Pedestrian refuges installed in Springfield neighborhood in Bethesda (Photos)

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation has begun installing pedestrian refuge islands in the Springfield neighborhood of Bethesda over the last several weeks, on Springfield Drive and Cromwell Drive. Pictured here is the latest that was just constructed on Springfield Drive at Ridgefield Road. They essentially provide a somewhat-protected spot mid-crosswalk where pedestrians can pause. These have become familiar on many urban streets in the county, where trucks and reckless drivers tend to damage or dislodge the "State Law" signage. It will be interesting to see how long these last.

New traffic signals installed on Westbard Avenue in Bethesda

Traffic signals have been installed by the Montgomery County Department of Transportation on Westbard Avenue at the future intersection with Zenith Overlook in Bethesda. The signals are not yet operational. It's unlikely they will be activated before construction of Zenith Overlook is completed. Zenith Overlook is an interior street within the new Westbard Square development. 

Zenith Overlook under construction

Cordell-St. Elmo garage cleaning scheduled for evening of Sept. 9-10 in Bethesda

Heads up for those planning to park in the Cordell-St. Elmo Public Parking Garage 40 in downtown Bethesda this coming Monday and Tuesday night, September 9 and 10, 2024: The garage is scheduled for evening washdown and degreasing operations both nights. Drivers are reminded to use caution while this work is being performed.

MCDOT files mandatory referral for Lot 44 redevelopment in Bethesda

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation Parking Division has filed a mandatory referral for the disposition of Public Parking Lot 44 at 4704 West Virginia Avenue in downtown Bethesda with the Montgomery County Planning Department. An apartment building with up to 59 units, 15% of which would be Moderately-Priced Dwelling Units (MPDUs), structured parking, and dedication of 6000 SF for the Eastern Greenway public park has been proposed for the site. 

A public hearing on the referral before the Planning Board is tentatively scheduled for September 12, 2024. "Mandatory referral" means that the Planning Board commissioners can advise the County about the proposal, but cannot block it, a privilege given to development, land use, or land acquisition/sale proposals submitted by any level of government to the Planning Board. Commissioners can reject a mandatory referral, but the government can simply ignore that decision and proceed.

Westland MS students win Montgomery County DOT's "Paint the Plow" contest

Top winners from Westland MS in Bethesda

This winter, Montgomery County residents may see one or more of the County snowplows decorated by Montgomery County Public Schools students during the County Department of Transportation's "Paint the Plow" contest. Teams from 16 middle schools in the MCPS system participated. MCDOT provided the snowplows and paint materials, and each team had four days to name and decorate their plow. The plows were displayed at MCDOT's annual Truck Day on June 1, and attendees voted for the top three winning plows.

Redland MS in Derwood

Bethesda's Westland Middle School team won the top prize of $500 for its Road Runner "Beep Beep" and Pokemon Squirtle design. Redland Middle School in Derwood took second, with a prize of $300, for their team's Snoopy-inspired "Scoopy" plow. Coming in third for $200 was the team from Roberto Clemente MS in Germantown, who went full zombie with their plow's Zombinator theme.

Roberto Clemente MS in Germantown

“The annual Truck Day and Paint the Plow contest lets us showcase the vital role public works employees play in contributing to and enhancing our quality of life,” MCDOT Director Chris Conklin said in a statement. “Public works employees are on the front lines during emergency conditions, including winter weather events, and these snowplows will serve as a reminder of the valuable work they do.” 

County Executive Marc Elrich

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich praised the student winners and the County's public works employees, including snowplow drivers. “I want to thank MCPS and the participating students and teachers for helping us recognize the hard work and dedication of our public works employees. From keeping our streets clear of snow and ice, paving our roads and collecting yard debris, to maintaining our vital sanitary and storm sewer systems, their efforts keep our County safe, clean and thriving.” 

New bike and pedestrian crossing signals activated at Bethesda intersection (Photos)

The new bike and pedestrian crossing signals at Wisconsin Avenue and Montgomery Lane in Bethesda have been activated. They had been installed last October, but now the signals and control boxes have been uncovered and put into service. This dual crossing is part of the new Bethesda bikeway segment that connects Woodmont Avenue to Montgomery Avenue via Montgomery Lane. It is part of a larger network of new protected bikeways allowing circulation throughout downtown Bethesda, including segments near Bethesda Row.

Ridgefield Road-Westbard Avenue intersection reopens in Bethesda (Photos)

An unprecedented 17-month closure of a Bethesda neighborhood's arterial road network has come to an end. The intersection of Ridgefield Road and Westbard Avenue reopened to vehicular traffic yesterday, after the completion of a road realignment project. While the original concept was to extend Westbard down to the River Road-Brookside Drive intersection, at some point a decision was made to call that new block of Westbard "Brookside Drive." It is now labeled as the 5600 block of Brookside, a street name that has up until now been an elite address through the Kenwood neighborhood across River Road.

While neither Montgomery County nor Westbard developer Regency Centers has publicly spoken about the naming decision, the late change represents a sacrifice on the part of Regency, as it loses the branding opportunity of having the "Westbard" street sign over the voluminous commuter traffic that passes through the River-Brookside intersection only a block from the company's new Westbard Square development. On the positive side for Regency, the realigned road creates a direct field of view of Westbard Square from the River-Brookside intersection.

New traffic signals at the new Westbard-Brookside "T" intersection midway between River and Westbard Square were also activated on Friday. The signals will make what was originally going to be a very dangerous, ungoverned intersection for pedestrians and drivers much safer. Fully-separated bike lanes also provide a very safe route for cyclists along the Brookside and Westbard portions between River and Westbard Square. With the Westbard road grid reopened again, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation is now expected to study the traffic patterns that develop, to determine whether or not to implement a closure of Westbard Avenue at River Road that was recommended in the 2016 Westbard sector plan.

Painting at Cordell-St. Elmo garage in Bethesda November 7-30, 2023

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation will be touching up the paint in the Cordell-St. Elmo Public Parking Garage 40 at 4935 St. Elmo Avenue in downtown Bethesda starting tomorrow, November 7, 2023. Painting will begin on the roof level Tuesday. The work is expected to conclude by November 30. Watch for signage as the project proceeds.

Bethesda bikeway on Montgomery Lane nears finish line (Photos)

The leg of the Bethesda bikeway connecting Woodmont Avenue with Montgomery Avenue, via Montgomery Lane, appears to be nearing the finish line. In fact, some cyclists were using the new bike crosswalk on Wisconsin Avenue to reach Montgomery Avenue last night. Bike crossing signals appeared to be operational at the Montgomery Lane-Wisconsin Avenue (MD 355) intersection. However, the covers over some of the signals had not yet been removed. 

Westbard Avenue realignment project reaching finish line in Bethesda (Photos)

The realigned Westbard Avenue section in Bethesda looks ready to open, and there are rumors it could open as soon as today. Montgomery County's Department of Transportation has not made an official public announcement in advance, and there have been no digital signboards alerting drivers to "New Traffic Pattern" beforehand, as is standard protocol for such events. Traffic signals have not been activated, there are still Jiffy Johns in the median, and the jersey barriers are still in place on Westbard Avenue and Ridgefield Road. But as you can see here, the road has been striped, and we've got landscaping and full-blown protected bike lanes in place. If there is signal control of the "Westbard-and-Westbard" intersection, as it appears there will be, this is going to be a much safer experience for cyclists along this stretch of road.

Montgomery Lane Bethesda Bikeway construction update (Photos)

Here's a look at the status of the new protected bike lanes on Montgomery Lane between Woodmont and Wisconsin Avenues in Bethesda. Some new pedestrian/bike signals have been installed, but are still bagged over at the moment. The bike lane surface itself still hasn't been paved, however. I was able to find a more-recent estimate for the completion date, which was to have been April 2023, so the project is currently about 4 months behind schedule. 

Westbard Avenue closure hearing postponed to September

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation has postponed an August public hearing regarding the proposed permanent closure of Westbard Avenue at River Road in Bethesda. Originally scheduled for August 29, 2023 at an unpublicized time and location, the hearing is now scheduled to take place on Tuesday, September 19, 2023 at 2:00 PM in a virtual format only. To register for the public hearing, fill out the online form. 

The closure has been requested by the "5500 Westbard Avenue Block Civic Association," whose petition filed with MCDOT also requests that the temporary closure in place now remain until a permanent closure is installed. Their petition also asks MCDOT to ignore the recommendation of the 2016 Westbard sector plan that any closure of Westbard at River include a mountable curb for emergency vehicles such as fire trucks. 

MCDOT's decision to hold the hearing at 2:00 PM is odd, considering it is a time when the majority of people are at work. The deadline to register is September 15 at 5:00 PM.

MCDOT has not yet complied with the spirit and the letter of the law regarding community notification of the public hearing. The registration form asks you how you heard about the hearing. It indicates that the meeting announcement was printed in the low-circulation Washington Times rather than The Washington Post. It also mentions "MCDOT Signage at Abandonment Location." There are no signs posted at the abandonment location as of this morning. "Mail" is a third option. No notice has been mailed to residents of the surrounding community as of this morning.

No signage regarding the public hearing has
been posted at the abandonment location

After the public hearing, the hearing officer will file a report and recommendation with the County Executive. A final decision on the closure will be made by the County Council.

Montgomery Lane Bethesda bikeway update (Photos)

The construction of a protected bikeway along Montgomery Lane between Woodmont and Wisconsin Avenues in Bethesda is proceeding slowly. This bike lane will connect to the one on the other side of Wisconsin where Montgomery Lane becomes Montgomery Avenue alongside the Avocet Tower. It's a real mess at the moment, and is a year behind schedule. The project website hasn't been updated for some time, even though work has been ongoing since the last update.