County Bikeway Plans

PEPCO trail piece omitted from draft Bike Master Plan

Oct 052018

Update (October 16, 2018): The County Council decided to retain this trail segment in the Bicycle Master Plan! Thank you, trail supporters who wrote to the Council! The 13-mile long PEPCO paved trail was conceived to run from the South Germantown Recreational Park in Germantown to Cabin John Park in Bethesda. These two parks are superb destinations, each with its own trail network, parking, and amenities. The paved trail will be accompanied by a parallel natural surface trail, some of which has already been built. But the 2018 draft of the county Bicycle Master Plan omits the last mile of the paved trail, between Tuckerman Lane and Westlake Drive, thus eliminating the connection to Cabin John Park. Trail users would […]

The Montgomery County Bicycle Master Plan (2018 Planning Board Draft)

Oct 052018

The 2018 draft of the Montgomery County Bicycle Master Plan is located right here. Follow the two “Download” links on that page to see the main document and the appendices that make up the plan. See also the plan map. For a full discussion of the PEPCO trail issue raised by Montgomery Bicycle Advocates, see here. The official public comment period on the plan is over, but you can still let the Council know your concerns as long as you don’t wait too long (mid to late October to be safe). The Council is now conducting worksessions to decide on any changes to the plan. Then they’ll approve and adopt the plan and it will become official. You can send […]

Bike Master Plan – Where are the shoulders?

Jul 032018

The new draft of the Montgomery County Bicycle Master Plan is about to go before the County Council. Please let the Council know you support the plan and tell them how it can be improved. Express your support at the hearing or in writing by July 10th. The draft plan is an excellent template for the future, representing a paradigm shift towards “low stress” bikeways like protected bike lanes (cycle tracks), shared use paths, and bicycle boulevards. The proposed network of low stress bikeways will attract more people who want to bike but are afraid of riding too close to cars. This will increase the number of people out there on bikes. BUT WHERE ARE THE SHOULDERS? It’s […]

Support the new county Bicycle Master Plan!

Jul 022018

The County Council is now soliciting public comments on the new draft Bicycle Master Plan, which will chart the future of biking in the county for years to come. The plan includes a main document and appendices (see the “Download” links on that page). See also the handy map of planned bikeways on that page. The Council will make changes to the plan in response to comments they receive. So it’s important to weigh in now! The public hearing will be on Tuesday, July 10 at 7:30 pm at the Council Office Building (100 Maryland Ave, Rockville, MD, third-floor hearing room). Sign up online to testify or call 240-777-7803 by 10 am on July 10. The Council will begin deliberations […]

Suburban Hospital Expansion – What about bikes?

Aug 142017

Suburban Hospital in Bethesda is undergoing a large expansion, doubling the size of its footprint. The expansion should allow the hospital to provide more care to the community. I’m grateful for the hospital’s presence, since members of my family have received excellent care there. But the expansion removed a block of Lincoln Street that provided an important bike connection between Old Georgetown Road and Grant Street. Grant St. is a major north-south bike route one block west of (and parallel to) Old Georgetown Rd. Old Georgetown is the site of the Bethesda Trolley Trail, which is implemented as a sidepath on the east side of the road. The National Institutes of Health, a major destination for cyclists, is located on […]

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