Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Bipa Implementation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Montgomery County details Purple Line BIPA plan: 3,806 deficiencies, 1,042 improvements complete so far
Summary
MCDOT presented the Bicycle and Pedestrian Priority Areas (BIPA) plan to the Transportation and Environment Committee, saying the 2021 BIPA report listed 3,806 improvements and that staff has completed 1,042 (about 27%) so far; the county outlined budgets and schedules for Flower Avenue ($7M), Carroll Avenue ($1.3M) and Piney Branch ($3M) subprojects.
Montgomery County Department of Transportation presented its Bicycle and Pedestrian Priority Areas (BIPA) implementation plan tied to the Purple Line corridor, reporting progress and a multi-year schedule for sidewalks and separated bike lanes.
Joe Mogas, chief of the Division of Transportation Engineering at MCDOT, said the October 2021 BIPA report identified 3,806 deficiencies for bicycle and pedestrian improvements across station areas. He acknowledged a GIS map error shown in the presentation and corrected the counts: 1,042 improvements completed to date, 524 curb ramps and 498 sidewalk upgrades, which he said represents approximately 27% of the recommendations.
Mogas described an implementation framework that prioritizes short-term (1–2 years), mid-term (2–5 years) and long-term (more than 5 years) improvements. The process includes field inspections and constructability assessments, concept-sharing with the public, public workshops to gather feedback, permitting and construction. He said projects not supported in early workshops may still proceed later via the public hearing process.
MCDOT identified three major subprojects: the Flower Avenue separated bike lane (current 70% design; budget $7,000,000) with separated bike lanes on both sides, roadway widening, parking lanes and a reconstructed Maryland 320/Piney Branch protected intersection; the Carroll Avenue separated bike lane (70% design; budget $1,300,000) that is not yet fully funded and would include one-way cycle tracks and two-way segments north of University Boulevard; and the Piney Branch Road bike facility (70% design stage; budget $3,000,000) with a preferred alternative that includes separated lanes from Sligo Creek Parkway to Carroll Avenue and a two-way cycle track in parts of University Boulevard to New Hampshire Avenue.
Mogas outlined a schedule of upcoming public workshops: proposals for Long Branch and Manchester Place stations in spring FY26, Dale Drive and Silver Spring station-area proposals in spring FY27, and 16th Street/Woodside and Lyttonsville station-area proposals by FY28 at the latest. He said the Flower Avenue project will require right-of-way adjustments affecting six properties and will include utility relocations and stormwater redesign.
On public access and transparency, Mogas apologized for the GIS map lapse and said MCDOT is updating the public materials and has shared the detailed project list with county staff to post in the revised packet.
Committee members pressed about lighting and whether it falls within BIPA scope; MCDOT said lighting is not explicitly cited in the BIPA report but staff will consider needed improvements and direct requests to the appropriate program. MCDOT also clarified that the BIPA projects are funded through a separate county capital improvement program (CIP), not the Purple Line contract.
MCDOT said residents can submit requests through the Purple Line VIPA portal for locations within a half- or quarter-mile of stations; locations outside VIPA can be submitted directly to the sidewalk team for evaluation and routing.
