Montgomery County committee approves $100,000 for Clarksburg–Montgomery Village corridor study

A joint committee of the Montgomery County Council unanimously approved a $100,000 special appropriation Oct. 16 to fund a transportation study of the Clarksburg to Montgomery Village corridor.

The appropriation, drawn from undesignated reserves, was introduced by Councilmember Balcom to support a study recommended in the 2025 technical update to the county’s Master Plan of Highways and Transit, council members said.

Councilmember Balcom said the study was prompted by the removal of the Mid-County Highway extension (M-83) from the master plan and by other transportation projects that have stalled or been removed from the pipeline, including the Corridor Cities Transitway and proposals tied to managed lanes on I‑270. “We need this transportation study,” Balcom said, arguing that planned growth in Clarksburg makes an updated capacity analysis urgent.

Balcom noted recent housing approvals in Clarksburg, including an additional 150 senior housing units and about 650 units coming online in the area, and said those additions increase the need to reassess travel capacity and options for the corridor.

County staff briefed the committee that the study parameters were adjusted during the master plan committee review and that the revised language is reflected in the resolution and highlighted in the staff report. Staff also included a racial equity impact statement with the packet saying the appropriation “has the potential to advance racial equity and social justice in Montgomery County” by examining the demographics served in the corridor. The fiscal impact section of the staff report states the appropriation would result in an estimated 0.14% reduction in general fund reserves in fiscal year 2026, based on the approved FY26 budget.

Chair Glass called for a vote after brief discussion; the joint committee voted unanimously to approve the special appropriation to fund the planning department’s study. No mover or second was recorded in the transcript.

The appropriation funds the planning work to assess current and anticipated travel needs between Clarksburg and Montgomery Village, including options to replace or supplement capacity that earlier master-plan projects would have provided. County staff and council members said the study should inform upcoming capital planning (the County’s CIP) and other project decisions.

The planning department is expected to begin the study using the appropriated funds. The resolution text and the staff report (including the revised master plan language and the racial equity impact statement) are filed with the council’s committee packet.