment. As a cooperating agency for the Managed Lanes Study, M-NCPPC’s comments will be part of the project’s administrative record.
Among the alternatives are combinations of high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes, managed toll lanes and reversible lanes, all with the potential for some transit to be incorporated.
As the steward of parkland and natural resources throughout the study area, the Commission will ultimately be reviewing the project as the regional planning agency for Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties.
The staff briefing and discussion are scheduled to take place on Wednesday, October 17 at approximately 10 a.m. during the M-NCPPC full commission meeting in the auditorium of the Montgomery Regional Office Building, the headquarters of the Montgomery County Planning Department (8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD).
The community is invited to attend the briefing to learn more about the project. Public comments should be submitted to the MDOT SHA website about the study (see information below).
Details
Briefing on I-495 and I-270 Managed Lanes Study at M-NCPPC Full Commission Meeting
Wednesday, October 17 at approximately 10 a.m.
Montgomery Regional Office Building (8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD)
Watch online at montgomeryplanningboard.org
About the I-495 and I-270 Managed Lanes Study
The I-495 and I-270 Managed Lanes Study was initiated by MDOT SHA as an element of a broader plan to relieve traffic congestion on the busiest routes in the region. The study considers improvements along I-495 (Capital Beltway), as well as along I-270 (Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Highway). The Managed Lanes Study will evaluate a range of alternatives within the specific area of I-495 from the Virginia side of the American Legion Bridge in Fairfax County to Exit 7 on the Maryland side of I-495/I-95 and on I-270 from I-495 to I-370.
A notice of intent to complete an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Managed Lanes Study area was issued by the Federal Highway Administration on March 16, 2018, and under Executive Order the agency is tasked with reaching permit stage in two years.
MDOT SHA proposes that the purpose of the I-495 and I-270 Managed Lanes Study is to develop a travel demand management solution that addresses congestion, improve trip reliability on I-495 and I-270 within the study limits and enhance existing and planned multimodal mobility and connectivity. MDOT SHA has expressed its intent is to utilize a public-private partnership (P3) in order to design, construct, operate and maintain any proposed infrastructure improvements.
Managed lanes consist of a highway facility or set of lanes where operating strategies are used to control the number of vehicles using the lanes at any given time. Any selected build alternative is likely to have significant impacts on parkland and the associated facilities, programs and natural and cultural resources in both Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties as well as on communities. Potential effects of the Managed Lanes Study will be evaluated during the detailed process required of the Alternatives Retained for Detailed Studies (ARDS).
Learn more about the MDOT SHA Managed Lanes Study.
For more information
The public and other interested parties are encouraged to comment online at the study’s website (495-270-P3.com), by email at 495-270-P3@sha.state.md.us or hard copy during the public workshops held by the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration. Hard copy comments can also be mailed to the I-495 and I-270 P3 Project Office at the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration, 707 North Calvert Street, Mail Stop P-601, Baltimore, MD 21202.
About The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) is a bi-county agency empowered by the State of Maryland in 1927 to acquire, develop, maintain and administer a regional system of parks within Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, and to provide land use planning for the physical development of Prince George’s and Montgomery counties. In addition, the agency gained responsibility for the public recreation program in Prince George’s County in 1970.
The governing body of M-NCPPC consists of 10 members, five appointed by Montgomery County and five by Prince George’s County. The Commission coordinates and acts on matters of interest to both counties, and meets at least once a month. The members of the Commission from each county serve on separate county planning boards to facilitate, review and administer the matters affecting their respective counties.
About The Montgomery County Planning Department
The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, aims to improve quality of life by conserving and enhancing the natural and built environment for current and future generations. The Planning Department creates great communities by developing master plans, reviewing applications for development and analyzing various types of information to help public officials plan for Montgomery County’s future. The Department comprises about 150 staff members and provides recommendations, information, analysis and services to the Montgomery County Planning Board, the County Council, the County Executive, other government agencies and the public. Visit www.montgomeryplanning.org.
About The Montgomery County Department of Parks
Montgomery Parks manages more than 36,000 acres of parkland, consisting of 421 parks. Montgomery Parks is a department of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), a bi-county agency established in 1927 to steward public land. The M-NCPPC has been nationally recognized for its high-quality parks and recreation services and is regarded as a national model by other parks systems. Visit www.montgomeryparks.org.