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Montrose neighbors urge council to limit Congressional Lane bike lanes where parking used heavily
Summary
Montrose-area residents told the council the Congressional Lane Complete Street Study undercounts peak parking demand and warned that bike lanes on the section between East Jefferson and Rollins Avenue could remove needed parking and shift congestion into neighboring streets.
Residents from Montrose testified at the Rockville council’s March 17 public hearing about concerns with the Congressional Lane Complete Street Study and proposed bicycle facilities between East Jefferson Street and Rollins Avenue.
Jeffrey Gantz, speaking for neighbors and the Symantro Civic Association, said the study’s parking counts (reported at 34–66% utilization) were taken as a fall snapshot and do not reflect spring and summer peak use when youth sports and recreation leagues increase demand. Gantz said removing parking on that stretch would push vehicles onto residential streets such as Rollins Avenue, Martha Terrace and Lorraine Drive.
Gantz also challenged an element of the study that reportedly identifies existing speed humps on Congressional Lane, saying “I assure you as someone who drives this road almost daily, there are no speed humps on Congressional Lane.” He asked the council to restrict bike-lane installation to the segment between Route 355 and East Jefferson — a section his group believes would not remove parking — and to study connections at the Rollins end if lanes are considered.
Why it matters: the Congressional Lane study and any following projects affect curb parking, street safety and neighborhood traffic patterns. Residents asked the council to consider seasonal and event-driven parking patterns and to coordinate the bikeway study with other nearby projects and rezoning that will affect traffic.
No formal council action on Congressional Lane was recorded during the meeting; the study and related planning work remain under staff review.
