Rockville Bikeway Plan

A new Pike District logo

Apr 222015

As I described earlier, developers have chosen the name “Pike District” for the White Flint/Montrose/Twinbrook corridor along Rockville Pike. The name makes me think of traffic congestion, but I realize it’s hard to come up with alternatives. The developers include Federal Realty and JBG, among the most progressive supporters of smart growth and bicycling. So I won’t hold the name against them. They should be applauded for involving the public in the naming process. The developers crafted a logo for the Pike District, shown below. It’s rather clever, really… But for me, the name “Pike District” conjures up an image of bumper-to-bumper traffic, strip malls and car dealerships. Parts of Rockville Pike (beyond the Pike District) will continue to […]

White Flint/Twinbrook area renamed after a congested artery

Feb 052015

Developers looking to rebrand the White Flint area with a memorable new name decided to call it the “Pike District”. Say what? (April 23, 2015 update: The Pike District now has a logo, discussed here). The White Flint area, up to and including the area around Twinbrook Metro, is being transformed into into a walkable, transit-oriented urban center offering a thriving mix of retail and housing. I don’t understand why anyone would want to rename it after a congested six-lane arterial road. To me the “Pike” – Rockville Pike – conjures up visions of endless strip malls, intolerable traffic and anti-pedestrian conditions, an image we should be trying to get away from. Cyclists avoid the road and pedestrians fear it. […]

Rockville Bikeway Plan available for public comment

Feb 202014

The draft 2014 Rockville Bikeway Master Plan is ready for public comment! For details, visit the plan update site or directly view the draft plan and map at these links: Draft 2014 Bikeway Master Plan Draft 2014 Bikeway Recommendations Map You can comment on the plan in person at a public hearing to be held on Wed. April 9th at 7 pm in the Mayor and Council Chambers, City Hall, 111 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, MD, 20850. You can sign up to speak by calling 240-314-8200. Individual speakers get 3 minutes; those representing organizations get 5 minutes. Or you may provide written comments via email, via this form, or via regular mail (to bike coordinator Kevin Belanger, 111 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, […]

Could this work on Arlington Road?

Mar 262013

According to FABB, the road diet on Lawyers Road in Reston was a success for cyclists and made the road slower and safer for everyone. VDOT took a road that had two through-lanes in each direction and converted it to a three lane configuration with bike lanes. The road now has one through-lane in each direction, a two-way left-turn lane (TWLTL) in the middle, and bike lanes. Would this make life better for cyclists on Montgomery County roads like Arlington Road in Bethesda or Redland Road in Rockville? MoBike and WABA have already requested the same 4-to-3 lane conversion with bike lanes on Arlington Road north of Bradley Blvd in Bethesda. It’s an important road for cyclists because it serves […]

Montgomery County’s Bikeway Plan

Sep 272012

The quintessential Montgomery County plan for bicyclists is the 2005 Countywide Bikeways Functional Master Plan (CBFMP). This plan says where the county plans to add major bikeways or has already implemented them. Especially useful is the CBFMP’s table of table of existing and planned bikeways. See also this interactive map for a visual companion to the CBFMP document. The map includes updates made to the CBFMP since 2005 except for the most recent, as well as local bikeways (see below) though it’s not guaranteed to be 100% correct. The CBFMP identifies these types of bikeways: On-road bike lanes “Signed shared roadways” (SSRs). These are roads with some feature (like shoulders or wide lanes) that make them more comfortable for cycling. […]

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