This week, the Montgomery County Council approved an ambitious, but controversial, plan to create a 10-route, 81-mile Bus Rapid Transit network in D.C.'s northern suburbs to meet the area's mobility needs and support its sustainable growth.
After five years of work, Montgomery County has decided that a vast BRT network is the best way to improve accessibility and mobility throughout the largely suburban county, reports Dan Reed. However, he notes, "The plan has been controversial."
"While many civic, environmental, activist, and business groups endorsed BRT, a vocal minority in neighborhoods like Four Corners and Chevy Chase West fought the plan based on claims that it would take their property or endanger their children." Though the plan passed the County Council unanimously, it sounds like some members are reluctant supporters.
"It's true that this plan won't solve all of the county's transportation issues, as skeptics and opponents frequently point out," accedes Reed. "But the alternatives, whether it's improving existing bus service, building more highways, or extending Metro, are either too small, too destructive, or too expensive to really make a difference."
Read the full story: Montgomery approves countywide BRT plan
Montgomery County BRT Could Change Life for Commuters Around D.C.
Montgomery County has been considering a Bus Rapid Transit System for close to a decade, a study released this year details the improvements the system promises to bring.
Funding Questions Loom for Montgomery County's BRT Plans
Even when a community has thrown its full support behind a transit project, questions of funding and operations can create controversy. The next few months will be worth watching for Montgomery County, Maryland's proposed BRT system.
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