DOT Transportation Engineering Projects

 
 

MD 355 Flash Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

bus iconTransit Project


Zouli Bereddad
Division of Transportation Engineering
Transportation Planning and Design
Zouli.bereddad@montgomerycountymd.gov
240-777-7220

Project Description

The MD 355 Flash BRT service, identified in the Countywide Transit Corridors Functional Master Plan, will provide upgraded bus service along MD 355 (Wisconsin Avenue/Rockville Pike/Frederick Road), bringing fast and reliable transit service in dedicated lanes, where feasible, to this busy corridor. The project will create new connections and support growth and redevelopment at key activity centers along the corridor including in downtown Bethesda, White Flint, Rockville, and Gaithersburg.

CONSTRUCTION, CONTRACTOR, AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES  

 

Project Map

Download the project map to explore proposed roadway, station locations, and bicycle and pedestrian plans. Open with Google Earth.

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Project Updates


​Service Plan for Flash BRT Service on MD 355 (Rockville Pike/Frederick Road)​

Flash BRT Buses will operate frequently all day, so riders will be able to travel along Maryland 355 quickly without the need to locate and review a bus schedule. Convenient routes will connect major destinations including shopping, schools, workplaces, healthcare, parks, and neighborhoods. Transfers to local Ride On buses, Metrobus, and the Metrorail red line are also possible and will be convenient.

Once the project is fully constructed, MCDOT proposes five routes to serve the corridor on overlapping segments. The column on the left of the visual show how often a Flash bus is proposed to arrive at stops in different locations along the corridor, with the frequencies of Flash bus arrivals ranging from every three to every twelve minutes during rush hour periods, depending on the location.

Project Service Plan - Central Phase Click to Enlarge
Station Locations - Central Phase Click to Enlarge
 

For the central phase of the Maryland 355 Flash BRT, three routes are proposed to serve the corridor. Flash buses are proposed to arrive at stops between 3 and 8 minutes apart during rush hour, depending on the location.

Project Service Plan - All Phases Click to Enlarge
Station Locations - All Phases Click to Enlarge
 

MCDOT is also currently studying how the rest of the County's bus routes should be organized through an effort called “Ride On Reimagined.” Details on that study can be found at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/DOT-Transit/reimagined.www.montgomerycountymd.gov/DOT-Transit/reimagined.

Station Design

The Flash stations on MD 355 will have a consistent design that provides a high-quality experience for riders and is consistent with other Flash stations in the County. The stations will be accessible for all riders, including those in wheelchairs. Based on the conditions around each station, some stations along MD 355 will be located on the side of the roadway, while others will be in the middle of MD 355, accessible by a safe pedestrian crossing.

 

Roadway Design and Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements on MD 355

The current roadway design plans for the MD 355 Flash BRT are now available at the links below for your review. These design plans have been developed with the objective of accommodating median-running dedicated Flash lanes where feasible, based on the findings from the last phase of study for this project, recognizing and adjusting where necessary based upon constraints in some locations along the corridor. The following “typical section” images show what the different lane options identified for the corridor may look like. However, the design will be customized in some locations based on constraints.

 
The design plans show not only where the Flash BRT lanes will go, but also where the roadway will be widened, where the stations (shown in yellow) will be located, and what pedestrian and bicycle facilities will be available at different locations along MD 355. The County will use the input provided by the public, as well as federally-compliant analysis of the environmental impacts of this design, to finalize these roadway design decisions in the next project phase.


​Bicycle and Pedestrian Facility Options
 

The MD 355 Flash BRT design team is considering how the project could include new or updated bicycle and pedestrian facilities to ensure people can safely access Flash stations as well as other destinations along the corridor. Roadway characteristics, conditions, and constraints vary considerably depending on the specific location. MCDOT is considering a variety of bicycle and pedestrian facilities along the MD 355 corridor. 

Project Status

MCDOT completed Planning and Conceptual Engineering of the MD 355 BRT in 2019, which concluded with a preference expressed by the County Council Transportation and Environment (T&E) Committee for an alternative that would provide for a mostly median-running BRT between Bethesda and Clarksburg. The project has now entered Preliminary Engineering, which will run through the end of 2022. In this phase, MCDOT is developing detailed design plans, refining the conceptual engineering, identifying ways to enhance performance and reduce costs and impacts, and developing detailed cost estimates. Concurrently, MCDOT is undergoing required federal and state environmental processes. 

project timeline

Resources

Corridor Advisory Committee

Corridor Advisory Committees were created in 2015 as part of the Montgomery County Department of Transportation's (MCDOT) planning project for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) on the MD 355 corridor from Bethesda to Clarksburg. The committee members are residents, business owners, and other stakeholders along the corridor. CAC meetings allow MCDOT to both give updates on the project to members of the community and to gather feedback from stakeholders along this portion of the corridor.

For more information on this corridor, see the Countywide Transit Corridors Functional Master Plan.

Meeting Documents

FAQS

Funding

The full project is funded through final design. Construction funding has been recommended for the segment of the project between Montgomery College – Rockville and Montgomery College – Germantown. For more information, see Central Phase and South/North Phases.


Project Contact Information

Zouli Bereddad
Division of Transportation Engineering
Transportation Planning and Design