Friday, March 22, 2013

MONTGOMERY COUNTY PLANNING BOARD RECOMMENDS GRADE-SEPARATED INTERCHANGE FOR MONTROSE PARKWAY AT PARKLAWN, AGAINST CLOSURE OF RANDOLPH ROAD

The Montgomery County Planning Board made two White Flint-related recommendations requested by transportation authorities yesterday.

Maryland's State Highway Administration and the Montgomery County Department of Transportation sought the board's input on whether or not to close Randolph Road permanently at the CSX railroad crossing, and what type of interchange the Montrose Parkway should have at Parklawn Drive.

After public testimony and discussion, the board recommended to keep Randolph open.

The commissioners voted 4-1 to recommend a grade-separated, single-point urban interchange for the Montrose Parkway at Parklawn.  Commissioner Casey Anderson cast the lone dissenting vote.

I believe these were both good decisions for White Flint, and the county as a whole.

Leaving Randolph open will allow residents and patrons of businesses access, while also making it easier to travel to the new White Flint development via bicycle from Randolph Hills.

And keeping through traffic moving with the highway-style interchange will keep it off the new street grid in White Flint, allowing safer movement for pedestrians and cyclists.

By retaining the original express traffic concept, the larger Rockville Facility remains viable to construct the long-delayed Rockville Freeway. The Rockville Freeway, if you are not a regular reader of this blog, includes the built and planned Montrose Parkway segments, but would continue northeast to Connecticut Avenue, Georgia Avenue, and Layhill Road, ending at an interchange with the ICC near Indian Spring Country Club.

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