 |
Stories from the NFCCA Newsletter, the “North Four Corners News” |
|
Stories from the NFCCA Newsletter, the “North Four Corners News” |
North Four Corners News ♦ December 2022
Recently, the Montgomery County Planning agency [Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission] kicked off its public engagement process for developing Phase 1 of the University Boulevard Corridor Plan (UBCP). The last Master Plan for Four Corners was issued in 1996. The UBCP plan will ultimately serve as a guide for future development in line with Montgomery Thrive 2050. One of the fundamental tenets of Montgomery Thrive 2050 is to concentrate future growth along corridors, such as University Boulevard.
Decisions made during this planning effort will ultimately affect land use and zoning (including allowing denser multifamily housing) and transportation infrastructure (pedestrian/bike/BRT etc.). Planners will also evaluate environmental assets, community/public facilities, and parks and open spaces.
A number of existing county plans will guide decision making for the UBCP. The 2013 Countywide Transit Corridors Functional Master Plan calls for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) along University Boulevard, including stops at Arcola Avenue, Dennis Avenue, and Four Corners.
Vision Zero is the county’s comprehensive approach to prevent roadway-related deaths and severe injuries. Planners will shift from their past emphasis on maximizing traffic efficiency to making roads safer, including protecting pedestrians and bicyclists. It is notable that the stretch of University Boulevard from Georgia Avenue to Colesville Road as an area that deserves critical focus, as this stretch is designated under the High Injury Network (roadway segments with five or more severe or fatal collisions and one or more collisions per mile per year).
The Bicycle Master Plan calls for a bikeway side path (protected lanes buffered from the roadway) along University Boulevard and Dennis Avenue. A Pedestrian Master Planning process is also currently underway (see link below to the article in the October 2022 issue of this newsletter).
Topics for future community workshops will include: Transportation/Mobility, Environment and sustainability, Housing and Development, and Parks and Open Spaces/Public Facilities.
The current schedule for the UBCP is to engage in public information and outreach, plan analysis, and staff review until September 2023. The Planning Board will then review the UBCP until March 2024 before the plan will be presented to the County Executive in the spring of 2024 and then the County Council will take up its review in mid-to-late 2024.
Details about the UBCP planning effort, including future meetings as well as a video of the 7 November online public meeting can be found at the link below.
[Note: Link mentioned just above changed since newsletter was published; new link is below.] ■
University Blvd. Corridor Plan 2003 Report on UBC Planning NN Pedestrian Master Plan Article© 2022 NFCCA [Source: https://nfcca.org/news/nn202212i.html]