On the Agenda: Planning Board

Montgomery County Planning Board is expected to discuss methodology behind a massive bus rapid transit system (BRT) that would link communities all over the county. 

County officials describe bus rapid transit as being similar to light rail, though it is operated on roadways. Planners are examining 16 corridors and have been analyzing ridership potential and where dedicated bus lanes should go.

During a work session Thursday, transportation staffers will make recommendations and take suggestions from the board. A preliminary design of the BRT system is due to the board on Feb. 23. A draft is expected to head to the county council in September. 

The proposal from residents who attended an open house Nov. 29 at the Upcounty Regional Services Center. The most vocal critics said they were unconvinced the new transit system would ease commuter pain upcounty, where it appeared that none of the 16 possible routes under consideration were east of Interstate 270. Others said they were skeptical of whether the experience of riding a BRT vehicle would differ from riding a bus.

At the November meeting in Germantown, a representative from consulting firm Parsons Brinckerhof said density wasn’t high enough to justify expanding BRT services upcounty and that the Corridor Cities Transitway, or CCT, might serve as a more viable option. The CCT would link Shady Grove Road to the COMSAT building. In January, in favor of BRT over light rail on the CCT.