Posts tagged ‘transit’
SILVER SPRING – Montgomery County’s traffic congestion has remained at the same level for the past two years, according to the Mobility Assessment Report, a bi-annual study by county transportation planners that monitors local transportation trends.
The Planning Board will consider the report at its meeting on Thursday, October 27.
The mobility assessment, which also measures transit ridership, bike use and pedestrian activity, finds that the county’s network of roads continues to be strained by increasing numbers of residents and commuters relying on cars as their primary means of travel.
To improve the road network, but recognizing that roads alone can’t address congestion, planners are addressing new options, such as expanded transit, bike paths and sidewalks to achieve more sustainable, less congested communities. Moreover, building future homes near transit will create more opportunities for people to avoid driving.
Particularly bad for commuters, according to travel time indexing: southbound US 29 between Howard County and University Boulevard in the mornings and eastbound University Boulevard between Georgia and New Hampshire avenues in the evenings.
The travel time assessment is based on 50 real-time travel observations collected along priority corridors – MD 355/Rockville Pike, MD 185/Connecticut Avenue, U.S. 29/Columbia Pike and MD 586/Veirs Mill Road – that have a history of the greatest congestion. Planners analyze travel conditions by comparing the slowest time traveled along a corridor compared to a vehicle traveling at the speed limit.
The report also ranks the county’s most congested intersections based on critical lane volume data gathered between 2008 and 2011. Critical lane volume data takes snapshots of intersection performance, literally capturing traffic volume at a particular time and place.
The top most congested intersections include:
- Old Georgetown Road at Democracy Boulevard
- Darnestown Road at Riffle Ford Road
- Shady Grove Road at Choke Cherry Lane
- Rockville Pike at West Cedar Lane
- Georgia Avenue at Norbeck Road
- MD 355 at Edmonston Drive
- Great Seneca Highway at Muddy Branch Road
- Connecticut Avenue at Jones Bridge Road
WHO:
Montgomery County Planning Board
WHAT:
2011 Mobility Assessment Report
WHEN:
Thursday, October 27, approximately 3 p.m.
WHERE:
Park and Planning Headquarters
8787 Georgia Ave.
Silver Spring, MD
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SILVER SPRING – In a report that provides a snapshot of just how long it takes commuters and others to traverse Montgomery County roadways, county transportation planners have ranked the top 10 most congested intersections and roads as the basis for improvements to the local network.
The Highway Mobility Report provides background to local policymakers like County Council members as they weigh funding priorities to improve area transportation networks. The Planning Board uses the report to make decisions about lane, intersection or crosswalk improvements while reviewing development applications.
It should come as no surprise to county motorists that most congestion occurs along busy north-south corridors Rockville Pike, Connecticut Avenue, Georgia Avenue and Colesville Road and east-west connectors like Veirs Mill Road and MD 28. Planners labeled the intersection of Shady Grove Road and Midcounty Highway as the most congested, followed closely by Rockville Pike at West Cedar Lane.
Transportation planners calculate congestion by counting cars and determining average traffic volume in each lane at peak morning and afternoon commuting periods.
View the 2009 Highway Mobility Report and the list of most congested intersections and corridors.
In a departure from previous studies, this year’s Highway Mobility Report, which goes to the Planning Board on Monday, analyzes transit use and pedestrian activity to provide a more holistic view of travel in the county. Reflecting national trends, planners found a 5 percent increase in Metrorail ridership between February 2006 and February 2009. Metrorail ridership was highest at those stations located amid a mix of houses and businesses, such as Silver Spring.
Residents also frequent the county Ride On buses, with heaviest ridership –about 8,000 bus passengers daily – on routes running from Silver Spring to Germantown along the I-270 corridor, and among down-county commercial centers. Ridership in 2008 exceeded the number of passengers – measured by daily average boardings – using Metrorail, demonstrating the importance of Ride On buses to how people get around.
For those who travel by car, the report offers some cause for hope. Two projects now under construction will improve highway mobility. The Intercounty Connector will relieve congestion along Norbeck Road, and extending Montrose Parkway across Rockville Pike will improve mobility in North Bethesda. Two of the top 10 intersections – Rockville Pike at West Cedar Lane and Connecticut Avenue at Jones Bridge Road are recommended for improvement associated with the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) project at Bethesda Naval Hospital.
Who:
Montgomery County Planning Board
What:
Review Highway Mobility Report and transmit to County Council
When:
Approximately 7:30 p.m. Monday, June 8
Where:
Park and Planning Headquarters
8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring
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