Montgomery County Council Approves the Westbard Sector Plan

Notice to Property Owners/Interested Parties:

The Montgomery County Council recently approved the Westbard Sector Plan. The purpose of this letter is to inform you that the Montgomery County Planning Board has submitted to the County Council, for its approval, a Sectional Map Amendment (SMA) that would put into effect any zoning changes recommended in the Plan for your property or properties adjacent to you.

The County Council will hold a public hearing on the SMA on September 20, 2016 at 1:30 p.m., at the Council Office Building, 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, Maryland. Please let the Council Office know as soon as possible if you plan to offer testimony at the public hearing by signing up online at http://www.montgomerycountvmd.gov/COUNCIL/PHSignUp.html or by calling (240) 777-7803.

Whether you do or do not present oral testimony, you are invited to submit written testimony and exhibits for this hearing. Written testimony will be given the same attention as oral testimony. The record on the SMA will close on September 20, 2016.

A memorandum describing the proposed rezoning, and maps depicting the locations of the properties that will be rezoned can be found at: http://www.montgomeryplanningboard.org/agenda/2016/documents/WestbardSMAStaffReport3.pdf.

An interactive map (searchable by address or location) can be found at: http://mcatlas.org/sma/westbard2016/.

If you have any questions, please call John Marcolin, Planner/Coordinator, M-NCPPC, at (301) 495-4547. He can also be reached by fax at (301) 495-1303 or by e-mail at John.Marcolin@montgomeryplanning.org.

Updates re: Proposed Redevelopment at The Collection Chevy Chase (Chevy Chase Center)

Red Line Passengers Urged to Seek Alternatives During SafeTrack Surges in August

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) first surges will affect the Red Line through August 18. These surges, are expected to cause major delays on the entire Red Line -- the Metrorail system’s busiest line. Metro is urging commuters to find alternatives, particularly during weekday, peak travel hours.

Note: During Surge 7 (August 9-18), Montgomery County’s 311 Call Center is extending its hours to assist commuters and will operate from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday.

What is MCDOT Doing to Help Travelers?
The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) is assisting travelers during SafeTrack as outlined below.

For Riders:

• MCDOT is extending peak-hour service on its free shuttles to 4 ½ hours in both the morning and afternoon to encourage commuters to travel before 7 a.m. or after 9 a.m. and before 4 p.m. or after 6 p.m.
• For Surge #7: Provide free Ride On “Red Line Shuttles” between the Grosvenor-Strathmore station and Montgomery College via I-270 weekdays every 10 minutes from 5:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. MCDOT is extending peak-hour service to 4 ½ hours in both the morning and afternoon.
• For Surge #7: Provide enhanced Ride On Route 46 bus service (which operates between Montgomery College-Rockville and Medical Center), increasing frequency between Grosvenor-Strathmore and Rockville via White Flint and Twinbrook stations to every 10 minutes during peak travel times.
• Work with the Maryland Transit Administration to provide more MARC train cars on the Brunswick Line, sell tickets on some station platforms and provide tickets to MCDOT to sell at its TRiPS store in Silver Spring, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Provide commuter services assistance, including telework, alternate work schedules, carpooling, vanpooling and use of car-sharing.
• Post bike route “SafeTrack Detour” signs at station entrances to connect West Hyattsville on the Green Line, with the Takoma, Silver Spring, Forest Glen, Wheaton and Glenmont stations.
• Co-sponsor “Learn the Route” free, guided bike rides in advance of each SafeTrack surge.
• Create an interactive map of Park and Ride Lot options.
• Coordinate with Montgomery County Police to provide traffic control to improve bus operations at the Silver Spring Transit Center and other key locations.
• Offer free Bikeshare memberships, training and helmets to qualified, low income residents through the MC Liberty program.

For Drivers:

• Monitor traffic flow and adjust traffic signals in areas most affected by SafeTrack to improve bus operations and traffic flow.
• Suspend MCDOT road repair projects along key commuter routes affected by surges.
• Request that the Maryland State Highway Administration restrict lane closures and construction projects along key routes affected by surges.
• Prohibit metered parking along MD 355, MD 97 and US 29 corridors to improve bus operations and traffic flow.

Educate Travelers:

• Provide Ride On staff at affected Metro stations to assist passengers, direct them to shuttles and distribute information.
• Hold “pop-up” events at Metrorail stations to educate passengers about upcoming surges.
• Post interior and exterior Ride On bus and bus shelter ads.
• Display informational posters at all Transit Centers.
• Use social and traditional media to communicate with customers and the public.
• Promote the Fare Share commuter benefits matching program in Transportation Management Districts and to major employers.

Critical Information About SafeTrack Surge #7, August 9-18

• Red Line passengers are encouraged to avoid Shady Grove and Rockville stations.
• Continuous single tracking between Shady Grove and Rockville means only one-third of the regular service will be available during peak hours.
• Red Line passengers on the west side of the Red Line are urged to seek alternate transportation, telework or ride at off-peak hours.

What to Expect on Metrorail During Surge #7

• Red Line trains will serve Shady Grove and Rockville every 18 minutes, rather than every six minutes during peak periods.
• Other Red Line trains will have nearly normal service.

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Montgomery County 311 Extends Hours to Assist Commuters During Metro's SafeTrack Surge #7

MC311, Montgomery County’s informational call center, will temporarily be open an additional two hours each weekday during Metro’s SafeTrack Surge #7. From Monday, August 1 through Thursday, August 18, representatives will be available from 6 AM to 8 PM, Monday through Friday, to help commuters navigate the changes in Metro’s mass transit schedules.

• Surge #7, August 9-18: Red Line trains will continuously single track between the Twinbrook and Shady Grove Stations. With only one third of regular service available during peak hours, commuters are urged to find alternatives.
• Learn more about Surge #7 at: http://bit.ly/2aGqfGQ.

MC311 representatives will be able to answer commuters’ questions about the additional resources and alternatives that MCDOT is providing during the surges, to include the availability of free Ride On “Red Line Shuttles.”

On Friday, August 19, MC311 will resume its normal 7 AM to 7 PM weekday call-taking schedule.

For County information requests, residents can reach MC311 in the County by calling 3-1-1 or 240-777-0311 from anywhere. The MC311 website, www.mc311.com, is always available to the public 24/7 for online service requests. You can also tweet MC311 @311MC311.

New Village Website Launched

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