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Committee approves transit development plan and authorizes SmartScale application for Route 50 safety upgrades
Summary
Committee approved forwarding a five-year transit development plan required for state funding and authorized staff to submit a SmartScale application for Route 50/Amherst Street safety and traffic-flow improvements, including left-turn restrictions and added left-turn lanes; VDOT scoring and multi-year delivery were noted.
The Planning and Economic Development committee voted to forward a five-year transit development plan to the full council so the city can meet the state's requirement to remain eligible for transit funding, and authorized staff to submit a SmartScale application for targeted safety and traffic improvements along Route 50/Amherst Street.
Perry said the five-year transit development plan is a planning document required by the state and is nonbinding. The plan identifies possible future service changes — for example, adding Sunday service, extending peak hours, adding vehicles during late-night demand and studying service into portions of Frederick County — and explores the future feasibility of zero-emission vehicles. "Nothing in the plan binds us to anything," Perry told the committee; the plan instead preserves eligibility for state transit funding and sets options for future council consideration.
On SmartScale funding, Perry described a candidate project identified in VDOT's corridor study for Route 50/Amherst Street: restrict some left turns (notably exiting the McDonald’s driveway) to reduce collisions; add an additional left-turn lane at the Campus Boulevard approach; add a double left-turn lane at the Meadow Branch intersection and create pedestrian refuge islands and signal adjustments (left-turn only on green arrow in some movements). Perry said the project is likely to score well for SmartScale but cautioned that VDOT scoring is selective and construction, if approved, would be multi-year.
Committee members asked about access impacts for businesses, pedestrian refuge design and whether the city would need agreements with the county to extend transit into Frederick County. Perry and staff said access impacts are part of the evaluation and that interjurisdictional service would require county cooperation and cost-sharing discussions.
The committee voted to forward the transit plan and to recommend approval of the SmartScale application to the full council so staff can submit the application by the August 1 deadline.
