Montgomery County, Maryland planners were trying to raise the bar for bicycle infrastructure planning and design in North America.

David Cranor reports on the recently approved Bicycle Master Plan in Montgomery County, Maryland.
The plan, "calls for more than 1,000 miles of trails, paths, and separated bike lanes; expanded bicycle parking near transit and in commercial areas; and bicycle-supportive programs and policies," according to Cranor.
A couple key concepts drive the goals of the new bicycle plan. First is the idea that bike infrastructure can contribute to Vision Zero traffic safety goals. The second is a shift more toward biking as a form of transportation, not just recreation.
The article includes a lot more detail about how planners gathered the information and made the decisions to most effectively address those ideals.
It's been a big year for transportation planning in Montgomery County. Here's a rundown of transportation related coverage of Montgomery County in 2018:
- 'Barnes Dance' Coming to Montgomery County, Maryland (May 2018)
- A Public Service Announcement to Explain Newfangled Bike Infrastructure (May 2018)
- Montgomery County Community Wants Walkability for its Town Center (August 2018)
- Walkable Suburbia (September 2018)
- Local Concern Grows Over Maryland's Plans to Widen Interstates (September 2018)
- Bus Rapid Transit Line Breaks Ground in Maryland (October 2018)
FULL STORY: Montgomery County’s 1,100-mile bicycle master plan raises the bar. Now it needs funding.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

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The Small South Asian Republic Going all in on EVs
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DC Backpedals on Bike Lane Protection, Swaps Barriers for Paint
Citing aesthetic concerns, the city is removing the concrete barriers and flexposts that once separated Arizona Avenue cyclists from motor vehicles.
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