DOT Transportation Engineering Projects
Transit Project
The MD 355 Flash BRT service, identified in the Countywide Transit Corridors Functional Master Plan, will provide upgraded bus service along MD 355 (Wisconsin Avenue/Rockville Pike/Frederick Road), bringing fast and reliable transit service in dedicated lanes, where feasible, to this busy corridor. The project will create new connections and support growth and redevelopment at key activity centers along the corridor including in downtown Bethesda, White Flint, Rockville, and Gaithersburg.
CONSTRUCTION, CONTRACTOR, AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
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Flash BRT Buses will operate frequently all day, so riders will be able to travel along Maryland 355 quickly without the need to locate and review a bus schedule. Convenient routes will connect major destinations including shopping, schools, workplaces, healthcare, parks, and neighborhoods. Transfers to local Ride On buses, Metrobus, and the Metrorail red line are also possible and will be convenient.
Once the project is fully constructed, MCDOT proposes five routes to serve the corridor on overlapping segments. The column on the left of the visual show how often a Flash bus is proposed to arrive at stops in different locations along the corridor, with the frequencies of Flash bus arrivals ranging from every three to every twelve minutes during rush hour periods, depending on the location.
For the central phase of the Maryland 355 Flash BRT, three routes are proposed to serve the corridor. Flash buses are proposed to arrive at stops between 3 and 8 minutes apart during rush hour, depending on the location.
MCDOT is also currently studying how the rest of the County's bus routes should be organized through an effort called “Ride On Reimagined.” Details on that study can be found at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/DOT-Transit/reimagined.www.montgomerycountymd.gov/DOT-Transit/reimagined.
The Flash stations on MD 355 will have a consistent design that provides a high-quality experience for riders and is consistent with other Flash stations in the County. The stations will be accessible for all riders, including those in wheelchairs. Based on the conditions around each station, some stations along MD 355 will be located on the side of the roadway, while others will be in the middle of MD 355, accessible by a safe pedestrian crossing.
The current roadway design plans for the MD 355 Flash BRT are now available at the links below for your review. These design plans have been developed with the objective of accommodating median-running dedicated Flash lanes where feasible, based on the findings from the last phase of study for this project, recognizing and adjusting where necessary based upon constraints in some locations along the corridor. The following “typical section” images show what the different lane options identified for the corridor may look like. However, the design will be customized in some locations based on constraints.
The MD 355 Flash BRT design team is considering how the project could include new or updated bicycle and pedestrian facilities to ensure people can safely access Flash stations as well as other destinations along the corridor. Roadway characteristics, conditions, and constraints vary considerably depending on the specific location. MCDOT is considering a variety of bicycle and pedestrian facilities along the MD 355 corridor.
MCDOT completed the Planning and Conceptual Engineering of the MD 355 BRT in 2019, which concluded with a preference expressed by the County Council Transportation and Environment (T&E) Committee for an alternative that would provide for a mostly median-running BRT between Bethesda and Clarksburg. The project completed Preliminary Engineering in 2022. In this phase, MCDOT has developed detailed design plans, refined the conceptual engineering, identified ways to enhance performance and reduce costs and impacts, and developed detailed cost estimates. Throughout 2023 and 2024, the project is within the Project Implementation phase. MCDOT is refining the design plans and defining construction, contractor, and business opportunities. Additionally, MCDOT is undergoing required federal and state environmental processes. The MD 355 Project is scheduled to finalize design and start construction by 2025.
Corridor Advisory Committees were created in 2015 as part of the Montgomery County Department of Transportation's (MCDOT) planning project for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) on the MD 355 corridor from Bethesda to Clarksburg. The committee members are residents, business owners, and other stakeholders along the corridor. CAC meetings allow MCDOT to both give updates on the project to members of the community and to gather feedback from stakeholders along this portion of the corridor.
For more information on this corridor, see the Countywide Transit Corridors Functional Master Plan.
CAC Meeting #16 (May 25, 2022)
CAC Meeting #15 (February 3, 2022)
CAC Meeting #14 (Tuesday, April 20, 2021)
CAC Meeting #13 (Wednesday, June 5th 2019)
CAC Meeting #7 (Tuesday, June 7, 2016)
*March 3 meeting was postponed to March 16 due to snow.
CAC Meeting #14 (Thursday, April 22, 2021)
CAC Meeting #13 (Tuesday, June 4th 2019)
(The following items make reference to the MD355 South CAC. But they also apply to the MD355 Central CAC given that, until December 7th, 2017, MD355 South CAC used to cover what is today covered by MD355 Central CAC.)
CAC Meeting #14 (Tuesday, April 27, 2021)
CAC Meeting #7 (Tuesday, June 14th 2016)
Nancy Abeles Bethesda Crest Homeowners Association (Bethesda)
Joshua Raymond Arcurio Grosvenor Park Condo Citizens Association (North Bethesda)
Jerry Callistein College Gardens Civic Association (Rockville)
Gene Cornelius Pike District (North Bethesda)
Kristi Cruzat Fallswood Condo Association (North Bethesda)
Cherian Eapen Interested Resident (Clarksburg)
Roger Fox Grosvenor Park II Condos (North Bethesda)
Jerry Garson Montgomery County Civic Federation, Inc. (Countywide)
Peter Henry Watkin's Mill Town Center (Gaithersburg)
Peter Katz Interested Resident (Kensington)
Ajay Khetarpal West End Citizens Association (Rockville)
Richard O. Levine Locust Hill Citizens Association (Bethesda)
Richard Lindstrom Interested Resident (Gaithersburg)
James Martin Interested Resident (Clarksburg)
Andy O'Hare Temporary Rep, East Bethesda Citizens Association (Bethesda)
Mark Pace Montgomery College (Rockville, Germantown)
Era Pandya Interested Resident (Clarksburg)
D. Todd Pearson Saul Centers, Inc. (Bethesda)
Margaret Schoap TAME [Transit Alternatives to Mid-County Highway] Coalition (Regional)
David W. Sears Montgomery County Sierra Club (Countywide)
Peter L. Shaw Interested Resident (Rockville)
Mike Stein Rockville Transportation and Mobility Commission (Rockville)
Zachary (Zac) Trupp Greater Capital Area Association of Realtors (Regional)
Gary Unterberg Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber, Rodgers Consulting, Inc. (Gaithersburg, Germantown)
Ronald C. Welke Greenridge Baptist Church (Clarksburg)
Greg Wimms Upcounty Citizens Advisory Board (Upcounty)
Joel Yesley Interested Resident (Gaithersburg)
TBD Greater Bethesda Chamber of Commerce (Bethesda)
TBD National Institutes of Health (Bethesda)
TBD U.S. Naval Support Activity (Bethesda)
The MD 355 BRT will provide a new transit service with greater travel speed and frequency along the MD 355 corridor that will help:
Following the adoption of a preferred alternative in early 2022, MCDOT will continue to work, in coordination with key stakeholders, to finalize decisions related to::
Roadway conditions, capacity, and expansion constraints along MD 355 vary considerably. The proposed alternative includes one or two median-running dedicated BRT lane(s) where feasible. This includes two dedicated, median-running bus lanes between Rockville and North Bethesda, and a single, median-running BRT lane between Gaithersburg and Rockville. The MD 355 BRT is expected to operate in mixed traffic in other areas. However, further engineering and design will determine the locations where dedicated lanes are feasible.
The County does not anticipate large amounts of new parking at most BRT stations along MD 355. However, the County is studying where demand for parking will be highest and how best to accommodate that parking demand to support ridership.
The alternative fuel vehicle industry continues to expand and debut new transit vehicle options. The County already owns and operates standard-length all-electric buses and is exploring other options. MCDOT will continue to monitor developments in the industry and carefully consider the use of sustainable fuel sources for the MD 355 Flash BRT service once the project is closer to implementation.
A detailed cost estimate for the MD 355 BRT is being developed as part of the current phase of the project.
Delivery of the project is highly dependent on numerous factors including Council approval, available funding, approval and permitting processes, and construction speed
MCDOT anticipates that funding for the project will come from a combination of federal, state, and local sources. The County is exploring options for new sources of revenue.
MCDOT understands that the community relies on existing services, and that there is a need to serve areas where BRT cannot be built in the short term with high-quality services. MCDOT and its partners are planning for the MD 355 BRT concurrently with a variety of other projects. These projects will address other transit needs throughout the County with the MD 355 BRT in mind. They include:
Since 2015, MCDOT has held regular meetings regarding the MD 355 BRT project with key stakeholder organizations including the Cities of Gaithersburg and Rockville, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, the Maryland Department of Transportation, local Corridor Advisory Committees, and a variety of community-based organizations. MCDOT has also held multiple series of public open houses and dozens of pop-up events each year since 2015. MCDOT has reviewed and considered hundreds of public comments and survey responses regarding the MD 355 BRT.
There are several ways you can get involved! For more information, see our Get Involved page.
The full project is funded through final design. Construction funding has been recommended for the segment of the project between Montgomery College – Rockville and Montgomery College – Germantown. For more information, see Central Phase and South/North Phases.
Executive Director: Zouli Bereddad Division of Transportation Engineering Transportation Planning and Design