Support Needed for the Rockville Pike Plan
Apr 9, 2009 6:59 - 1 Comment
The City of Rockville is seeking support for the Rockville Pike Multi-Modal Boulevard Reconstruction Project designed during the >Rockville’s Pike: Envision a Great Place process, which I followed and wrote about last year. The project will have a better chance of receiving federal approval if community groups inside or adjacent to the planning area send a letter of support.
Mayra Bayonet with the Department of Community Planning and Development Services has sent along some details:
The City is making a federal funding request under the 2009 reauthorization of the Transportation Equity Act for funding for the study and construction of the Rockville Pike Multi-Way Boulevard project. At their 1/26/09 meeting, the Mayor and Council approved this funding request. While the funding (if granted) would not be available until the fall of 2010, it can be expended between 2010-2015. The City must apply now to be considered.
This project would convert 1,200 foot sections from Halpine Road to Congressional Lane and Templeton Place to the Woodmont Country Club driveway into a multi-way boulevard that would simultaneously move a large volume of traffic, while safely accommodating multi-modal traffic. The design of the boulevard maintains the same 84-foot curb-to-curb section that accommodates MD 355’s existing six travel lanes but expands beyond them to include wider sidewalks, a two-lane access road (one lane of which is devoted to buses and bicycles), one lane of parallel on-street
parking, and a tree-lined island to protect local traffic and pedestrians from
through traffic.The Plan for Rockville Pike represents a fundamental shift in thinking about transportation and urban mobility. It is designed to help balance travel modes (automobile, transit, bicycling, and walking) along the Rockville Pike and create an attractive and viable place to support this balance.
The proposal package will be forwarded to the Congressional Delegation during the week of 4/27/09 so letters of support are needed by 4/17/09. Contact Mayra Bayonet, MBayonet@rockvillemd.gov for more information and details on how to voice your support.
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Are they kidding? Its not like the sidewalk is overloaded now. The busses seldom look overcrowded. They’re uncomfortable and bumpy, and take too long to get anywhere. I know, I’ve tried to use them. They take a very circuitous route through each Metro station, especially that #46 bus. My time is worth too much to me to turn a 10 minute one-way trip into a 40 minute epic journey.>
“balance travel modes?” What’s the new mode going to look like, 98.75% cars instead of 99%. Do they expect people to not actually use their car to travel rockville pike?
Maybe the total charm of strip shopping centers placed behind giant lagoons of shimmering parking will command a need to walk from place to place. While struggling to carry goods, and simultaneously herding children.