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Transit advocates urge county to prioritize dedicated bus lanes, safety and housing near transit
Summary
The Action Committee for Transit urged the county council to fund bus lanes, safety improvements for pedestrians and cyclists, and to align housing production with planned Bus Rapid Transit projects during the FY26 CIP hearings.
An Action Committee for Transit board member told the Montgomery County Council the FY26 CIP should prioritize projects that create bus lanes, improve safety for walking and biking, and support housing development near transit corridors.
Mike Larkin, speaking for the Action Committee for Transit (ACT), said the county should build "more bus lanes, safer infrastructure for active transportation, and community development projects that accelerate the production and preservation of housing." He urged the council to ensure dedicated lanes and unified fare and stop systems for planned Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridors, citing current delays and inefficiencies on US 29 where multiple buses use different stops and fare systems.
Larkin said that if limited budgets prevent a full high-capacity BRT, the county should consider more frequent buses and continuing small bus-priority projects already underway. He praised minor bus-priority work such as the University Boulevard corridor improvements and emphasized that transit success depends on safe pedestrian and bicycle access: "People have to get there in the first place," he said, noting the importance of safe connections to new destinations including the Montgomery College East County campus.
The testimony linked transit quality to housing: ACT asked the council to coordinate workforce housing zoning changes with street and transit improvements so new housing is served by safe, walkable transit corridors.
Council staff recorded the testimony for use in budget and CIP deliberations.
