The Rae targets potential renters on I-270 in Bethesda

The Rae apartments at 10401 Motor City Drive in Bethesda is hoping to catch the attention of drivers stuck in traffic on I-270. A lighted sign with large, tall letters spelling out the property's name is affixed to the top of the building, just below the roof line. It is visible from the heavily-traveled freeway that runs near the property, which was previously an Ourisman Ford dealership. While many apartment buildings have logo signage attached near the lobby entrance, or a the corner of the building, this type of sign is fairly unusual for a residential building. It is more often seen on office buildings to indicate the anchor tenant, such as a corporate headquarters.

I-270 resurfacing begins

The Maryland State Highway Administration is beginning a resurfacing project on southbound I-270 between Falls Road in Rockville and Democracy Boulevard in Bethesda. Expect lane closures in that direction between 7:00 PM and 5:00 AM Sundays-Thursdays through late summer 2020. SHA says that two lanes will always be open southbound during the work hours. Sure enough, crews were out already Sunday evening.

Metered on-ramps advancing for I-270 congestion

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, contractors for the Maryland State Highway Administration are pressing forward with Gov. Larry Hogan's congestion relief plan for Interstate 270. In contrast to the loud political arguments over Hogan's Express Lanes plan, his earlier modest upgrades to the highway have proceeded quietly. Now the signals and necessary electronics for another phase of the project - metered on-ramps - have been installed at many interchanges.

MD SHA contractors install a signal box
for a metered on-ramp system

The signals will act just as traffic lights do, turning red and stopping traffic entering the highway's southbound lanes from on-ramps. Traffic engineers hope they will be able to smooth out the inflow of cars that must merge with oncoming traffic in the through or local lanes. Sensors will be used, and on-ramps will be widened to two lanes if the lines become too long with a single queue.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan

Drivers have already noticed other small changes with large impacts. Some on-ramps now allow you to stay in the lane you came in on (such as the on-ramp from Sam Eig Highway), rather than fighting to merge and slowing traffic, such as the on-ramp from Democracy Boulevard northbound. Surprisingly, Hogan has not trumpeted each completed phase with press conferences. Only vague "New Traffic Pattern" electronic highway signs give any indication when each part of the project is put into use.

The project is still only 48% complete. It is scheduled to be finished next summer, so we won't know the full impact - if any - before then.

Local weatherman unloads on impotent Montgomery County Council over traffic congestion

WUSA9 meteorologist Howard Bernstein had some frank talk on Black Friday for the Montgomery County Council, over its failure to upgrade I-270 and build the M-83 MidCounty Highway Extended to Clarksburg. Those failures have led to even worse traffic snarls upcounty following the opening of the Clarksburg Premium Outlets mall.

The Council - and the Planning Board members they hand-select - have approved growth that has expanded the population of Clarksburg by over 1000% since 2000. Yet our impotent elected officials have never funded or built the M-83, which has been on the books for decades, and would divert Clarksburg and Damascus-bound traffic off of I-270. They've also kicked the can down the road on widening the interstate, and adding Express Lanes, even as they allowed the housing and mall to go forward.

Reporting the backups on I-270 on his Twitter account, Bernstein asked Councilman Craig Rice (D-District 2), "What are you and the Council going to do about it?"

The short answer is, nothing.

One of several residents who seconded Bernstein's sentiments had some frank talk for the Council, and noted that he is now moving out of the county "asap" due to the mess our elected officials have created. 

"Did the county ever think about the quality of life issues impacted by this," Bernstein asked in a second tweet. The answer to that question is yes.

They thought about it when I debated them in 2010 and in 2014. And then they did absolutely nothing. It is now 2016. 

Another humiliation for our incompetent Council, and kudos to Bernstein for calling them out on it.

WSSC DRILL REACHES TARGET 13 STORIES BENEATH BETHESDA (VIDEO/PHOTO)

13 stories beneath Bethesda, at Tuckerman Lane and I-270, a WSSC drill "holed through" into a vertical shaft 5 miles from its starting point.

The moment was captured by WSSC on video last Friday afternoon. It was one target reached in a massive tunneling project beneath Bethesda, to add water system capacity for Montgomery and Prince George's counties.

Photo: WSSC

FREE WI-FI COMING TO

WESTFIELD MONTGOMERY MALL

Bethesda Mall Patrons Will Also Have

Access to Skype, Verizon Services

Westfield Montgomery Mall will soon offer a new, free Wi-Fi Service to patrons, one of the first seven malls in the nation to do so after Westfield selected Boingo as its exclusive provider.

Once installed, mall customers will not only enjoy free Wi-Fi, but access to Boingo partner services such as Skype and Verizon.

The service benefits the mall's tenants as well. Boingo Wireless business development manager Joe DeStasio suggests that mall Wi-Fi users will be able to receive targeted marketing messages from stores that are just yards away.

New Wi-Fi is just part of Westfield's mall improvements underway this year. Also coming soon: a new 15-screen, upscale cineplex; a new food court; and a new, sheltered Transit Center.

All of this is great news for loyal Montgomery Mall shoppers, as they and mall operators are proving each day that the American indoor mall concept is alive and well in Bethesda.