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| Roadway segments shown in powder blue would be abandoned to the Westbard developer if approved by Montgomery County |
The first steps toward the realignment of Westbard Avenue recommended in the 2016 Westbard sector plan will be taken at the Montgomery County Planning Board's virtual hearing today, November 19, 2020 at 11:00 AM. Ahead of the redevelopment of the Westwood Center II and Citgo gas station parcels, the developer is filing a request with Montgomery County for abandonment of portions of the Ridgefield Road and Westbard Avenue rights-of-way. If approved by the board, a virtual public hearing on the matter will be held by the Montgomery County Department of Transportation on Monday, December 15, 2020 at 12:30 PM.
At some point in the construction process, today's block of Ridgefield between Westbard Avenue and River Road will be demolished and curved to eliminate the existing intersection between Ridgefield and Westbard. It will be renamed as Westbard Avenue. The realignment was one of the top priorities of the Springfield Civic Association during the Westbard sector plan update process.
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| Future realignment of Westbard Avenue to connect directly to River Road where Ridgefield Road does today |
Realigning the road was meant to discourage cut-through traffic from entering Springfield. However, the realignment as currently envisioned will create a new traffic hazard that doesn't exist today: Traffic from Springfield trying to reach River Road will now have to make a dangerous left turn across two directions of traffic at a new, unsignaled T-intersection. The other end of Westbard that currently connects to River is to be closed to traffic where the roads meet, and left turns from Westbard onto River today are no longer allowed.
A planning staff report says no public correspondence has been received on the proposed abandonment. Staff are recommending approval of the abandonment petition by the board.
It would also make it difficult to cross the street to go down the "new" part of Westbard towards River Road and the bus stop and shops there. Now you have the pedestrian crossing at the intersection of Westbard and Ridgefield, but how will you cross if there is no light?
ReplyDeleteWhat will the portion of the current Westbard Avenue that is north of Ridgefield Road be named? If there is no change, that would be very confusing - having a Y-intersection in which all three intersecting streets are named "Westbard Avenue".
ReplyDelete6:13: I have heard some discussion about the new street segment getting its own new name, but that doesn't make a lot of sense when it bends right into the existing Westbard. They should probably just call the new stubs Ridgefield Road and Ridgefield or Westbard Court, if they do actually seal off the other end. Everyone on that block of Westbard would be forced to change their legal address, though. It'll be interesting to see how they solve all the issues with this.
ReplyDeleteBased on what I'm seeing in public documents, they're going to rename it "Old Westbard Avenue".
ReplyDeleteDoesn't make much sense to me... Probably ought to be "Westbard Court". Although that might be difficult, because it won't yet be a cul-de-sac when it gets renamed. The closure of River/Westbart connection can't happen until after the Westbard realignment is completed, per the sector plan.