The County Council is now soliciting public comments on the new draft Bicycle Master Plan, which will chart the future of biking in the county for years to come. The plan includes a main document and appendices (see the "Download" links on that page). See also the handy map of planned bikeways on that page.
The Council will make changes to the plan in response to comments they receive. So it's important to weigh in now! The public hearing will be on Tuesday, July 10 at 7:30 pm at the Council Office Building (100 Maryland Ave, Rockville, MD, third-floor hearing room). Sign up online to testify or call 240-777-7803 by 10 am on July 10. The Council will begin deliberations on the plan in the fall.
If you prefer, you can submit written comments instead of (or in addition to) speaking. Email comments to county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov.
Speakers are encouraged to email a copy of their testimony 48 hours before the hearing, and are encouraged (but not required) to bring 15 copies of their testimony to the hearing. The hearing will be streamed online. To learn more about the County Council, see their web page.
The goal of the Bicycle Master Plan is to make Montgomery County a place where anyone can get around by bike. It does this by calling for many more "low stress" bikeways like protected bike lanes (cycle tracks), shared use paths, and bicycle boulevards. This is an important paradigm shift that will get more people on bikes.
There is some concern that the plan is omitting shoulders and conventional bike lanes used by cyclists today. Low stress bikeways don't have to be an either-or proposition. Montgomery Bicycle Advocates (MoBike) requests keeping several shoulders and conventional bike lanes in addition to provision of low stress bikeways. That will make this a truly great plan.
See the Bicycle Master Plan home page for more information on the history and process behind the plan.
Suburban Hospital Expansion – What about bikes? Bike Master Plan – Where are the shoulders?