Residents and advocates urge ‘transit first’ approach for Clarksburg–Montgomery Village corridor study

Montgomery County held a public hearing Sept. 30 on a proposed $100,000 special appropriation to the FY2026 operating budget to fund a Clarksburg–Montgomery Village corridor transportation study. Speakers urged the council to prioritize transit, walking and biking over new highway construction and to examine specific needs of seniors, people with disabilities and students.

The resolution would appropriate $100,000 from general fund undesignated reserves to the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission for the corridor study. The item was referred to the Joint Transportation and Environment Committee and the Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee; a work session was scheduled for Oct. 16, 2025. No council vote was recorded at the Sept. 30 hearing.

Diane Cameron called explicitly for transit-first planning and thanked the council for removing the northern portion of the M-83 highway from the county’s master plan. “In order to put transit first, this study must do three things: provide a clear statement of need, recommend how best to meet the need, and collaborate with our neighbor to the north, Frederick County,” Cameron said.

Margaret Shope, representing the TAME Coalition (Transit Alternatives to Mid-County Highway Extended), said the study should focus on maintaining and expanding existing transit networks — Ride On buses, MARC trains and the Red Line connection at Shady Grove — and requested free, more frequent buses along planned BRT routes and two midday MARC trains that have state and rail operator agreement but lack funding.

Jeanette Rosenbaum, a resident of Lake Forest (Montgomery Village), described long travel times by bus within the Upcounty and said planned redevelopment will increase demand for transit. “We need to expand our transit system,” Rosenbaum said, citing projected population growth through 2045.

Carl Held, speaking for a coalition of 19 private organizations, echoed calls to prioritize transit and active transportation, and to align the study with the county’s climate action goals. He urged attention to a planned Route 355 BRT North section and to restructuring local buses to feed BRT corridors.

Paula Ross, CEO of the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce, urged the council to consider road capacity in the Upcounty as well and said commerce depends on reliable access to town centers. She supported the appropriation while emphasizing that the study should examine a mix of transit and road solutions to meet Upcounty needs.

Multiple student speakers, including Barkha Bishnoi, Evan Fernando, Grace Chi, Lorena Wu and Siddharth Harishankar, described reliance on Ride On service for school commutes and after-school activities and asked for more frequent routes, weekend service, and better geographic coverage to ensure equitable access for students without cars.

Speakers repeatedly cited the council’s July vote to remove the M-83 northern section from the master plan as an opportunity to prioritize transit. Testimony requested that the study quantify mobility needs across demographic groups, consider bus shelters and midday MARC trains, and explore Ride On route extensions (for example, extending Route 101 on Route 355 to Clarksburg).

The council’s published item description lists the funding source as general fund undesignated reserves and notes the joint committee referral. The public hearing record will remain open until the staff deadline noted in the council materials; the matter will proceed to the scheduled committee work sessions for further deliberation.