Smart Growth Montgomery County Magazine

smart growthmontgomery county

A publication of the Greater Capital Area Association of REALTORS®

Smart Growth Initiatives: The New National Mindset

Making Smart Growth Happen in• Bethesda• Great Seneca• White Flint

Rapid Transit Vehicle SystemThe Future of Transportation

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GCAAR Smart Growth Magazine 1

smart growthmontgomery county

Making Smart Growth HappenWith just over 500 square miles in

Montgomery County and most of it already developed, much of the expansion planned in the area is for higher density than what currently exists, changing the way neighborhoods look, feel, and function. The range of housing options REALTORS® will be showing in 20 years will most definitely look very different than it does today.

To maintain the quality of life expected by County residents, mass transit needs to be expanded to accommodate the growing workforce and population. GCAAR is taking a leading role in advocating for funding and support of new development that will increase the County’s tax base and effective transit plans to service these developments.

Integral to GCAAR’s support is educating members about the benefits of the County’s smart growth agenda and specific development and mass transit plans. This effort began with a variety of planned development seminars held in 2011 and 2012 in the areas of White Flint, the Great Seneca Science Corridor, and Bethesda, providing a vision for the County’s landscape of the future. Each of the seminars covered changes to major transportation corridors, expanded modes of transportation, and the integration of ‘mass rapid transit’ into the living and working environments, in addition to the development plans themselves.

With the help of a Smart Growth Grant from the National Association of REALTORS® GCAAR is able to expand the reach of its information and advocacy efforts, and produce this magazine. This grant has also helped fund GCAAR’s participation in a coalition of County officials, developers, private sector businesses, organizations, planning officials, and transportation/transit groups, that is actively advocating for a comprehensive “Rapid Transit Vehicle” or RTV mass transit plan.

In order for RTV to become a reality, major legislative and public policy changes, as well as funding, are required at the state and local levels. Many development projects are tied to RTV and cannot move forward without its implementation. These developments would create tens of thousands of quality jobs, expand the economic base, and provide affordable housing, ultimately improving the quality of life REALTORS® sell in Montgomery County.

A publication ofGreater Capital Area Association of REALTORS®

8757 Georgia Avenue, Suite 600Silver Spring, MD 20910301-590-2000www.gccar.com

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2 GCAAR Smart Growth Magazine

insideTable of Contents

1 Making Smart Growth Happen

3 Introduction – Welcome Letter

4 Smart Growth: The New National Mindset

5 Securing Montgomery County’s Economic Future through Enhanced Mobility

7 North Bethesda’s Urban Center

10 Great Seneca – a Mid-County Life Sciences Center

12 The Future of Downtown Bethesda

15 Rapid Transit Vehicle System – the Future of Transportation in Montgomery County

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7 North Bethesda’s Urban Center

15 Rapid Transit Vehicle System

12 The Future of Downtown Bethesda


WelcomeLooking For AnswersMetropolitan Washington in the 21st Century is going through a time of significant change and uncertainty.

DC has seen the rejuvenation of many commercial areas – but still faces challenges in housing, transportation, education, and other services – all of which have an impact on the supply, price and quality of housing.

Maryland, and Montgomery County in particular, are confronting population growth and demographic change. These changes put pressure on housing availability and affordability, job creation, transportation, education, and other services. Montgomery County is in the midst of a hugely important transition from a suburban to a much more urbanized community.

Regionally we are looking for approaches to accommodate these changes, and not just maintain the quality of life we have come to expect but improve upon it. For this reason, the REALTORS® as well as our local units of government are looking to implement Smart Growth policies that will enable us to achieve balanced and sustainable economic growth and enhance our quality of life.

Smart Growth and Economic SuccessSmart growth is an urban planning and transportation theory the result of which is to concentrate growth in compact, walkable, urban centers to avoid sprawl. It provides a diverse range of choices in land uses, building types, transportation, homes, workplace locations, and stores. Such development projects are attractive to private-sector interests because they can find a ready market and compete financially. They appeal to local governments because they can be the building blocks of a growing economy and high-quality, economically-sustainable neighborhoods and communities while also helping to create a cleaner, healthier environment.

Metropolitan DC residents know what happens when development occurs without sufficient planning for present and future transportation needs. We doubt there is one of us who has not been stuck on the Beltway or in the heart of Bethesda or downtown DC for over an hour to complete a trip that should take ten minutes or less. Thus, GCAAR has focused on the importance of transit-oriented development as the linchpin for smart growth in the area.

Our area is growing and that is good. This magazine features some of the most significant areas of growth in Montgomery County today. It also features the transportation plans and zoning guidelines that make these developments “smart” with access to current and future mass transportation, and rebuilt roads that increase greenscapes and improve the flow of traffic.

Keep this magazine as a reference, and feel free to give a copy to your clients, friends, and anyone else who is curious about how the County is growing.

—GCAAR Board of Directors

The constant influx of new people demands new

development, but the form it takes is likely to be

critical to the long-term quality of life and economic

stability of our towns, cities, and nation. In recent years

our metro areas have sprawled outward. It has been

easier for developers to gobble up fields and forests with

new subdivisions while leaving older areas to languish,

with declining population, decaying infrastructure, and

a slumping tax base. As farms surrender to big-box

stores and woods give way to asphalt, there is mounting

frustration over increased traffic, decreased open space,

inadequate public services, over-crowded schools,

lack of affordable housing, and loss of community

vitality. In our most economically-vibrant metros, many

young families face a painful choice between close-in

neighborhoods that are expensive even when they are

less-than-desirable, and ever more-distant subdivisions

that condemn them to a life spent behind the wheel.

The approach to planning and development that

has come to be known as smart growth grew out

of an effort by policy makers, real estate

professionals, planners and urban designers,

environmentalists, key employers, and many

ordinary citizens to find ways to ease these

tensions. It is an attempt to find a middle way

between growth-at-any-cost and the “no-growth”

reaction to it. The idea is to involve citizens,

public officials, and myriad stakeholders in

working together to plan ahead for development

according to a set of common-sense principles.

The vision is that communities get better as

they grow, while remaining both economically

viable and environmentally responsible. n

Smart Growth:

The New National MindsetSince the end of World War II, the US population has doubled to more than 300 million people and continues to grow by three million people annually, adding a new person every 13 seconds. This rapid population growth, compounded by development patterns that encourage bigger houses and longer commutes, is forcing us to face an important question: How should our communities grow?

Reprinted from NAR Smart Growth Toolkit


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Securing Montgomery County’s Economic Future through Enhanced Mobility Excerpted from Sage Policy Group Report for Montgomery County Task Force

Over the next 20 years, Montgomery County will face

a problem many counties would love to have – the

estimated increase of more than 160,000 jobs. Of

course, this merely represents estimated job growth,

but one could reasonably ask whether a County that is

already heavily gridlocked has the wherewithal to absorb

a 36 percent increase in employment. It is unlikely that

the County could accommodate the forecasted jobs and

associated families without a substantial upgrade in

transit capacity and relevance.

This expansion of the employment base from 2010

to 2030 will coincide with the retirement of 200,000

baby boomers, most of whom will stay in the area. The

200,000 replacement workers the County will need

over the next 20 years will also add to the demands for

housing and other development and will also place new

demands on the transportation system.

Public transit is a growing part of that transportation

system. Growth in employment over the past 20 years

has coincided with an even larger increase in the use

of public transit. Residents’ use of public transit in

Montgomery County has grown 42 percent in recent

years with more than 77,000 County residents routinely

using public transit in 2010, almost 20,000 more than

in 2000 after modest growth in the 1990s.

Master plans for planning districts within Montgomery

County provide another perspective on the relationship

between transit and development. A review of 10

master plans, commercial market analyses, sectors

plans, and similar documents found an almost

universal identification of transit as a critical element

in overcoming local congestion and in facilitating

planned growth potential through increased mobility. A

Residents’ use of public transit in Montgomery County has grown 42 percent in recent years with more than 77,000 County residents routinely using public transit in 2010, almost 20,000 more than in 2000 after modest growth in the 1990s.

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number make specific reference to mass transit systems

and its ability to facilitate the development process.

In other words, many of Montgomery County’s most

transformative planned and approved commercial and

residential real estate investments simply cannot move

ahead without additional transit capacity (e.g., White

Flint, Shady Grove, Great Seneca). An RTV system would

deliver that capacity.

The Washington, DC region, including Montgomery

County, is already the most congested in the country.

Each year the average vehicle-based commuter wastes

74 hours and 37 gallons of fuel because of congestion.

The forecast of net new jobs will only add to this

congestion. In the absence of a substantial increase

in transit capacity, the County will be unable to

accommodate already planned and approved growth or

the additional jobs, growth, and other economic benefits

that will accompany the expanding employment base.

Alternatively, an RTV system coupled with more intense

development tied to this system can accommodate net

new jobs and the housing and other development that is

associated with new workers and new households. The

RTV system can mitigate congestion associated with

this growth by providing a countywide RTV mass transit

alternative to automobiles.

From a public policy perspective, Montgomery County

could embrace both the expected population and job

growth, creating potentially shorter commutes in the

process. The County could also embrace jobs, but not

housing with the implication being that many of the

new jobs would be filled by nonresidents, often traveling

long distances. The County could also accommodate the

population, but not make the infrastructure investments

necessary to support commercial development. This

would require many of the new residents to secure

employment outside of the County, also leading to

lengthy commutes as well as a foregone commercial

tax base. A final possibility is to try to prevent both

residential and commercial development, which would

cause the County to age over time as population

stagnated and as other communities steadily attracted

a higher share of the region’s net new jobs. This would

shrink the tax base at least in real terms over time.

The implication of this discussion is that the best public

policy outcome emerges from a strategy that seeks

to intelligently accommodate both commercial and

residential development. In the absence of significant

transit improvements, accommodating this growth

intelligently or at all will be difficult. n

Each year the average vehicle-based commuter wastes 74 hours and 37 gallons of fuel because of congestion.

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The White Flint area has long been

the gateway to Rockville Pike and

the seemingly limitless retail and office

space opportunities it offers. Bordered

on the north by Montrose Parkway, the

south by White Flint Mall, the west by Old

Georgetown Road, and the east by CSX

tracks, the White Flint area is scheduled

for an early twenty-first century overhaul.

Unanimously approved by The Montgomery

County Council on March 23, 2010, the

White Flint Sector Plan aims to create

a thriving, diverse, mixed-use center

with easy access to Metro and Rockville

Pike. The plan transforms the Pike into a

boulevard with street trees and improved

crosswalks, improves the pedestrian and

bicycling environment, and creates new

parks and open spaces. Integral to the

plan is a newly-developed transportation

network that includes a grid of new public

streets and an emphasis for developers

to incorporate environmentally-sensitive

design. A total of 9,800 new residential

units and 5.69 million square feet of office

and retail space are proposed in the plan.

The core of the urban center will be at the

existing White Flint Metro station, where

the highest density and tallest buildings

will form an identifiable center expressing

White Flint’s character. New development

will decline in height and density from the

center, providing compatible transitions

as it approaches the surrounding

neighborhoods. The compact development

plan includes a system of public-use

WHITE FL INT

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White Flint: North Bethesda’s Urban Center

Wisconsin Avenue in North Bethesda. Photo courtesy of The JBG Companies.


spaces where people can gather for events or

enjoy recreational activities.

This Sector Plan updates the 1992

North Bethesda Garrett Park Master

Plan. In October 2010, the plan won the

“Neighborhood/Small Area Plan award”

from the National Capital Area chapter of

the American Planning Association. Several

stakeholders including property owners,

residents, as well as a steering and an

advisory committee, contributed to creating

the Plan.

The White Flint area was chosen for

redevelopment in part because of the

strength of its existing infrastructure. “Given

the reality of future energy constraints and

the effects of climate change, growth must

take advantage of existing infrastructure,

especially transit, to create compact

new communities where reliance on the

automobile is unnecessary. Growth should be

directed to those places where a reduction

in the carbon footprint is possible, like

White Flint, and where the infrastructure

can support a sustainable, culturally diverse

urban center. . .” according to the text of

the White Flint Sector Plan.

On February 23, 2011, GCAAR invited the

major developers involved in the White Flint

projects and a representative from the Office

of the Montgomery County Executive to

present each group’s plan for redevelopment.

Representatives from The JBG Companies,

ProMark Real Estate Services, and Federal

Realty Investment Trust shared their

strategies and architectural layouts and

drawings with the crowd. The target audience

for the residential units includes both young

Whole Foods Market boasts its own parking garage and easy access out of the hustle and bustle of Rockville Pike. Photo courtesy of The JBG Companies.

WHITE FL INT


Seasons 52 restaurant welcomes diners. Photo courtesy of The JBG Companies.

singles and couples, and local move-down

empty nesters. In general, the units to be

built are smaller than current offerings, offer

luxury finishes, balconies and views, and are

laid out in a pedestrian-friendly format with

easy access to a multitude of retail offerings.

JBG’s first leg of construction was

completed in late 2010 and includes a

Whole Foods Market, LA Fitness, Seasons

52 restaurant, Aurhaus Furniture, Starbucks,

CVS, and both a high-rise and mid-rise

residential development complete with

concierge service.

ProMark’s plans for North Bethesda

Gateway include 622,000 square feet of

office, 811,000 square feet of residential,

a 181,000 square foot hotel, and 74,000

square feet of retail.

Federal Realty Investment Trust is

redeveloping Mid-Pike Plaza with plans for

434,000 square feet of retail, 1,192,000

square feet of office, 1,727,000 square feet

of residential (1,544 units), and a 90,000

square foot hotel.

To wrap it all up, a representative from

the County talked about the infrastructure

changes that will be taking place along

Rockville Pike to accommodate the projects,

including more use of green space, walking

trails, and reduced vehicle traffic. n

Epad concept living space. Photo courtesy of ProMark.

WHITE FL INT


Home to a major hospital, academic institutions, and private biotechnology companies, the Life Sciences Center (LSC) already

serves as the County’s premier location for and has the largest concentration of advanced technology companies. Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, Johns Hopkins University-Montgomery County Campus (JHU-MCC), the Universities at Shady Grove, and biotechnology companies such as Human Genome Sciences, BioReliance, and the J. Craig Venter Institute are all located in the Life Sciences Center. The federal government’s General Services Administration recently selected the JHU-MCC site for the National Cancer Institute’s consolidated headquarters.

GREAT SENECA

Great Seneca Science Corridor

A Mid-County Life Sciences CenterA 21st-century blueprint for the Shady Grove Life Sciences Center was established with the approval of the Great Seneca Science Corridor (GSSC) Master Plan by the County Council on May 4, 2010.

Master Plan VisionThe Master Plan envisions -- and zoning will help implement -- a future LSC that includes an expanded, first-class medical center, research facilities, academic institutions, and an array of services and amenities for residents, workers, and visitors. It will have an open space system that incorporates the area’s natural environmental features into a larger network, connecting destinations by paths and trails, and providing opportunities for a range of outdoor experiences.

Over the next 20 years the GSSC Master Plan for an Applied BioScience Research Community will generate 60,000 new full and part-time science-related jobs within the Shady Grove Life Sciences Center. The annual contribution to County tax revenues associated with the center is projected to be $176 million, with $11 billion in annual goods and services for businesses. In addition to the commercial space, the Plan could yield 2,000 dwelling units.

TransitTransforming today’s suburban, auto-oriented LSC into tomorrow’s walkable, vibrant science center requires changing the built environment and the mix of uses over time. The Corridor Cities Transitway (CCT) – a 14-mile system that will run from the Shady Grove Metro Station to Clarksburg – is a centerpiece of the Master Plan’s vision. The LSC of the future will be served by this fully-integrated transit system that links the LSC Districts as well as mid-County activity centers in Rockville and Gaithersburg. The Master Plan includes a rigorous staging element that ties


development to implementation of the CCT, including funding, construction, and operation of the transit system.

On April 4, 2012, developers, involved institutions, and representatives from the County and state presented

detailed plans for the area to GCAAR members. Johns Hopkins University opened the session with a discussion of the expansion of its existing Montgomery County Campus, which will include 2.7 million square feet with a transit station, town center and a mix of uses. The JHU Belward Research Campus plan includes 4.7 million square feet with a transit station and town center. Adventist HealthCare is also planning to expand its campus. Developers DANAC Corporation and Woodfield Investments are planning new residential developments in the area to help house the new work force.

State and County transit planners presented the details on the CCT that must be built to accommodate the influx of 60,000 jobs to the area. The final approval of each development phase depends on the building progression of the CCT and meeting minimum ridership goals. If the CCT gets delayed, so does the private development. Once built, if a certain percentage of workers don’t use the CCT, the next phase of private development won’t be approved. With these triggers in place, the County and state are ensuring that development does not continue until the transit to facilitate movement around the area is functional. n

GREAT SENECA

The Montgomery County Planning Board approved Camden USA’s Sketch Plan Application for up to 498,072 SF of multifamily uses and a minimum of 5,000 SF of commercial uses on 7.62 gross acres of the DANAC Stiles Corporate Campus, in the Great Seneca Science Corridor.

Home to a major hospital, academic institutions, and private biotechnology companies, the Life Sciences Center (LSC) serves as the County’s premier location for and has the largest concentration of advanced technology accompanies. Photos courtesy of Johns Hopkins University.


The Future of Bethesda’s Urban Center

BETHESDA

Downtown Bethesda has long

been a vibrant urban center

in Montgomery County and

continues to be an admirable

model of smart growth. While

other parts of the county require

major changes to roadways

and transit infrastructure

to accommodate growth,

Bethesda’s infrastructure is

poised to handle significant

increases in residential and

office space within its already

Montgomery County continues to be an admirable model of smart growth. Downtown Bethesda offers a lively urban community filled with restaurants, home and fashion retailers, and walkable access to unique boutiques, day spas and salons, three live theaters, and numerous art galleries. Photo courtesy of Bethesda Urban Partnership.

Below: The Bernstein Companies is bringing a new high-end Starwood Westin Hotel to Bethesda, along with trophy office, retail, and restaurant space. Rendering courtesy of The Bernstein Companies. Photo courtesy of Bethesda Urban Partnership.

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walkable footprint with modest additions of parking

and connection to the proposed Rapid Transit Vehicle

system.

Bethesda boasts a Metro station that currently handles

more than 15,000 passengers on the average weekday,

and 10,000 each weekend. Downtown Bethesda offers

17 public garages and lots for easy access by car, and

offers a free “Circulator” bus from many garages to the

most central downtown attractions, including Metro.

Living in downtown Bethesda offers a lively urban

community filled with nearly 200 restaurants, home

and fashion retailers, and walkable access to unique

boutiques, day spas and salons, three live theaters,

and numerous art galleries. Apartments and

condominiums in downtown Bethesda offer

convenient and luxurious living.

As with any true urban center, in addition to the many

retail and residential opportunities, Bethesda’s office

space is integral to its downtown. According to the

Montgomery County Department of Parks

& Planning, Bethesda has a downtown

workforce that exceeds 43,000.

With all the excitement already in Bethesda,

and the additional jobs projected to enter

the area with the Base Realignment plans for

Navy Medical and the National Institute of

Health just north of downtown, it’s no wonder

that Bethesda remains one of the prized real

estate markets in the DC Metropolitan area.

BETHESDA

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Three developers currently working on projects in

Bethesda’s downtown highlighted their plans at a

GCAAR seminar on June 28, 2012. Significant

residential growth is planned over the next seven years.

In 1994 there were 5,200 residential units available in

Bethesda. By 2019, that will have more than doubled

to 10,691 units.

StonebridgeCarras, in joint venture with PN Hoffman,

is developing “Lot 31,” two former surface parking

lots at the corner of Woodmont Road and Bethesda

Avenue, at the gateway of “Bethesda Row.” The County

has approved development plans including up to 250

condominium units, 40,000 square feet of retail,

1,400 underground parking spaces, 1,100 of which

will be controlled by the County for public parking, and

the re-alignment of Woodmont Road and major public

amenities. The adjacent Capital Crescent Trail will be

widened to support its use. The residences will include

a combination of workforce, affordable, and luxury

condominium product comprised of studio units to

three-bedroom units with private decks. Stonebridge is

also developing 8300 Wisconsin Avenue into a mix of

townhouse and high-rise condo units with a full-service

grocery store and attractive public space.

Right: Montgomery County has approved StonebridgeCarras’s LEED certified development plan for the 3.3 acre Lot 31 project, which

includes up to 250 condominium units, 40,000 square feet of retail, 1,400 underground parking spaces, 1,100 of which will be

controlled by the County for public parking, the re-alignment of Woodmont Road and major public amenities.

Rendering courtesy of StonebridgeCarras.

Photo courtesy of Bethesda Urban Partnership.


Donohoe’s development of The Gallery of Bethesda I & II

high-rise apartment buildings will bring 454 rental units

and nearly 19,000 square feet of retail to the Central

Business District (CBD). Housed on Auburn and Del

Ray Avenues, the two buildings will be separated by a

pedestrian street, Rugby Lane.

The Bernstein Companies is bringing a new high-end

Starwood Westin Hotel to Bethesda, along with trophy

office, retail, and restaurant space. At 7750 Wisconsin

Avenue, one building will feature a 210 key full-

service Westin Bethesda hotel with a 6,000 sf ballroom

overlooking the shared plaza, while the other brings a

250,000 sf trophy office building. The unique shared

plaza which connects Woodmont Avenue to Wisconsin

Avenue will feature 16,000 sf for restaurant and retail

space on the ground floor of the buildings.

In no small part, Bethesda’s success is due to its

connectivity to existing public transportation. Once

you’re there, the Bethesda Circulator bus system, run

by The Bethesda Urban Partnership (BUP), offers

door-to-door service from parking garages to the most

popular destinations. A non-profit organization, BUP

also handles landscaping and maintenance, manages

the Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District, operates

Bethesda Transportation Solutions, and handles

promotion of downtown.

Bethesda will become even more connected with the

introduction of the proposed Rapid Transit Vehicle (RTV)

system. With a focus on increasing east-west connectivity

through mass transit, RTV will open up to even more

County residents all Bethesda has to offer.

The final presentation in June was from the County’s

Director of Economic Development, Steve Silverman.

Silverman underscored the importance to the County and

the state of Bethesda’s growing and thriving economy.

Already a significant contributer to the area’s tax base,

Bethesda’s continued success is important to and greatly

supported by the local and state leaders. n

BETHESDA

Donohoe Development Company’s planned Woodmont Central multi-phase development will include two high-rise apartment buildings. The Gallery of Bethesda will feature 5,400 sf of retail along with public art space and a pedestrian street. Rendering courtesy of The Donohoe Companies.


Rapid Transit Vehicle System The Future of Transportation in Montgomery CountyBy Mark Winston, Chair, Montgomery County Executive’s

Transit Task Force

What is RTV?

The Rapid Transit Vehicle (RTV) System creates a comprehensive transit network across Montgomery

County, providing north-south and east-west transportation opportunities. The proposal suggests a sophisticated surface transit system covering approximately 160 miles, using vehicles that will operate like “light rail on rubber tires.”

To the maximum extent possible, the RTV network will have physically separated, dedicated RTV lanes, so that operations are not commingled in traffic. This will enhance system performance and result in transformational change in how people move around the County.

The vehicles themselves will be high quality, energy efficient, and as environmentally clean as possible, including state of the art information technology for the benefit of passengers and operators. Stations will be comfortable, functional, and will have “next vehicle” information and off-vehicle payment technology.

The proposed network of 23 corridors (or lines) builds on previously proposed route corridors with a focus on north-south and east-west connectivity. Within the network an infinite number of routes are possible by combining lines and segments of lines to accommodate user needs. Reconfiguration of the existing Ride-On bus system is envisioned to serve as a feeder from virtually every neighborhood in the County to the RTV network and Metro Rail.

When Will the RTV System Be Built?

RTV is still in the study and planning stages. The network is proposed to be built in three phases to mitigate construction and affordability issues. Each

RAPID TRANSIT

phase is designed to be fully functional and maximize network connectivity. It is anticipated that the County Executive will propose, and it is hoped that the County Council will adopt, a series of proposals that will create and advance this unique transit asset.

Why Do We Need More Public Transit?

Transportation is at the foundation of the government’s and the private sector’s ability to achieve their goals in a wide range of activities, each of which requires access and mobility in the County and throughout the region. Investment in transit must be undertaken to enable any community to meet its most basic needs of moving people and commerce. Failure to make these necessary investments undermines our productivity, economic competitiveness, environment, safety, and quality of life.

The Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University forecasts that between 2010 and 2030 the Washington Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area (“WPMSA”) will experience employment growth of approximately 1.05 million net new jobs. Montgomery County’s forecasted share of this job growth is approximately 163,000 net new jobs. The WPMSA already suffers from the most congested roads in the country. The Transportation Planning Board projects that the region will add yet another 3.9 million daily vehicular t


trips, another 25 million vehicle miles travelled daily, and another 250,000 daily transit trips during the same 20 year period. Even more daunting, if the current trends of exurban/urban sprawl were to continue, today’s estimated 230,000 daily work trips from outside the WPMSA into and through the WPMSA (pass-through traffic) is projected to more than triple to approximately 700,000 by the year 2030. With 75% of commuters traveling in single-occupancy vehicles and another 10% traveling in carpools, such an automobile-dependent commuting pattern is unsustainable.

Why Is RTV the Answer for Transit?

• It is the most cost-effective way to address transportation capacity and congestion issues.

• It is our best hope for creating vibrant, live-work communities for existing as well as future residents and employees that reduce our reliance on automobiles to get to and from work.

• It is needed to implement the County’s already adopted and anticipated future land use decisions.

Without an increase in transportation capacity, forecasted jobs will not come to the County. They are likely to go elsewhere, either to other jurisdictions or out of the region altogether. This will result in more congestion on our roads without the economic and fiscal benefits that would occur if such jobs and housing were created in the County. The proposed transit network provides the best option for providing the transportation capacity for these forecasted jobs to become a reality. At the same time, it will positively impact our congestion, environmental quality, and general quality of life needs.

Paying for the RTV System

The system is projected to cost in excess of $1.8 billion to build, including approximately $477 million for the Corridor Cities Transit Way, which is a portion of the system already being planned by the State Mass Transit Administration. The projected annual operating cost of the system is up to $1.1 million per mile.

There are a variety of ways in which to finance these costs. The funding of capital costs is proposed to come primarily through the issuance of debt. Debt service payments are proposed to be funded by a combination of annual State contributions toward debt service on special obligation bonds, and revenues derived from one or more special taxing districts formed to tax real property. Special tax district revenues will be used both to pay the County’s share of debt service on capital costs, and to fund operating deficits of the transit operations.

Another funding alternative, in whole or in part, may be to use a portion of the County’s capital improvements program budget, which could be re-allocated to transit uses from certain road projects.

How Was this Plan Created?

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett appointed the Transit Task Force in February 2011 and starting in March 2011, met numerous times in public session. The Task Force was comprised of a group of community leaders, elected and appointed officials, and transportation and planning experts from state, regional, and local government agencies. The Executive’s directive to the Task Force was to develop a plan for the implementation of a comprehensive and effective rapid transit system for Montgomery County. After over a year of deliberations, the Task Force recommended the approximately 160-mile RTV system.

The Task Force believes that a high-quality transit network, matched with transit-supportive mixed-use development and density, is not only consistent with but required by the “wedges and corridor” plan embodied in the County’s General Plan, as amended.

The Task Force has proposed the exploration of the creation of an independent transit authority to plan, construct, finance, operate, and maintain the combined RTV system and the redeployed Ride-On transit operation. The Task Force has also recommended that the County explore using public-private procurement methods and processes to make the system development and operations process more efficient, less expensive,

and more expeditious. n

RAPID TRANSIT

Documents

Smart Growth Montgomery County Magazine