Community is invited to comment on plan recommendations for county roads and new urban road code areas
SILVER SPRING, MD – The Montgomery County Planning Board, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), will hold a public hearing for the Master Plan of Highways and Transitways at its headquarters (8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD) on Thursday, February 15, 2018. Community residents interested in testifying at the meeting or submitting written comments should consult the Planning Board agenda for details.
View the Public Hearing Draft of the Master Plan of Highways and Transitways (MPOHT).
The community is invited to testify on the Bicycle Master Plan at the Public Hearing on February 15 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Sign up to testify online https://montgomeryplanningboard.org/meetings/signup-to-testify/sign-testify-form/, beginning on February 5.
The public is also invited to submit comments about the Master Plan of Highways and Transitways to mcp-chair@mncppc.org. These comments will become part of the public testimony and public record for the Plan.
The plan proposes updating the county’s road and transitway network master plan with recommendations that range from road classification changes to Urban Road Code boundary changes in an effort to bring the MPOHT into conformance with the Montgomery County Code. It is the first time that such a comprehensive update has been undertaken in more than 60 years.
This update to Montgomery County’s Master Plan of Highways and Transitways provides a comprehensive summary of all significant existing and proposed highway and transitway facilities within the county. The new master plan presents a “road map” for making transportation investments within the context of a long-range vision. It also contains the future network of transportation facilities designed to serve residents, businesses, visitors and people passing through the county.
The Bicycle Master Plan, scheduled for public hearing before the Planning Board on January 25, 2018, is independent from the Master Plan of Highways and Transitways. Consult the Public Hearing Draft of the Bicycle Master Plan for more details.
Planning Board work sessions to refine the Master Plan of Highways and Transitways will take place after the public hearing in early 2018.
About the Technical Update to the Master Plan of Highways and Transitways
The current update to the Master Plan of Highways and Transitways is the first major revision to this plan since 1955. Over time, incremental changes have been made to roadway classifications through master and sector plans, and changes have also been made to the road code. The update will collect and record these changes in one document. This plan essentially is a technical update to bring consistency and usability to the transportation network.
As part of this update, staff will propose a regular schedule of annual or biennial revisions to the Master Plan of Highways and Transitways so future changes are recorded and the plan is kept current.
The Master Plan of Highways and Transitways Technical Update will:
- More closely align the Master Plan of Highways and Transitways (MPOHT) with the current County Road Code, which was amended in 2008 and 2014, to make our roads more pedestrian-friendly and context-sensitive, and reflect a complete streets approach to road design.
- Modify road classifications to conform to full range of 2008 County Road Code road types.
- Correct inconsistencies in roads affecting multiple master plan areas.
- Create a user-friendly web interface to allow the public to examine and search for existing and planned elements of the master-planned transportation system.
View the current Master Plan of Highways and Transitways web page for more information.
About the Montgomery County Planning Board
The five-member Montgomery County Planning Board, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, works to maintain and improve quality of life in our community. Acting upon such issues as growth, transportation, environmental protection, agriculture, historical preservation and forest conservation, the Planning Board affects your everyday life. In fact, the Board is largely responsible for setting land use and protecting parkland resources throughout the 323,000-acre county. The Planning Board, which usually meets each Thursday in the auditorium at 8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, welcomes public participation. More specifically, the Planning Board:
- Considers large- and small-scale plans for new development
- Provides guidelines for the pattern and pace of future development
- Develops and manages Montgomery County’s nationally recognized 32,900-acre park system
- Recommends to the County Council which sites receive historic designations
Meet the Planning Board.