Bethesda - Greater Greater Washington

The last gas stations on Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda will soon close, reflecting a trend across the region and nation of stations disappearing in walkable, transit-oriented areas. (Post)

And...

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 08:38:00 EDT

Chicago's bikeshare system Divvy will start in June. (Chicago Tribune) ... Is it White Flint or North Bethesda? (BethesdaNow) ... Hearings on the Wheaton Costco gas station start today. (Patch, Dan. S) ... Hertz On Demand joins ZipCar in Bethesda. (RD@BR)

MoCo CaBi coming; Floreen wants lanes

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 08:37:00 EDT

Montgomery County signed a contract with Alta to bring Capital Bikeshare there by this fall. Nancy Floreen says the county needs to do more to add bike lanes in Bethesda and Silver Spring. (WTOP)

The rent really is damn high

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 08:49:00 EDT

Rents in the DC area rose more than anywhere else from 2009-2011. (Examiner) ... Windowless 2-level units in Adams Morgan are renting quickly. (City Paper) ... Bethesda could get 3,700 new units; it needs them. (BethesdaNow)

Bethesda is the future

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 08:19:00 EDT

Bethesda will become the Metro "station of the future" with brighter lighting, faster fare gates, and a new stainless steel and gray color scheme. (Examiner)

Purple Line stations will range from simple to iconic

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 12:29:00 EDT

by Dan Malouff

As Maryland moves forward with planning for the Purple Line, station designs are being released. They range from simple sidewalk shelters at the smaller stations to landmark aerial cylinders at Silver Spring and Riverdale Park. Here are 6 renderings, illustrating the range of designs.

Bethesda, in a subway.	Silver Spring, elevated.	Langley Park, at-grade.
Riverdale Park, elevated.	Typical at-grade side station.	Typical at-grade center station.

More graphics are available at PurpleLineMD.com.

Cross-posted at BeyondDC.

32 comments

Parking cents in Bethesda

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 08:50:00 EDT

Ike Leggett proposes raising Bethesda parking rates to $2/hour on the street and making parking lot and garage rates flat rather than varying by number of hours. The Chamber of Commerce wants the county to tax businesses instead of charging more for parking. (Examiner)

MoCo bus lanes get a yes

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 08:50:00 EDT

The Planning Board endorsed plans to dedicate lanes to BRT on Wisconsin Avenue/Rockville Pike as well as several other corridors around the county. (Gazette)

People want a safer Bethesda

Sat, 30 Mar 2013 09:55:00 EDT

After a driver hit a mom pushing a baby stroller and several other close calls in Bethesda, residents are calling for action on pedestrian safety, but little is forthcoming, and Bethesda Elementary has not yet gotten Safe Routes to School attention. (Gazette, Wendy Leibowitz)

Montgomery DOT tells children: Don't cross the street (Nov 13, 2012)
Car-centered traffic engineering ties Bethesda in knots (Oct 3, 2012)
Bethesda gets new but terrible bike racks (May 22, 2012)
Gaithersburg police target people in the way of cars (Oct 4, 2010)
MoCo road code, AAA oppose tree-lined medians (Oct 1, 2008)

Handy tips for pedestrian safety

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:54:00 EDT

A pedestrian was hit in Bethesda this morning, extending a dangerous run of incidents where drivers hit pedestrians in Montgomery County. To try to stem the tide, Twitter users have been enumerating handy tips for pedestrians to stay safe.

View the story "Twitter users give pedestrian safety tips" on StorifyTwitter users give pedestrian safety tipsStorified by Grtr Grtr Washington· Tue, Mar 26 2013 07:49:23Don't get hit by a car. Think of how the promising young life of the driver could be ruined #pedestriansafetytipsDarren BuckIf you are hit by a car, be considerate & get out of the way as quickly as possible, so as not to impede traffic #pedestriansafetytips Darren BuckDon't expect a quick investigation of your ped crash. The police may be stuck in traffic due to too many pedestrians. #pedestriansafetytips Pedestrian ErrorDon't walk in daylight because sun can get in drivers' eyes. Don't walk at night because it's too dark to see you. #pedestriansafetytipsBen Schonberger#pedestriansafetytips Form a marching band with friends and coworkers. Obtain a parade permit for your commute.Emily#pedestriansafetytips Trust engineers and cross only where they painted a crosswalk. They know conditions on your street better than you 1/2Pedestrian Error#pedestriansafetytips Wear highly reflective clothing & blinking lights. To be extra noticeable, wear a windshield and four tires too.EmilyUse caution on sidewalks. Cars may spontaneously jump up on them through no fault of their operators. #pedestriansafetytips Pedestrian ErrorIn Yellowstone traffic always stops for bison herds. Ride a bison everywhere you go. #pedestriansafetytips Maria#pedestriansafetytips Read up on the traffic laws of your town/state, so you know how drivers will behave roughly 5% of the time. EmilyDrive #pedestriansafetytips SharrowsDCDon't #pedestriansafetytipsMarc Tomik

What tips (serious or tongue-in-cheek) would you add?

20 comments

Hip to be Bethesda?

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 08:22:00 EDT

Some Montgomery lawmakers want to make Bethesda hipper with more night life. It has good walkability, transportation, and dining options, but is currently hamstrung by rules that food sales must equal alcohol sales. (BethesdaNow)

Bethesda garage only needed if you ignore all the other parking lots (May 7, 2008)
Bethesda weekend parking: Still free, still too crowded (Mar 17, 2010)
No new subsidized parking in Bethesda (Apr 26, 2008)
Bethesda will lose farmers market (Mar 8, 2010)
Montgomery considering Bethesda parking rate increase (Apr 20, 2009)

Chevy Chase sidewalk contentious

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 08:21:00 EDT

A proposed Wisconsin Avenue sidewalk in Chevy Chase will affect fewer trees than originally feared, but many residents still can't imagine why anyone would want to use a sidewalk. (Bethesda Now)

Chevy Chase won't be a historic district (Oct 21, 2008)
Residents support the Purple Line at Bethesda/Chevy Chase hearing (Nov 19, 2008)
Purple Line opposition has "tarnished" the Town of Chevy Chase (Nov 26, 2008)
Silver Spring bike/ped connection nixes trees, ruffles feathers (Mar 10, 2011)
How pedestrians "interfere with traffic" (Feb 28, 2011)

Leggett says he's for Bethesda entrance

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 10:58:00 EDT

Ike Leggett's spokesperson says he's not against the Bethesda Metro south entrance. He just doesn't want to build it before the Purple Line, and says it's more expensive to build on its own. (BethesdaNow)

Leggett tries again to defund Bethesda Metro entrance (Jan 22, 2013)
Montgomery Council boosts Purple Line, Bethesda entrance (Mar 14, 2012)
Time to fast-track the southern Bethesda Metro entrance (Nov 2, 2010)
It's not Wheaton vs. Bethesda, but smart growth vs. bad (Feb 24, 2012)
Tunnel vision threatens the Capital Crescent Trail in Bethesda (Nov 4, 2011)

Leggett tries again to defund Bethesda Metro entrance

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 15:13:00 EDT

by Cavan Wilk

In last year's county budget, Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett proposed delaying funding for a new entrance to the Bethesda Metro station. The County Council restored funding in last year's final budget, but the Leggett administration resubmitted a similar misguided proposal for this fiscal year.

The new Bethesda Metro entrance would be an elevator bank that connects with the southern end of the platform. Photo by Gautam Rishi on flickr.

The Bethesda Metro station was originally designed to accommodate a southern entrance. A bank of high-speed elevators would transport passengers to street level, like in Friendship Heights. When built, the Purple Line will also use the new elevators as both an entrance to its station and as a convenient direct transfer to and from the Red Line.

The county has always planned to finance this new entrance on its own, because it will benefit Red Line riders on the day it opens, Purple Line or no.

In addition to offering an alternative when the existing escalators are out of service, it will bring the station up to modern safety standards by providing a second entrance for emergency personnel and a second evacuation route in the event of an emergency.

Sadly, Maryland does not yet have the funds lined up for its portion of the Purple Line costs, and Leggett is citing potential Purple Line delays as a reason to postpone the Metro entrance as well. From the Bethesda Patch:

"Due to the current lack of state construction funding for these projects, this reduction is not likely to cause a delay in the project," read the county release announcing the CIP amendments.

This statement is very puzzling because County Executive Leggett has been an excellent advocate for increasing transportation revenue at the state level, teaming with Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker, both counties' state delegations, and other counties' delegations.

Governor O'Malley has made it clear that a significant piece of the increased transportation revenues would go towards constructing the Purple Line. One would think that the Leggett Administration would be more publicly optimistic about future state revenues, based on its own hard work.

Further, the Maryland MTA has already stated that construction on the entrance would have to begin by 2016 in order to meet a projected 2020 start of operations for the Purple Line. Last year's budget kept the project on schedule to break ground by 2016. Any delay would put the project too far behind schedule to be open when the Purple Line begins operation, if the Purple Line gets the funding it needs.

This proposal continues the pattern with this administration of trying to defund smart growth-oriented projects while proposing lavish spending on sprawl-oriented road projects.

When the County Council restored the Metro entrance funding during the 2012 budgeting process, it deferred some wasteful new road projects the Leggett administration has proposed. Those include building Montrose Parkway East, and widening Snouffer School Road and Goshen Road in Gaithersburg. It's unclear if the Gaithersburg area road widenings are linked to the M-83 "Zombie Road" proposal that MCDOT continues to study.

The County Executive's office now wants to defer the Metro funding, though for less time than in last year's proposal, and restore many of these same road projects.

Just like last year, the County Council can rein in the county Department of Transportation's least considered road-widening impulses. It's up to us to contact them and let them know that the electorate supports smart growth and economic development projects, such as the new Bethesda Metro entrance.

23 comments

Montgomery Council boosts Purple Line, Bethesda entrance (Mar 14, 2012)
It's not Wheaton vs. Bethesda, but smart growth vs. bad (Feb 24, 2012)
Time to fast-track the southern Bethesda Metro entrance (Nov 2, 2010)
3 questions with Md. delegate candidate Scott Goldberg (May 27, 2010)
No new subsidized parking in Bethesda (Apr 26, 2008)

And...

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 08:07:00 EDT

One of the few pro-bicycle Republicans will chair a key House transportation subcommittee. (Streetsblog) ... Glenn Beck really hates central planning, except when he centrally plans his own city. (Streetsblog) ... Bethesda's bus bays might have to close for 2 years for renovations. (BethesdaNow)

House GOP would wipe out local control over bike/ped funds (Jun 8, 2012)
House GOP moves to decimate transit funding (Feb 2, 2012)
GOP transportation bill's new direction is the same old one (Jul 11, 2011)
House bill delayed, but transit, walking, biking aren't safe yet (Feb 23, 2012)
Transportation in Congress roundup: Leaders agree on extension, GOP would kill Amtrak, & Obama proposal (Sep 12, 2011)

And...

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 09:03:00 EDT

by Thaddeus Bell

Mary Cheh proposes a bill requesting President Obama put "taxation without representation" on his limo's plates. (DCist) ... Virginia considers allowing gubernatorial reelection. (WAMU) ... Metro reopens elevators at Bethesda station. (Examiner)

Time to fast-track the southern Bethesda Metro entrance (Nov 2, 2010)
Live chat: Mary Cheh, Friday at 1 pm (Apr 29, 2009)
COG climate change report briefing tomorrow (Aug 25, 2008)
Montgomery Council boosts Purple Line, Bethesda entrance (Mar 14, 2012)
Arlington plans to increase capacity at Rosslyn Metro (Sep 24, 2010)

And...

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 08:54:00 EDT

Metro's new real-time information screens are now on. (DCist) ... Did you know you can recycle Christmas trees? (WAMU) ... The elevators in the Bethesda Metro station are scheduled to open soon. (Examiner)

Time to fast-track the southern Bethesda Metro entrance (Nov 2, 2010)
Montgomery Council boosts Purple Line, Bethesda entrance (Mar 14, 2012)
Do elevators or underpass come first for Medical Center? (Dec 6, 2010)
US Open pushes driving over Metro (May 3, 2011)
Bethesda will lose farmers market (Mar 8, 2010)

Officer reluctant to ticket driver

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 08:27:00 EDT

A driver who hit a 9-year-old boy crossing in a Bethesda crosswalk didn't get a ticket until the family of the victim launched a campaign to get police to investigate. (Bethesda Now)

Trail won't go in Purple Line tunnel

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 08:36:00 EDT

Updated designs for the Purple Line station in Bethesda have a sidewalk along the tracks and a new Metro entrance, but cyclists will cross Wisconsin Avenue at surface level, a tough choice some think is better anyway and others don't. (Patch)

Capital Bikeshare needs more bike lanes to work in MoCo

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 13:28:00 EDT

by Dan Reed

Capital Bikeshare will expand into Montgomery County next year, but bicycling advocates say the infrastructure isn't ready for it. If the county's serious about making bikeshare work, they need to make bicycling safe and comfortable as soon as the first bikes are out.

Rendering of bike lanes on Second Avenue by Dan Reed.

This week, the Washington Area Bicyclist Association and MoBike recommended that almost 20 miles of bike paths should be built inside the Beltway ~~before bikeshare opens~~.

Bicycling has become more popular as a form of transportation in Montgomery County in recent years, but there are very few bike lanes, and the county's wide, busy roads deter all except the most fearless cyclists. As a result, bikeshare users might be tempted to ride on the sidewalk, which could be dangerous for pedestrians.

Proposed Montgomery County bike lanes. Blue represents bike lanes and separated paths, while orange represents sharrows. Click for interactive version.

In this report, the two groups suggest a network of bike lanes in Silver Spring, Takoma Park, Bethesda and Friendship Heights. They proposed having dedicated bike lanes on major roads like Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring and business district streets like Arlington Road in Bethesda.

Streets that were too narrow or too congested for bike lanes, like Elm Street in Bethesda, would get sharrows, which help drivers and cyclists share the road.

They also asked the county to complete major regional trails, like the Metropolitan Branch Trail, which currently stops half a mile short of its proposed terminus at the Silver Spring Metro station.

The proposed lanes make a lot of sense, focusing on compact downcounty neighborhoods where everything's already within biking distance. I've written before that more on-street bike routes can make bicycling more practical as a form of transportation by bringing riders to shops, jobs and other activities. And bikes take up a lot less space than cars, meaning we can fit more bicyclists on a congested street than we can drivers.

Some of the proposed routes, like Georgia Avenue and Colesville Road, may face resistance from the Montgomery County Department of Transportation and the State Highway Administration, which have been reluctant to take away space from cars. But WABA and MoBike weren't the first to propose bike lanes for them: earlier this year, County Councilmember Nancy Floreen asked that the state paint lanes on several major roads that they're scheduled to repave anyway next year.

Creating a countywide bicycling network will take a lot of time and planning, but there are things we can do to improve the biking experience sooner rather than later. As more people take up bicycling, they may find that they don't have safe places to ride. As a result, Capital Bikeshare could help build a constituency for bike lanes that doesn't exist now.

Capital Bikeshare is ready to expand into Montgomery County. The question is whether our streets will be ready for Capital Bikeshare.

51 comments

Where do MoCo residents walk, bike & take transit to work? (Dec 17, 2012)
Study says bike lanes really work (Oct 20, 2008)
Montgomery's fake cul-de-sacs don't solve traffic woes (Jul 31, 2012)
Montgomery hopes to add 50 Capital Bikeshare stations (Dec 1, 2011)
Hyattsville is a prime candidate for Capital Bikeshare (Oct 13, 2011)

Bethesda could be better for bikes

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 08:20:00 EDT

WABA made suggestions for adding bike lanes and other changes in Bethesda, such as replacing one driving lane with bike lanes on Arlington Road, but the county DOT seems uninterested. (Patch, Corbin Dallas)

Bethesda will lose farmers market (Mar 8, 2010)
Car-centered traffic engineering ties Bethesda in knots (Oct 3, 2012)
It's not Wheaton vs. Bethesda, but smart growth vs. bad (Feb 24, 2012)
"Lane closed to ease congestion" actually not a crazy fail (Jul 29, 2011)
On the calendar: Biking west, retail/zoning north, buses east (Mar 2, 2011)

Why Intelsat picked Tysons

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 08:31:00 EDT

Intelsat, which is moving from Van Ness to Tysons, considered the Capitol Riverfront but thinks it's "not there yet." A Bethesda building had too few restaurants nearby and wasn't car-accessible enough. Metro Silver Line proximity and retail options made Tysons appealing. (WBJ)

And...

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 08:48:00 EDT

Four Mile Run will get a better connection to Potomac Yard. (ARLnow) ... More cyclists wear cameras to record collisions and close calls. (WJLA) ... Performance parking comes to H Street. (Hill Rag) ... Chevy Chase may get a shuttle to Bethesda. (Gazette)

Bike bits

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 08:32:00 EDT

Bethesda and Rockville are now bronze level Bike-Friendly Communities. (League of American Bicyclists) ... The Maryland MVA will feature a message about giving bikers enough space on its mailings. (WashCycle) ... The Lance Armstrong doping scandal is having little impact on local bikers and bike shops. (DCist)

Bethesda neighbors fear Bikeshare

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 08:33:00 EDT

Residents at a neighborhood advisory group criticized plans to bring Capital Bikeshare to Bethesda. The reporter notes that most CaBi riders are under 35, but very few residents at the meeting were. (Bethesda Now)

Montgomery hopes to add 50 Capital Bikeshare stations (Dec 1, 2011)
It's not Wheaton vs. Bethesda, but smart growth vs. bad (Feb 24, 2012)
Bethesda will lose farmers market (Mar 8, 2010)
Montgomery Council boosts Purple Line, Bethesda entrance (Mar 14, 2012)
Bad driver or bad design? North Bethesda and CaBi (Jun 4, 2012)

Shuttle around track work

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 08:30:00 EDT

The DC Hopper, a new late night shuttle service between Bethesda, Georgetown, and Dupont Circle, is targeting residents tired of poor Metro service on weekend nights. (Examiner)