Metro announced Thursday that nearly seven miles of bus-only lanes near the Silver Spring, Forest Glen, Wheaton, and Glenmont Red Line stations will remain until at least December.
The bus-only lanes on Georgia Avenue and Colesville Road were installed as part of a pilot project between Metro and the Departments of Transportation in Maryland and Montgomery County to help bus shuttle customers move faster during the station closures. The Red Line stations, which have been closed since June for Purple Line construction and Red Line maintenance, are scheduled to reopen on Sunday, September 1, with bus shuttle operations ending on Saturday, August 31.
The Takoma station reopened ahead of schedule at the end of June.
Several Metrobus and Ride On bus routes, including the Metrobus Y and Q routes, will still benefit from the temporary lanes, which will be effective from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
According to Metro, more than 15,000 average daily riders use the Metrobus and Ride On routes on Georgia Avenue and Colesville Road.
“Dedicated bus lanes are the most efficient use of existing roadway space, moving the greatest number of people in a bus in the least amount of space (compared to single occupancy vehicles),” Metro said in a press release. “It’s also a safer and low-cost way of moving more people through a corridor without widening roads.”
“I appreciate the extension of the pilot project to allow us to explore options for improved and more equitable access along this corridor,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “Bus lanes across the region have increased reliability and decreased travel time for bus passengers. We want to improve the service for our existing riders – many of whom are low income, low English proficiency, or have disabilities – and demonstrate to potential new riders that the bus can be an attractive transportation option.”
“The Moore-Miller Administration is focused on moving people not just vehicles and by continuing to study these temporary bus lanes, we are showing our commitment to providing a safe, equitable transportation system for all users,” said Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld. “These temporary bus lanes are a successful collaboration between the Maryland Department of Transportation, Montgomery County, and Metro and highlight a low-cost project that has a high impact on the communities it serves. Extending the pilot through the end of the year will allow us to evaluate the project’s effectiveness and examine opportunities to speed up buses through additional targeted bus lane improvements in Maryland.”
“We are thankful for the collaboration with Maryland and Montgomery County,” said Metro General Manager Randy Clarke. “Dedicated bus lanes are one of the best tools to move many people through a corridor quickly. We are excited to see the results of this pilot and are encouraged by Maryland’s efforts to increase bus speeds.”
Metro said it would work with the Maryland and Montgomery County transportation departments to analyze data, make lane changes for efficiency, and review the impact of dedicated travel lanes to buses during school sessions and when the region’s workforce returns from summer travels.
Photo: “12.SilverSpringMD.26August2020” by Elvert Barnes is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
