Sector Plan

Sector Plan
mobility assessment report

Abstract
This report documents how well the County is meeting its goals for mobility of cars, cyclists, pedestrians, and transit, by measuring and analyzing historical,
current, and future traffic congestion data and trends.
Source of Copies
The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
8787 Georgia Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Also available at www.MontgomeryPlanning.org/transportation
Staff Draft
Prepared by the Montgomery County Planning Department

April 2014
Contents
Introduction 1

Highlights 2

Total Vehicle Miles Traveled
Intersections
Roadways

Pedestrians and Bicyclists

Ride On
Metrobus
Metrorail
Travel Trends 4

National, State, and Local Vehicle Miles Traveled 4

InterCounty Connector (MD 200) Effects on Local Roads 4
Congested Intersections 6

Most Congested Intersections by CLV 8

Other Congested Intersections 18

Intersection Exceeding Policy Area Congestion Standards 23
Congested Roadways 24
Non-Auto Travel Trends 38

Pedestrian and Bicycling Analysis 38

Transit Analysis 43

Ride On Bus

WMATA Metrobus
WMATA Metrorail
References 49
Maps
Map 1

Map 2
Map 3

Map 4

Map 5

Map 6

Map 7

Map 8

Map 9

Map 10
Map 11
Ten Most Congested Intersections 7

Intersections Exceeding LATR Standard 23
Roadway Analysis Coverage with Policy Areas
Pedestrian Activity 39
Bike Count Locations 40
Total Bike Split Movement Analysis 41
Average Daily Ridership: Ride On Bus 43
Average Peak Headways: Ride On Bus 44
Metrobus Daily Revenue Trips 45
Metrobus Daily Headways 46
Metrobus Ridership per Revenue Mile 47
25
Illustrations
Illustration 1
Illustration 2
Illustration 3
Illustration 4
Illustration 5
Illustration 6
Illustration 7
Illustration 8
Illustration 9
Illustration 10
Illustration 11
Illustration 12
Illustration 13
Illustration 14
Illustration 15
Illustration 16
Illustration 17
Illustration 18
Illustration 19
Annual Total Miles Traveled County, State, Nationwide 4

County VMT on State Highways 4
Intersection Counts Breakdown by Source 6
Intersection 1 - Rockville Pike at West Cedar Ln 8
Intersection 2 - Rockville Pike at Nicholson Ln 9
Intersection 3 - Old Georgetown Rd at Democracy Blvd 10
Intersection 4 - Darnestown Rd at Riffle Ford Rd 11
Intersection 5 - Shady Grove Rd at Choke Cherry Ln 12
Intersection 6 - Connecticut Ave at East-West Hwy 13
Intersection 7 - Georgia Ave at 16th St 14
Intersection 8 - Great Seneca Hwy at Muddy Branch Rd 15
Intersection 9 - Frederick Rd at Montgomery Village Ave 16
Intersection 10 - Rockville Pike at First St/Wooten Pkwy 17
Intersection 17 - Randolph Rd at Veirs Mill Rd 20
Intersection 26 - Frederick Rd at Shady Grove Rd 21
Intersection 38 - Great Seneca Hwy at Quince Orchard Rd
V/C Ratios 23
Metrorail Entries & Exits 48
Metrorail Average Weekday Ridership 48
Tables
Table
Table
Table
Table
Table
Table
1
2
3
4
5
6
CLV (Pre ICC) Intersection Analysis 5

Change in Travel Time Before and After MD 200
Peak Level of Service (AM/PM) 7
Top 50 Intersections Ranking 18
Top 25 Congested Roadways 26
Bike Count Ranking 42
22
Introduction
Travel is a lifestyle decision that influences our investment of time and
money. Montgomery County is centrally located in the regions federal
and advanced technology marketplace, with 32,300 businesses
employing over 361,000 workers in the tech and federal sectors. The
Countys population has steadily increased from 833,363 in 2000
to just over 1 million in 2012. The County is also home to an active
agricultural reserve that contributes to the economy. The continuing
rise of population, jobs, and housing contributes to increased travel
and makes travel monitoring efforts important to gain a better
understanding of travel trends. To stay competitive, the County needs to
offer travel choices, making mobility affordable and accessible to all.
The Countys extensive road network serves a development pattern
reflecting a history of suburban growth. However, recent land use
planning efforts have shifted away from auto-oriented development.
Beginning with the down-County Central Business Districts (CBDs),
plans have focused development around Metrorail and selected
planned Purple Line stations. This has created thriving downtowns in
Bethesda and Silver Spring and will transform areas such as White Flint
and Wheaton.
Transit-oriented development is not only a County initiative, but is a key
element of Marylands Sustainable Growth Plan, which recognizes the
potential of high transit served areas to offer residents and employees
commuting options. To extend these options beyond Metrorail station
areas, WMATAs Metrobus and the Countys Ride On systems serve
suburban neighborhoods in the County.
The Planning Department continues to promote multi-modal travel

options. A series of Purple Line master plans recommend land uses
and densities that will make best use of transit while supporting the
local communities. The recently adopted Countywide Transit Corridors
Functional Master Plan recommends a network for bus rapid transit
across the County. Continuing to build on its success in the District of
Columbia, Capital Bikeshare has debuted as a major step toward safe
and sustainable biking in the County.
The performance of all of these modes needs to be measured and
monitored in order to achieve maximum return on public investment
and understand how best to plan land use and transportation systems to
serve Montgomery County.
In this report, staff continues to evaluate and monitor the performance
of the Countys road system, expanding the use of observed travel time
speed data to include MD 27, MD 28, MD 97, MD 117, MD 118,
MD 185, MD 193, MD 198, MD 355, MD 390, MD 586, US 29, and
US 650. The ongoing analysis of this data set will provide a basis to
support a congestion trend comparison, over time, of all major travel
corridors throughout the County.
This report continues to monitor all modes of transportation in the
County: transit, bike, pedestrian, and roadway travel conditions.
These monitoring and planning efforts are consistent with the Countys
commitment to increasing transportation options. Combined with land
use decisions, these transportation options can ensure that Montgomery
County is a thriving place that serves all communities and generations.
The Planning Department has used INRIX travel-time tracking as a traffic monitoring resource over the past
two years, with the first results incorporated into the 2011 Mobility Assessment Report. At that time, the
monitoring effort was limited by available datasets. Since then, data for many more roadways has become
available. This report uses an expanded data set with the goal of enabling a year-to-year comparison of all
major roads in the County.
Mobility Assessment Report
April 2014
The Departments transportation monitoring efforts will improve mobility analyses in the future with the increased
availability of non-auto travel data and advanced technology applications.
,, MD 200 has provided a travel time savings of 25% compared
HIGHLIGHTS
While this report analyzes congestion conditions on many more major
roadways than the 2011 Mobility Assessment Report, it finds that the
roadway travel conditions findings of the two reports are generally
comparable. This report maintains the original ranking system for
intersection Critical Lane Volumes (CLVs), as well as the system of
ranking intersections by the ratio of CLV relative to the applicable policy
area congestion standard. The 2012 Local Area Transportation Review/
Transportation Policy Area Review (LATR/TPAR) Guidelines now require
development proposals to include bicycle and pedestrian count data in
addition to vehicular counts. As a result, pedestrian and bike volumes
collected during the past year have increased considerably.
Congestion % Color Scale
This report identifies the following key findings.
Uncongested - Light
0%-20%
Total Vehicle Miles Traveled

,, Nationwide, travel has been increasing, but local travel has
been stabilizing. The Federal Highway Administrations National
Vehicle Miles of Travel (VMT) Trend Data indicate an increase
from 2011 to 2012 of less than one percent. The stabilization
of the overall vehicle miles in the County and the State reflects a
slowly recovering economy between 2011 and 2013.
Intersections
,, Approximately 11% of the Countys signalized intersections
represented in the database exceed policy area LATR CLV
standards as established in the Countys Subdivision Staging
Policy. This reflects an overall improvement relative to the
findings of the 2011 Mobility Assessment Report which
reported that 17 percent of sampled intersections exceeded the
applicable policy area congestion standard. Since 2005, this is
the lowest percentage of intersections which exceed policy area
congestion standards.
Light - Moderate
21%-40%
Moderate - Heavy
41%-60%
Heavy - Severe
61%-80%
Roadways
,, Intercounty Connector (MD 200) vehicle traffic volumes
continue to grow at a steady rate of 3% per month.
to travelling along parallel local arterials.

,, Of the 120 arterial roadway segments analyzed, seven operate
under severe congestion levels reflecting a Travel Time Index
(TTI) ranging from 87 to 119 percent of congested travel speed
relative to free flow travel speed. MD 355 Southbound in the
Shady Grove Metro Station policy area had the worst level of
travel time congestion, with a TTI ranging between 95 to 119
percent during morning and evening peaks as well as during
the midday.
April 2014
Severe
80%+
The Travel Time Index is the ratio of the reported speed

divided by uncongested free-flow speed. The result is a
percentage that can be measured along a range-scale
that indicates the severity of congestion. The range of
congestion severity begins with an uncongested to light
congestion, with 0 to 20 percent, a light to moderate
congestion with 21 to 40 percent, a moderate to
heavy congestion with 41 to 60 percent, a heavy to
severe congestion with 61 to 80 percent, and a severe
congestion with a percentage greater than 80 percent.
This color classification scheme is modeled after State
Highway Adminstration and Metropolitan Washington
Council of Governments.
Pedestrians and Bicyclists

,, Capital Bikeshare is newly established in the County with docks
installed or planned near Metrorail stations in CBD locations:
Friendship Heights, Bethesda, and Silver Spring, as well as locations in
Takoma Park and the Shady Grove/Life Sciences Center.
,, The Planning Department will contract out multi-modal traffic counting
at selected locations in the County to build a solid bicycle and
pedestrian database. There has been an increase in the collection of
observed pedestrian data and bicycle data based as a result of new
traffic impact study data collection requirements. However, the sparse
coverage of this data limits the ability to perform an analysis of local
trends.
Ride On
,, In FY13, average weekday ridership on Ride On routes reached
88,370, a slight increase from the 87,990 riders in FY12. Ridership
has decreased from the 95,000 average weekday boardings in FY08
due to service reductions of about five percent during the past two
years.
Metrobus
,, WMATAs average daily bus ridership in the County in FY13 was
57,631, a decrease from 63,254 in FY12.
Metrorail
,, Average weekday ridership in the County is highest at the Silver
Spring, Shady Grove, Bethesda, and Friendship Heights stations.
These Metrorail stations consistently have the highest ridership in the
County.
April 2014
Travel Trends
NATIONAL, STATE AND LOCAL VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED
Illustration 1: Annual Total Miles Traveled County, State, Nationwide
Trend data collected by the Federal Highway Administration

in 2013 indicated a slight increase nationally in vehicle miles
traveled from 2011 to 2013, but an overall stabilization in the
County.
INTERCOUNTY CONNECTOR (MD 200) EFFECTS ON

LOCAL ROADS
The Intercounty Connector (ICC,MD 200) opened in November
2011 as the first all-electronic toll road in Maryland. This roadway
is a major east-west connection between the I-270 and I-95
corridors and improves access to the Baltimore-Washington
Thurgood Marshall International Airport. A final phase will extend
the ICC from I-95 to US 1.
The 2013 Maryland State Highway Mobility Report found that
in 2012, the ICC served up to 30,000 vehicles on an average
weekday, during its first year of operation. Traffic on MD 200
continues to grow steadily at a rate of 3 percent per month.
Motorists on this route have cut their travel times in half when
compared to travel on local commuter routes such as MD 198,
MD 28, MD 108, and MD 115. It was also found that motorists
who are travelling on east-west arterial routes in the mid-County
area are experiencing travel time savings up to 11 percent during
the three-year study period.
Since 2013, national VMT has increased by 0.3
Illustration 2 County Vehicle Miles Traveled on State Highways, 1988-2012
In Spring 2010, The National Capital Region Transportation

Planning Board and Metropolitan Washington Council of
Governments began a three-year study to examine congestion
levels on local roadways before and after the completion of the
ICC. The study examined the following routes parallel to the ICC,
and found that all experienced improved travel time savings and
reduced congestion since the opening of this facility.
VMT in Montgomery County in 2012 was 7.3 million miles, the lowest level since 2002 (7.2 million)
April 2014
,, Corridor 1: Between South Gaithersburg and Laurel: MD 28, to Bel Pre
Road, to Bonifant Road, to Good Hope Road, to Briggs Chaney Road,

the travel time savings via MD 200 was 23 minutes, which represents a
58 percent decrease in travel time during peak hour conditions in 2012.
,, Corridor 2: Between Rockville and Calverton: Montrose Road, to
Randolph Road, to Cherry Hill Road, to MD 212 (Beltsville Road), the
travel time savings via MD 200 was 25 minutes, which represents a 60
percent decrease in travel time during peak hour conditions in 2012.
,, Corridor 3:Between South Rockville and Beltsville: Shady Grove Road at
Crabbs Branch Way, to MD 115, to MD 28, to MD 198, to US 1, the
travel time savings via MD 200 was 21 minutes, which represents a 55
percent decrease in travel time during peak hour conditions in 2012.
The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) found that a trip between I-370 and
I-95 on the ICC saves up to 25 minutes per weekday trip compared to driving on
local routes. The MDTA also found that observed average week day traffic volumes
on the ICC approached 40,000 vehicles in September 2013. According to MDTA,
ICC traffic is slightly lower than projected at the eastern end in the vicinity of the I-95
corridor, and is significantly higher than projected at the western end in the vicinity
of the I-270 corridor.
During the study period, there were no decreases in congestion along the Beltway
between I-95 and New Hampshire Ave interchange due to on-going construction
work. There was a slight decrease in congestion and in travel times between
Connecticut Ave and Wisconsin Ave as one traveled away from the construction
zone.
The ICC is not meant to alleviate congestion on the Capital Beltway. According
to Maryland SHA, MD 200 is intended to: (1) increase community mobility and
safety; (2) facilitate the movement of goods and people to and from economic
centers; (3) provide cost effective transportation infrastructure to serve existing and
future development patterns reflecting local land use planning objectives; (4) help
restore the natural, human, and cultural environments from past development
impacts in the project area; and (5) advance homeland security.
To assess whether or not local arterial roadway congestion has been alleviated,
the Planning Department sampled CLV levels at selected intersections in the
vicinity of the ICC before and after the opening of this roadway to traffic
operations in November 2011. The intersections sampled were located along
New Hampshire Avenue, Norbeck Road, Layhill Road, Georgia Avenue and
Bonifant Road. At the nine intersections sampled, critical lane volumes have
dropped by 10 percent relative to pre-ICC conditions. The CLVs observed before
the opening of the ICC were sampled during the period 2008 to 2011. The
CLVs observed after the opening of the ICC were sampled in 2012. The three
intersections with the greatest CLV decrease are New Hampshire Avenue at
Norbeck Road, Norbeck Road at Layhill Road, and New Hampshire Avenue at
Randolph Road - ranging from a 17 to 14 percent drop in CLV between 2008
and 2012.
Table 1: Critical Lane Volumes (Pre ICC) 2008-2011
Selected Intersections
Current
Countdate
CLV
(Pre-ICC)
CLV
(Post-ICC)
% Change
New Hampshire Ave at Norbeck Rd

Norbeck Rd at Layhill Rd
New Hampshire Ave at Randolph Rd
Georgia Ave at Bel Pre Rd
Norbeck Rd at Wintergate Dr
Norbeck Rd at Bel Pre Rd
Georgia Ave at Norbeck Rd
New Hampshire Ave at Bonifant Rd
Columbia Pk at Fairland Rd
5/8/2012
1053
875
-16.9%
5/1/2012
941
797
-15.3%
5/15/2012
1834
1580
-13.8%
10/1/2012
1530
1326
-13.3%
2/2/2012
1200
1050
-12.5%
2/14/2012
1464
1330
-9.2%
9/11/2012
1816
1656
-8.8%
2/16/2012
1237
1166
-5.7%
10/11/2012
1636
1678
2.6%
Average Percent Change
-10.3
Table 2: Change in Travel Time Before and After MD 200

Travel Time (Minutes) Via Corridors 1-3
Origin-Destination Pairs
Corridor 1 (S. Gaitherburg to Laurel)

Corridor 2 (Rockville to Calverton)
Corridor 3 (S. Rockville to Beltsville)
Before
After
Savings
Travel Time Savings

Via MD 200 (Min)
45
40
5 (11%)
23 (58%)
44
42
2 (5%)
25 (60%)
40
38
2 (5%)
21 (55%)
April 2014
Congested Intersections
To determine the Countys most congested intersections, vehicle
traffic count data are gathered at intersections to measure critical
lane volumes (CLVs). To determine the Countys most congested
travel corridors, observed travel time data are collected along these
routes and analyzed.
CLVs and observed vehicle traffic count data are included in the
Departments intersection database that covers 627 of the Countys
signalized intersections.
This report ranks the 627 signalized intersections in the database in
two ways:
1. Based on the CLV only.
2. Based on the degree to which the observed CLV at these
locations exceeds the applicable CLV policy area congestion
standard.
CLV provides a snapshot of intersection performance at a particular
time and place. This measure, consistent with previous mobility
reports, allows comparison with previous years. The discussion of the
CLV-based congestion analysis follows immediately below.
Even though the data sources are relatively constant, each year the
ranking changes as new information derived from development and
transportation projects becomes available. Most of these data (55
percent) comes from traffic engineering firms submitting studies for
development projects. The Maryland State Highway Administration is
the other significant source as well (41 percent). In addition, some
data come from traffic counts prepared for master plans. See the
Appendix for the full list of intersections and their associated critical
lane volume information.
April 2014
Illustration 3: Intersection Counts Breakdown by Source
Map 1: Ten Most Congested Intersections
As in past years, this report measured intersection

performance during either the morning or evening
peak periods, defined as 6:30-9:30 a.m. and
4:00-7:00 p.m.
Each CLV is divided by the relevant policy area
congestion standard resulting in a volume to
capacity ratio. Each ratio is given a level of
service.
Table 3: Peak Level of Service (AM/PM)

Ranking
Name
Countdate
AM CLV
PM CLV
Policy Area
Rockville Pike at W Cedar Ln

Rockville Pike at Nicholson Ln
Old Georgetown Rd at Democracy Blvd
Darnestown Rd at Riffle Ford Rd
Shady Grove Rd at Choke Cherry Ln
Connecticut Ave at East West Hwy
Georgia Ave at 16th St
Great Seneca Hwy at Muddy Branch Rd
Frederick Rd at Montogomery VIllage Ave
Rockville Pike at First St/Wooton Pkwy
11/6/2013
1957
1612
5/19/2011
1234
1929
Bethesda - Chevy Chase

White Flint
North Bethesda
North Potomac
Rockville City
Silver Spring - Takoma Park
Gaithersburg City
Gaithersburg City
Rockville City
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
6/9/2009
1423
1923
3/12/2009
1061
1898
5/19/2010
1363
1853
11/6/2013
1684
1848
6/15/2011
1122
1816
1/4/2011
1464
1800
4/25/2012
5/24/2011
1536
1768
1795
1610
Congestion
Standard
Highest
CLV
V/C Ratio
1600
1957
1.22
1800
1929
1.07
1550
1923
1.24
1450
1898
1.31
1500
1853
1.23
1600
1848
1.03
1600
1816
1.14
1425
1800
1.26
1425
1500
1795
1768
1.26
1.18
Peak Level
of Service
FF
BF
BC
BF
CF
CF
BF
FF
FF
FF
April 2014
MOST CONGESTED INTERSECTIONS BY CLV (aerial photos do not reflect congested conditions)
The depiction of typical intersection performance is nearly impossible, since traffic conditions vary from day-to-day based on weather, vehicle incidents,
economic conditions, and construction that all directly impact traffic flow. Traffic counts at a particular location observed at different points in time may
yield higher or lower CLV results than previously reported because of these variable conditions.
One consistent way to show comparative performance at a given intersection is using the CLV measure. One limitation on ranking intersection
performance using this measure is that traffic counts at each intersection in the database are not updated every year due to the large number of
intersections. As a result, some of intersections with highly ranked CLVs use observed traffic counts collected during previous years. Given this limitation,
the following 10 intersections are ranked as the most congested.
Morning CLV: 1957
Illustration 4
Intersection 1
Rockville Pike at West Cedar Ln
In previous reports in 2011
and 2009, this intersection
has been ranked 4th and 2nd,
respectively. There are at-grade
intersection improvements that
are currently under construction
to help improve traffic flow at
this location.
April 2014
Illustration 5
Intersection 2
The White Flint Sector Plan, calls for public transportation additions and improvements to bus, Metrorail, and MARC
service to accommodate the areas planned increase in population and commercial development.
Evening CLV: 1929
April 2014
Illustration 6
Intersection 3
This intersection drops from number 1 in the 2011 report to number 3 in this report. The Countywide Transit Corridors
Functional Master Plan incorporates a transit corridor parallel to Democracy Blvd and along Democracy Blvd.
Evening CLV: 1923
10
April 2014
Illustration 7
Intersection 4
Based on available 2009 data, this intersections CLV makes it the third most congested in the County. The westbound through movement
on Darnestown Road appears to be the source of the evening congestion. This intersection is also the terminus of SHAs widening of MD 28
that was constructed several years ago. An eastbound lane was added to MD 28 as a part of the project. From Darnestown Road, through
movements share a lane with right turns onto Riffle Ford Road and as a result, traffic volume builds up. By comparison, the eastbound leg has
a separate through lane and a shared through lane, which support through movements during the morning peak. There are no other planned
improvements at this intersection at this time.
Evening CLV: 1898
April 2014
11
Illustration 8
Intersection 5
This intersection was ranked number 3 in the 2011 report, and drops to number 5 in this report. The existing CLV is based on observed
traffic count data from 2011 and has to not been updated to reflect more recent turning movement counts. This intersection is one
in a series of congested intersections along Shady Grove Road in the vicinity of Mid-county Highway. There are no other planned
Evening CLV: 1853
12
April 2014
Illustration 9
Intersection 6
Connecticut Ave at East West Highway
As noted in previous Mobility Assessment Reports, traffic congestion at this intersection is getting worse. In the 2011 report, this location
was ranked the 15th most congested; today it is ranked as the sixth most congested. As a down-County area, Connecticut Avenue in the
Bethesda-Chevy Chase Policy area consistently has one or more intersections ranked in the top 25 most congested. SHAs improvements
here were implemented several years ago. The future Purple Line transitway could alleviate congestion at this intersection.
Evening CLV: 1848
April 2014
13
Illustration 10
Intersection 7
Georgia Avenue at this location continues to be an increasingly congested commuter route for traffic heading in and out of the District
of Columbia. This intersection is a point through which vehicle traffic heads to destinations primarily in the north and in the eastern part
of the County and beyond during the evening peak period. This section of Georgia Avenue in the vicinity of this intersection shows high
congestion levels during morning and evening peak hours. This intersection is included in the Montgomery Hills Project Planning Study
and is recommended for reconstruction.
Evening CLV: 1816
14
April 2014
Illustration 11
Intersection 8
Observed congestion conditions at this location have varied during the past several years. In the 2008 Highway Mobility Report,
this intersection ranked 1st in congestion with a CLV of 2,179. In the 2009 Highway Mobility Report, the congestion ranking at this
location dropped to 29th with a CLV of 1,647 as a result of capacity improvements. In the 2011 Mobility Assessment Report, the
congestion ranking at this location moved up to 7th with a CLV of 1,800 a reflection of increasing congestion in the area.
Evening CLV: 1800
April 2014
15
Illustration 12
Intersection 9
Frederick Rd at Montgomery Village Ave
Recently observed CLVs at this location have fluctuated, but appear to show a gradually increasing congestion trend, moving from
1,697 in 2009, to 1,533 in 2011, to 1,795 in 2012. This intersection is characterized by heavy morning and evening peak volumes
given its function as a major access point to I-270 in Gaithersburg. There are no planned improvements at this intersection at this time.
Evening CLV: 1795
16
April 2014
Illustration 13
Intersection 10
Rockville Pike at First St/Wootton Pkwy
The previous count year for this intersection was in 2009 and exhibited a relatively low CLV, where it ranked low in both the 2011 and
2009 reports. The recently updated traffic count indicates a higher CLV value. As a result, the congestion ranking of this location has
moved upward to number 10 on the list. There are no planned improvements at this intersection at this time, but it is within the limits of
Rockvilles planned MD 355 reconstruction as well as the planned addition of BRT transit lanes.
Morning CLV: 1768
April 2014
17
OTHER CONGESTED INTERSECTIONS

Each year, intersections move in and out of the top ten or top 50 most congested. However, focusing on the top 50 most congested intersections
shows locations that are consistently congested. Most of the top 50 congested intersections are along the priority corridors, confirming the
Departments need to continue to monitor these corridors. Additional roadways that have intersections with chronically high CLV levels include Piney
Branch Road, Shady Grove Road, Randolph Road, New Hampshire Avenue, and Great Seneca Highway. The additional three intersections discussed
were intersections of note, that either had a sharp decline in its CLV or a large increase.
Table 4: Top 50 Intersections
Ranking
18
Intersection Name
Count Date
AM CLV PM CLV
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Rockville Pike at W Cedar Ln

Connecticut Ave at East West Hwy
Frederick Rd at Montgomery Village Ave
Rockville Pike at First St/Wootton Pkwy
E Gude Dr at Crabbs Branch/Cecil
11/6/2013
1957
1612
5/19/2011
1234
1929
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
Veirs Mill Rd at Twinbrook Pkwy

First St at Baltimore Rd
Connecticut Ave at Plyers Mill Rd
Shady Grove Rd at Epsilon/Tupelo
University Blvd at Piney Branch Rd
E Gude Dr at Southlawn Ln
Randolph Rd at Veirs Mill Rd
Piney Branch Rd at Philadelphia Ave
Columbia Pike at Fairland Rd
Connecticut Ave at Jones Bridge Rd
22
Montrose Rd at Tower Oaks Blvd
April 2014
Policy Area
Congestion
Highest CLV
Standard
V/C Ratio
Peak Level
of Service

White Flint
North Bethesda
North Potomac
Rockville City
Gaithersburg City
Gaithersburg City
Rockville City
Derwood
1600
1800
1550
1450
1500
1600
1600
1425
1425
1500
1475
1957
1929
1923
1898
1853
1848
1816
1800
1795
1768
1742
1.22
1.07
1.24
1.31
1.23
1.03
1.14
1.26
1.26
1.18
1.18
1550
1500
1600
1475
1600
1500
1600
1600
1475
1600
1721
1718
1710
1704
1703
1692
1683
1680
1678
1672
1.11
1.15
1.07
1.15
1.06
1.12
1.05
1.05
1.14
1.05
CF
1550
1663
1.07
FB
6/9/2009
1423
1923
3/12/2009
1061
1898
5/19/2010
1363
1853
11/6/2013
1684
1848
6/15/2011
1122
1816
1/4/2011
1464
1800
4/25/2012
1536
1795
5/24/2011
1768
1610
3/24/2009
1742
1211
6/3/2010
1426
1721
6/6/2012
1422
1718
6/1/2011
1349
1710
2/11/2009
1704
1403
1/22/2009
1579
1703
3/5/2009
1692
1450
5/3/2012
1683
1679
1/21/2009
1228
1680
10/11/2012
1416
1678
2/29/2012
1490
1672
North Bethesda
Rockville City
Kensington - Wheaton
Derwood
Rockville City
Fairland - White Oak
11/14/2006
1663
1232
North Bethesda
FF
BF
BC
BF
CF
CF
BF
FF
FF
FF
FC
CF
CF
FC
CF
FC
FC
BF
CF
CF
cont Table 4: Top 50 Intersections

Ranking
Intersection Name
Count Date
AM CLV PM CLV
Policy Area
Congestion
Highest CLV
Standard
V/C Ratio
Peak Level
of Service
23
Bradley Blvd at Wilson Ln
3/12/2009
1660
1603
1600
1660
1.03
FC
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
Falls Rd at Maryland Ave/Pot. Valley

Georgia Ave at Norbeck Rd
Frederick Rd at Shady Grove Rd
Colesville Rd at Dale Dr
Shady Grove Rd at Midcounty Hwy
Clopper Rd at Waring Station Rd
Montgomery Village Ave at Stedwick
Connecticut Ave at Bradley Ln
Georgia Ave at Forest Glen Rd
Colesville Rd at Sligo Crk Pkwy/St Andre
Georgia Ave at Columbia Blvd/Seminary Ln
Veirs Mill Rd at First St
Aspen Hill Rd at Arctic Ave
Norbeck Rd at Muncaster Mill Rd
Columbia Pike at Greencastle Rd
Old Georgetown Rd at Tuckerman Ln
Great Seneca Hwy at Quince Orchard Rd
Randolph Rd at Parklawn Dr (W)
Democracy Blvd at Falls Rd/S Glen Rd
River Rd at Royal Dominion/Holton Arms
Norbeck Rd at Bauer Dr
Randolph Rd at New Hampshire Ave
Layhill Rd at Ednor Rd/Norwood Rd
River Rd at I-495 (E)
River Rd at Willard Ln/Greenway
East West Hwy at Jones Mill/Beach
9/16/2008
1384
1658
1656
1592
3/15/2011
1647
1486
1658
1656
1647
1645
1644
1636
1633
1628
1626
1624
1624
1610
1609
1609
1607
1604
1602
1601
1594
1591
1586
1580
1579
1579
1579
1574
1.10
1.22
1.18
1.02
1.11
1.15
1.14
1.01
1.01
1.01
1.02
1.07
1.09
1.09
1.08
1.03
1.12
1.03
1.10
0.99
1.03
1.07
1.09
0.98
0.99
0.98
CF
9/11/2012
1500
1475
1800
1600
1475
1425
1425
1600
1600
1600
1600
1500
1475
1475
1475
1550
1425
1550
1450
1600
1475
1475
1450
1600
1600
1600
50
Colesville Rd at Franklin Ave
1600
1571
0.98
4/1/2009
1594
1167
2/24/2004
1591
1358
10/18/2011
1586
1329
5/15/2012
1440
1580
4/27/2010
1579
1425
3/10/2009
1579
957
9/21/2011
1579
1530
3/5/2009
1087
1574
Rockville City
Aspen Hill
Shady Grove
Derwood
Germantown West
Montgomery Village - Airpark
Rockville City
Aspen Hill
Aspen Hill
North Bethesda
Gaithersburg City
North Bethesda
Potomac
Aspen Hill
Olney
2/3/2009
1413
1571
2/26/2009
1604
1645
11/18/2010
1644
1323
6/2/2011
1636
1589
10/4/2007
1633
1170
11/6/2013
1415
1628
7/2/2008
1318
1626
3/6/2008
1508
1624
6/2/2011
1520
1624
4/25/2012
1610
1475
11/6/2008
1609
1467
1/9/2009
1609
1238
11/15/2006
1607
1575
9/13/2011
1604
1261
4/25/2012
1602
1547
2/11/2009
1601
1165
FF
CC
CF
FC
FF
FB
CF
CF
CF
CF
FC
FC
FC
FF
FC
FF
FB
FC
CC
FC
CF
FC
CA
CC
BC
CC
April 2014
19
Illustration 14
Intersection 18
Randolph Rd at Veirs Mill Rd
This intersection is a major crossroads between Rockville and Wheaton and has experienced increasing congestion related to the
changing traffic patterns in the mid-County area. The completion of the ICC has noticeably changed mid-County traffic patterns, mostly
decreasing traffic congestion on east-west routes. Nonetheless, some congested locations, like this one, remain.
Morning CLV: 1683
20
April 2014
Illustration 15
Intersection 26
Frederick Rd at Shady Grove Rd
In the 2009 MAR, this intersection ranked 27th, and in the 2011 report it dropped out of the worst 100. The current 1,647 CLV at this
intersection is below the applicable policy area standard but this location is back as one of the Countys most congested intersections.
There are no other planned improvements at this intersection at this time.
Morning CLV: 1647
April 2014
21
Illustration 16
Intersection 40
Great Seneca Hwy at Quince Orchard Rd
The 2012 traffic count propelled this intersections ranking from below 100 to 40th. It is located in the Gaithersburg policy area and
three other intersections along Great Seneca Highway in the immediate vicinity of this intersection are similarly congested. Great
Seneca Highway in the vicinity of this location is a potential problem area that should be monitored. There are no other planned
Morning CLV: 1602
22
April 2014
INTERSECTIONS EXCEEDING POLICY AREA CLV CONGESTION STANDARDS
Illustration 17: V/C Ratios
Another way of evaluating intersection performance using the CLV measure is to compare
the highest observed CLV (during the morning or evening peak period) relative to the
relevant Local Area Transportation Review policy area congestion standard. This
relationship is expressed in the form of a ratio between the observed CLV and the relevant
congestion standard. This measure can also be characterized as a volume- to-capacity
ratio (V/C ratio), where the V is the observed CLV and the C is the congestion
standard. If the V/C ratio is above one, then volume exceeds the capacity based on the
congestion standard for the policy area.
From a planning perspective, it is important to know which intersections exceed policy area
CLV congestion standards, and by how much. This information can help identify congestion
problems relative to standards and allows traffic mitigation measures to be prioritized in
master plans. Table 2 in the appendix lists the intersections by policy area that exceed the
applicable CLV congestion standard.
In the 2011 MAR, 17 percent of the
intersections in the database exceeded
the applicable policy area standard. As
of 2013, only 11 percent of intersections
exceed policy area standards, an overall
improvement. This is the lowest percentage
of intersections which exceeded the
applicable policy area congestion standards
since 2005. Most County intersections,
roughly 35 percent, fall within the 0.61
to 0.80 V/C ratio range. This reflects an
increase from 31 percent in the previous
MAR. Refer to Table 2 in the Appendix
to see this information reported for all
intersections in detail.
Map 2: Intersections Exceeding LATR Standard
The Rockville, Gaithersburg City, and

North Bethesda policy areas have the most
intersections that exceed the applicable
policy area congestion standard.
Gaithersburg City, in particular, has four
locations along Great Seneca Highway that
exhibit inadequate intersection performance:
at Quince Orchard Road, Muddy Branch
Road, Kentlands Boulevard, and Lakeland
Boulevard.
April 2014
23
Congested Roadways
Travel time corridor data is provided by the Regional Integrated
Transportation Information System (RITIS), which is an automated
data sharing, dissemination, and archiving system that includes many
travel time performance measures and analytics tools. Our purpose
in collecting, analyzing, and presenting travel time data is to inform
the broader audience such as the County Planning Board and County
Council to aid in future planning decision-making.
Although each corridor is unique, travel conditions among roadways
can be compared by measuring the travel time index (TTI), determined
from observed travel speed data.
New travel time data collected in support of this report expands the
previous analysis by including more roadwaysMD 27, MD 28,
MD 97, MD 117, MD 118, MD 119, MD 185, MD 193, MD 198,
MD 355, MD 390, MD 586, US 29, and US 650. Travel time data
was collected in all but one policy area for the roadways sampled.
In Potomac, travel time samples were unavailable during our data
collection process. Priority corridors, which include MD 355, MD 97,
MD 586, MD 198, and US 29, were evaluated in this report. These
are most traveled arterials in the County. In addition, other selected
roadways, located primarily in the northern portion of the County, were
evaluated as well.
The TTI is a comparison between the travel conditions during the peak period relative to free-flow conditions.
The index depicts how much longer, on average, travel times are during congested periods relative to
uncongested time periods.
In the 2011 MAR, TTI was calculated for each roadway sampled by
direction, spanning long distances through the County. One of the
drawbacks of this method of analysis was that the index represented
areas of varying densities and traffic variability, without reflecting those
variations.
To be more informative, the analysis should be performed based on the
limits of each policy area. A TTI analysis for major arterials by policy
area provides a more localized view of traffic congestion in a specific
planning area. In this report, the TTI line graph reports travel time
performance for arterial segments by policy area.
This report also provides a congestion percentage chart, measuring
the difference between uncongested traffic conditions (identified
with numerical value of 1.0) and the amount of congestion increase
over 1.0. That percentage increase over 1.0 is a time lost due to
congestion. Table 4 highlights the percentage of congestion based
on an average weekday, weekend morning peak periods and evening
peak periods. This table reports the average congestion percentage for
overnight and midday time periods, as well.
24
April 2014
Average Congestion % Color Scale

Uncongested - Light
0%-20%
Light - Moderate
21%-40%
Moderate - Heavy
41%-60%
Heavy - Severe
61%-80%
Severe
80%+
Colors indicate the severity of congestion ranging from 0%20% (uncongested to light), 21%-40% (light to moderate),
41%-60% (moderate to heavy), 61%-80% (heavy to severe),
and 81% + (severe).
The roadways sampled were segmented by policy

areas for corridor travel time analysis on a local
level. This report ranks and analyzes travel time
data for 120 corridor roadway segments according
to severity of congestion by policy area and
direction of travel.
Map 3: Roadway Analysis Coverage with Policy Areas
Of the 120 corridor roadway segments analyzed,

seven operate under severe congestion levels
ranging from a TTI of 87 to 119 percent. MD 355
southbound in the Shady Grove policy area had
the highest congestion level, above 95 percent
and peaking at 119 percent, during morning and
evening peaks as well as during midday. Under
these conditions, a driver will experience travel
times that are more than double the amount of
time it takes to travel during free flow conditions.
Six of the top ten most congested corridor roadway
segments are located within the Silver SpringTakoma Park and Bethesda-Chevy Chase policy
areas. These six corridor roadway segments are
northbound and southbound MD 355, southbound
MD 185, northbound and southbound MD 97,
northbound and southbound US 29, northbound
US 650, and southbound MD 390.
Clarksburg is the only outlying area with a travel
corridor roadway segment that ranks within the top
25 most congested corridors in the County. That
corridor is MD 355 southbound which is observed
to have a TTI congestion level of 59 percent during
the morning peak. Clarksburg has grown rapidly
during the past decade and the corresponding
increase in commuter traffic contributes to
increasing congestion in the area.
April 2014
25
Table 5: Top 25 Congested Roadways by Policy Area
26
Ranking
Roadname
Bound
Policy Area
Congestion
Type
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
MD 355
MD 185
MD 97
US 29
US 650
MD 97
US 29
MD 355
MD 390
MD 355
MD 355
MD 193
US 29
MD 97
MD 586
MD 355
SB
SB
SB
SB
NB
NB
SB
SB
SB
NB
SB
WB
NB
SB
EB
SB
119%
112%
99%
96%
94%
93%
87%
80%
70%
69%
69%
68%
68%
65%
64%
63%
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
MD 355
MD 355
US 650
MD 28
MD 28
US 29
MD 28
MD 119
NB
SB
SB
WB
SB
NB
EB
NB
25
MD 119
NB
Shady Grove
Bethesda
Kensington Wheaton
Fairland White Oak
Silver Spring Takoma Park
Kensington Wheaton
Bethesda
Bethesda
Derwood
Kensington Wheaton
Kensington Wheaton
Rockville
Shady Grove
Clarksburg
Fairland White Oak
Aspen Hill
Rural East
Fairland White Oak
Aspen Hill
R&D Village
Gaithersburg
Severe
Severe
Severe
Severe
Severe
Severe
Severe
Heavy-Severe
Heavy-Severe
Heavy-Severe
Heavy-Severe
Heavy-Severe
Heavy-Severe
Heavy-Severe
Heavy-Severe
Heavy-Severe
Moderate-Heavy
Moderate-Heavy
Moderate-Heavy
Moderate-Heavy
Moderate-Heavy
Moderate-Heavy
Moderate-Heavy
Moderate-Heavy
Moderate-Heavy
April 2014
60%
59%
59%
58%
57%
57%
53%
53%
52%
Worst Time of Day
Both Peaks & Midday

Morning Peak
Morning Peak
Morning Peak
Evening Peak
Evening Peak
Morning Peak
Morning Peak
Morning Peak
Midday & Evening Peak
Morning Peak
Morning & Evening Peak
Evening Peak
Morning Peak
Morning Peak
Morning Peak
Morning Peak & Midday
Morning Peak
Morning Peak
Morning Peak
Morning Peak
Evening Peak
Evening Peak
Morning Peak
Morning Peak & Midday
Ridge Road (MD 27)

The most congested direction on MD 27 is northbound in Clarksburg Policy Area during the evening peak. The evening peak exhibits the highest levels of TTI
congestion ranging from 25-35 percent, which is considered moderate. The travel time index shows that all weekdays exhibit higher congestion during the
evening peak when compared to other times of the day.
Uncongested - Light
Light - Moderate
Moderate - Heavy
Heavy - Severe
Severe
0%-20%
21%-40%
41%-60%
61%-80%
80%+
Percentage of Average Congestion

NB MD 27 2012 Clarksburg
12a-5a
6a
7a
8a
9a
10a-3p
4p
5p
6p
7p
8p-11p
Weekday (M-F)
0%
0%
0%
0%
1%
3%
25%
35%
27%
9%
1%
Weekend
0%
0%
0%
0%
3%
4%
4%
3%
4%
1%
0%
Great Seneca Highway (MD 119)

MD 119 runs through Gaithersburg City, North Potomac, Germantown West, and R&D Village policy areas. The heaviest congestion is found northbound
in the R&D Village policy area. From 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. there is a steady moderate congestion during weekdays. Weekends experience moderate
congestion during the morning hours. In the Gaithersburg City policy area, congestion is light to moderate. Fridays have the highest levels of congestion. The
weekday average of congestion lasts most of the day from the morning peak with a TTI of 45 percent into the evening peak with a TTI of 51 percent. The
moderate congestion levels along this stretch of road between R&D Village and Gaithersburg City policy areas reflect the high CLV at the MD 119 and Muddy
Branch intersection.
Uncongested - Light
Light - Moderate
Moderate - Heavy
Heavy - Severe
Severe
0%-20%
21%-40%
41%-60%
61%-80%
80%+

NB MD 119 2012 R&D Village
12a-5a
6a
7a
8a
9a
10a-3p
4p
5p
6p
7p
8p-11p
Weekday (M-F)
3%
41%
53%
50%
45%
42%
39%
51%
33%
16%
10%
Weekend
3%
34%
34%
34%
35%
30%
24%
25%
21%
20%
12%
April 2014
27
Norbeck Road (MD 28)

The heaviest congestion was found eastbound and westbound along this road in Aspen Hill. Eastbound movements exhibited light congestion
during the morning peak at a TTI of 33 to 39 percent, while the early evening peak hours exhibited moderate levels of congestion at a TTI of
45 to 53 percent. Westbound movements exhibited moderate congestion levels, at a TTI of 32 to 58 percent.
Uncongested - Light
Light - Moderate
Moderate - Heavy
Heavy - Severe
Severe
0%-20%
21%-40%
41%-60%
61%-80%
80%+

EB MD 28 2012 Aspen Hill
12a-5a
6a
7a
8a
9a
10a-3p
4p
5p
6p
7p
8p-11p
Weekday (M-F)
1%
18%
39%
38%
33%
30%
45%
53%
31%
21%
9%
Weekend
1%
10%
19%
19%
16%
18%
21%
14%
13%
13%
6%

Uncongested - Light
Light - Moderate
Moderate - Heavy
Heavy - Severe
Severe
0%-20%
21%-40%
41%-60%
61%-80%
80%+

WB MD 28 2012 Aspen Hill
28
April 2014
12a-5a
6a
7a
8a
9a
10a-3p
4p
5p
6p
7p
8p-11p
Weekday (M-F)
0%
8%
40%
58%
32%
20%
19%
21%
19%
12%
5%
Weekend
0%
2%
5%
7%
9%
14%
14%
13%
11%
8%
5%
Georgia Avenue (MD 97)

MD 97 Southbound is the third most congested corridor in the sample set. Congestion levels hit a peak TTI of 99%, which is considered severe conditions
during the morning peak. Northbound and southbound traffic moving through Silver Spring-Takoma Park also has one of the highest congestion levels of the
roadways sampled in the policy area. In the morning, northbound traffic experiences a TTI of 43 to 67 percent congestion (moderate to heavy). During the
evening, congestion increases to a TTI between 62 and 93 percent (heavy to severe). Congestion also increases starting midday and into the evening peak
hours. Southbound travel exhibits moderate to heavy levels of congestion at a TTI of 49 to 65 percent in the morning.
Uncongested - Light
Light - Moderate
Moderate - Heavy
Heavy - Severe
Severe
0%-20%
21%-40%
41%-60%
61%-80%
80%+

NB MD 97 2012 Silver Spring - Takoma Park
12a-5a
6a
7a
8a
9a
10a-3p
4p
5p
6p
7p
8p-11p
Weekday (M-F)
2%
20%
43%
67%
55%
68%
45%
93%
62%
39%
13%
Weekend
1%
10%
20%
20%
21%
37%
21%
32%
25%
21%
10%

Uncongested - Light
Light - Moderate
Moderate - Heavy
Heavy - Severe
Severe
0%-20%
21%-40%
41%-60%
61%-80%
80%+

SB MD 97 2012 Silver Spring - Takoma Park
12a-5a
6a
7a
8a
9a
10a-3p
4p
5p
6p
7p
8p-11p
Weekday (M-F)
4%
22%
39%
49%
65%
40%
28%
33%
31%
23%
9%
Weekend
1%
13%
22%
22%
35%
25%
22%
21%
19%
18%
8%
April 2014
29
Clopper Road (MD 117)

Generally, MD 117 exhibits light to uncongested conditions throughout most of the day with the exception of eastbound movements out of the
Gaithersburg and Germantown West policy areas. Both exhibit levels of light to moderate congestion throughout the day (from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.) at
a TTI of 21 to 31 percent. Westbound congestion levels are light throughout the day with a peak on Wednesday and Friday.

Uncongested - Light
Light - Moderate
Moderate - Heavy
Heavy - Severe
Severe
0%-20%
21%-40%
41%-60%
61%-80%
80%+

EB MD 117 2012 Gaithersburg
12a-5a
6a
7a
8a
9a
10a-3p
4p
5p
6p
7p
8p-11p
Weekday (M-F)
1%
15%
28%
27%
24%
21%
27%
31%
24%
18%
9%
Weekend
1%
7%
10%
10%
11%
13%
12%
12%
9%
10%
4%

Uncongested - Light
Light - Moderate
Moderate - Heavy
Heavy - Severe
Severe
0%-20%
21%-40%
41%-60%
61%-80%
80%+

EB MD 117 2012 Germantown West
30
April 2014
12a-5a
6a
7a
8a
9a
10a-3p
4p
5p
6p
7p
8p-11p
Weekday (M-F)
0%
13%
20%
23%
21%
22%
27%
27%
26%
19%
7%
Weekend
0%
5%
7%
7%
8%
13%
12%
12%
10%
9%
4%
Germantown Road (MD 118)

Of the three policy areas that MD 118 traverses, Germantown West exhibited the most congestion, at light to moderate levels. Southbound from 6:00 a.m.
to 7:00 p.m., the travel congestion ranges from a TTI of 21 to 39 percent. Northbound traffic experiences a TTI of 23 to 26 percent from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00
p.m. All of the congestion increases and maintains its level of congestion until the end of the evening peaks for both directions.
Uncongested - Light
Light - Moderate
Moderate - Heavy
Heavy - Severe
Severe
0%-20%
21%-40%
41%-60%
61%-80%
80%+

NB MD 118 2012 Germantown West
12a-5a
6a
7a
8a
9a
10a-3p
4p
5p
6p
7p
8p-11p
Weekday (M-F)
1%
10%
13%
17%
20%
24%
23%
23%
26%
19%
8%
Weekend
1%
12%
14%
14%
19%
21%
17%
20%
20%
13%
6%

Uncongested - Light
Light - Moderate
Moderate - Heavy
Heavy - Severe
Severe
0%-20%
21%-40%
41%-60%
61%-80%
80%+

SB MD 118 2012 Germantown West
12a-5a
6a
7a
8a
9a
10a-3p
4p
5p
6p
7p
8p-11p
Weekday (M-F)
4%
22%
39%
49%
65%
40%
28%
33%
31%
23%
9%
Weekend
1%
13%
22%
22%
35%
25%
22%
21%
19%
18%
8%
April 2014
31
Connecticut Avenue (MD 185)

MD 185 is a heavily traveled corridor that experiences high traffic counts and heavy volumes in its down-County segments. This roadway is a major route into
the County and, unlike MD 97 and MD 355, is not near major transit service which could ease congestion. In the Bethesda-Chevy Chase policy area, there is
moderate to heavy and heavy to severe congestion depending on direction. In the morning, southbound movements experience severe congestion levels with
a TTI of 80 to 112 percent, and moderate congestion from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at 40 percent. Northbound evening peak period traffic within Bethesda
Chevy Chase experiences moderate to heavy congestion at a TTI of 42 to 52 percent.

Uncongested - Light
Light - Moderate
Moderate - Heavy
Heavy - Severe
Severe
0%-20%
21%-40%
41%-60%
61%-80%
80%+

NB MD 185 2012 Bethesda- Chevy Chase
12a-5a
6a
7a
8a
9a
10a-3p
4p
5p
6p
7p
8p-11p
Weekday (M-F)
1%
12%
14%
21%
24%
37%
49%
52%
42%
26%
9%
Weekend
1%
9%
11%
11%
12%
19%
20%
19%
15%
10%
4%

Uncongested - Light
Light - Moderate
Moderate - Heavy
Heavy - Severe
Severe
0%-20%
21%-40%
41%-60%
61%-80%
80%+

SB MD 185 2012 Bethesda- Chevy Chase
32
April 2014
12a-5a
6a
7a
8a
9a
10a-3p
4p
5p
6p
7p
8p-11p
Weekday (M-F)
2%
26%
80%
112%
80%
40%
28%
22%
22%
16%
8%
Weekend
2%
16%
68%
68%
43%
33%
21%
19%
26%
21%
9%
University Boulevard (MD 193)

On this route, the difference between eastbound and westbound traffic congestion continues to be small with the road being heavily traveled in both
directions at any given point of the day. MD 193 is heavily used as an east-west route to other major corridors such as MD 355 and MD 185. Eastbound
movements in the Silver Spring-Takoma Park experience light to moderate congestion levels at a TTI of 22 to 39 percent. Westbound MD 193 exhibits heavy
congestion during the morning peak and the evening peak, while maintaining a steady moderate congestion level during the weekends.

Uncongested - Light
Light - Moderate
Moderate - Heavy
Heavy - Severe
Severe
0%-20%
21%-40%
41%-60%
61%-80%
80%+

EB MD 193 2012 Silver Spring-Takoma Park
12a-5a
6a
7a
8a
9a
10a-3p
4p
5p
6p
7p
8p-11p
Weekday (M-F)
1%
11%
18%
22%
22%
24%
36%
39%
36%
30%
8%
Weekend
1%
7%
14%
14%
13%
22%
26%
21%
21%
18%
6%
8p-11p

Uncongested - Light
Light - Moderate
Moderate - Heavy
Heavy - Severe
Severe
0%-20%
21%-40%
41%-60%
61%-80%
80%+

WB MD 193 2012 Silver Spring-Takoma Park
12a-5a
6a
7a
8a
9a
10a-3p
4p
5p
6p
7p
Weekday (M-F)
1%
35%
64%
68%
47%
49%
62%
68%
61%
40%
9%
Weekend
1%
16%
17%
17%
24%
41%
35%
31%
29%
29%
14%
April 2014
33
Spencerville Road (MD 198)

MD 198 is another major east-west route that ranges from uncongested to light congestion levels. Eastbound traffic in the Rural East policy area experienced
light to moderate congestion at a TTI of 41 percent in the evening peak hour. Westbound traffic exhibits moderate congestion from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
on weekdays. Morning and evening peaks, as well as the midday, have moderate congestion, indicating a steady flow of vehicles in this direction.
Uncongested - Light
Light - Moderate
Moderate - Heavy
Heavy - Severe
Severe
0%-20%
21%-40%
41%-60%
61%-80%
80%+

WB MD 198 2012 Cloverly
12a-5a
6a
7a
8a
9a
10a-3p
4p
5p
6p
7p
8p-11p
Weekday (M-F)
7%
29%
38%
44%
45%
41%
46%
47%
41%
32%
21%
Weekend
7%
24%
26%
29%
29%
31%
33%
27%
26%
24%
15%
Sixteenth Street (MD 390)

Considered a relatively short length arterial, MD 390 takes vehicles north and southbound from MD 97 in downtown Silver Spring and into Washington, D.C.
and experiences moderate to heavy congestion levels at a TTI of 45 to 70 percent southbound during the morning peak period.
Uncongested - Light
Light - Moderate
Moderate - Heavy
Heavy - Severe
Severe
0%-20%
21%-40%
41%-60%
61%-80%
80%+

SB MD 390 2012 Silver Spring-Takoma Park
34
April 2014
12a-5a
6a
7a
8a
9a
10a-3p
4p
5p
6p
7p
8p-11p
Weekday (M-F)
1%
32%
66%
70%
45%
21%
24%
26%
23%
18%
6%
Weekend
1%
5%
10%
10%
11%
16%
19%
17%
16%
13%
4%
Wisconsin Avenue/Rockville Pike/Hungerford Road (MD 355)

The highest congestion level in the entire roadway sample is in the morning peak hour from 7:00 to 9:00 along MD 355 southbound in the Shady Grove
policy area. Congestion along this corridor shifts from moderate to heavy from one populated center to the next. The Bethesda-Chevy Chase, North Bethesda,
Rockville City, Shady Grove, and Derwood policy areas along MD 355 exhibit moderate to heavy congestion. Clarksburg exhibits moderate levels of congestion
during the morning peak hours at a TTI of 32 to 59 percent, heading southbound. In Bethesda-Chevy Chase, both directions exhibit heavy congestion levels
with southbound heavy from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at a TTI of 71 to 80 percent and moderate levels from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. and through the rest of
the day. MD 355 northbound from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. has a heavy level of congestion ranging from 61 to 69 percent. Despite the congestion along
these sections of MD 355, the Metrorail serves to mitigate these populated corridors. In Clarksburg, southbound MD 355 exhibits moderate congestion during
the morning peak, at a TTI of 59 percent.
Uncongested - Light
Light - Moderate
Moderate - Heavy
Heavy - Severe
Severe
0%-20%
21%-40%
41%-60%
61%-80%
80%+

SB MD 355 2012 Shady Grove
12a-5a
6a
7a
8a
9a
10a-3p
4p
5p
6p
7p
8p-11p
Weekday (M-F)
48%
18%
74%
114%
119%
65%
61%
81%
87%
73%
60%
Weekend
51%
54%
61%
61%
61%
66%
63%
69%
44%
57%
56%

Uncongested - Light
Light - Moderate
Moderate - Heavy
Heavy - Severe
Severe
0%-20%
21%-40%
41%-60%
61%-80%
80%+

NB MD 355 2012 Bethesda- Chevy Chase
12a-5a
6a
7a
8a
9a
10a-3p
4p
5p
6p
7p
8p-11p
Weekday (M-F)
1%
16%
30%
43%
46%
69%
64%
61%
48%
33%
13%
Weekend
2%
7%
13%
13%
18%
26%
23%
23%
21%
19%
10%
April 2014
35
Veirs Mill Road (MD 586)

Considered a major cross-county route through the mid-county, MD 586 experiences moderate to heavy levels of congestion particularly during the
morning peak hours in both Aspen Hill and Kensington- Wheaton, ranging from a TTI of 45 to 64 percent. Westbound in the R&D Village exhibits light to
moderate congestion levels throughout the weekdays with light congestion in Rockville.

Uncongested - Light
Light - Moderate
Moderate - Heavy
Heavy - Severe
Severe
0%-20%
21%-40%
41%-60%
61%-80%
80%+

WB MD 586 2012 Aspen Hill
12a-5a
6a
7a
8a
9a
10a-3p
4p
5p
6p
7p
8p-11p
Weekday (M-F)
1%
22%
39%
41%
34%
33%
42%
38%
32%
23%
9%
Weekend
1%
10%
9%
15%
21%
21%
21%
16%
27%
18%
10%

Uncongested - Light
Light - Moderate
Moderate - Heavy
Heavy - Severe
Severe
0%-20%
21%-40%
41%-60%
61%-80%
80%+

EB MD 586 2012 Kensington-Wheaton
36
April 2014
12a-5a
6a
7a
8a
9a
10a-3p
4p
5p
6p
7p
8p-11p
Weekday (M-F)
2%
28%
53%
64%
39%
37%
39%
42%
39%
28%
12%
Weekend
1%
8%
20%
20%
21%
23%
22%
19%
14%
17%
8%
Colesville Road /Columbia Pike (US 29)

This route experiences moderate to severe congestion levels in the Kensington-Wheaton, Fairland-White Oak, and Silver Spring-Takoma Park policy
areas. Southbound travel in Kensington-Wheaton (in the vicinity of Four Corners) exhibits the highest levels of congestion at a TTI of 87 percent
between 7:00 8:00 am.
Uncongested - Light
Light - Moderate
Moderate - Heavy
Heavy - Severe
Severe
0%-20%
21%-40%
41%-60%
61%-80%
80%+

SB US 29 2012 Kensington-Wheaton
12a-5a
6a
7a
8a
9a
10a-3p
4p
5p
6p
7p
8p-11p
Weekday (M-F)
4%
36%
87%
86%
55%
24%
22%
20%
19%
21%
9%
Weekend
1%
5%
17%
17%
17%
24%
20%
20%
27%
23%
12%
New Hampshire Avenue (US 650)

Northbound movements along US 650 in the Silver Spring-Takoma Park policy area exhibit moderate to severe levels of congestion at a TTI of 34 to 43
percent during the morning peak hours and a TTI of 50 to 94 percent during the evening peak hours.
Uncongested - Light
Light - Moderate
Moderate - Heavy
Heavy - Severe
Severe
0%-20%
21%-40%
41%-60%
61%-80%
80%+

NB MD 650 2012 Silver Spring-Takoma Park
12a-5a
6a
7a
8a
9a
10a-3p
4p
5p
6p
7p
8p-11p
Weekday (M-F)
2%
34%
43%
43%
38%
48%
74%
94%
76%
50%
14%
Weekend
2%
14%
25%
25%
28%
36%
40%
40%
40%
37%
15%
April 2014
37
Non-Auto Travel Trends

The Countys transportation system users are not only auto drivers, but
also include pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders. To that end, the
Planning Department recognizes the importance of assessing non-auto
travel modes. Since 2012, new development applications are required to
include a Pedestrian and Bicycle Impact Statement that includes pedestrian
and bike counts as a requirement of Local Area Transportation Review.
Pedestrian and bicycling activity can be measured in many different
ways. Past reports calculated pedestrian-to-vehicle ratios to estimate
the impact of vehicles on people walking in a given area. Although this
ratio is a good measure, this report shifts the focus to more details about
pedestrian movements along each road segment. The new database
totals observed pedestrian and bike movements at all intersection legs
separately and collectively to support performance analysis and the
application of these data in future master plans.
Staff continues to collect and load pedestrian and bike counts into the
database as this information is received from MDSHA and development
application sources. New pedestrian and bicycling data will be integrated
into the new database and expanded to provide coverage consistent
with the intersection and roadway database. This information will allow
planners to make more informed decisions regarding non-motorized
travel based on specific community needs.
report. Outside the Urban Areas, there are 171 pedestrian counts
that have been collected. The amount of pedestrian counts is steadily
increasing with each Mobility Assessment Report, and consultant services
will be utilized to collect pedestrian and bike counts, when appropriate,
in support of master plan and sector plan updates. This effort will
substantially increase the amount of available non-motorized travel data.
Bike and pedestrian volume data are measured as an indication of the level of non-motorized travel through an
intersection. Bike turning movements inform the discussion of where and how cyclists are travelling. Pedestrian
flows are measured by the total volume traversing through an intersection at any given time of the day.
PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLING ANALYSIS
Both pedestrian and bike data are provided by traffic engineering
consultants in support of traffic impact study submittals from MDSHA and
MCDOT.
Currently, most pedestrian counts in the database are in the Urban Areas,
and along priority corridors and other major arterials. In the Urban Areas,
91 of the 172 signalized intersections have pedestrian counts, which
doubles the number of pedestrian data locations relative to the previous
38
April 2014
For the majority of the data set, pedestrian counts have been submitted
in a 13 hour format. Some peak hour numbers, which are in a 6 hour
format, have also been submitted into the database which covers the
peak but excludes non-peak. For the purposes of this report, the focus
is on peak periods only until there is a substantial amount of data that
includes both non-peak hours and peak hours.
Based on available pedestrian data, Downtown Bethesda has the most
pedestrian activity. Downtown Silver Spring and Downtown Wheaton also
exhibit high pedestrian volumes. The Countys highest daily pedestrian
Map 4: Pedestrian Activity

volume is at US 29/MD 384/MD 97 intersection located in
downtown Silver Spring with nearly 9,500 pedestrians.
Not surprisingly, the Bethesda CBD has the highest level of
pedestrian activity during its peak hours, with the Silver Spring
and White Flint CBDs close behind. The lowest levels of
pedestrian activity are in more auto-oriented locales such as
Up-County policy areas along I-270 and Olney and Damascus.
Planning staff have developed a database platform to support
the storage and analysis of bicycle count data. However, relative
to observed travel data collected for other modes of travel,
bicycle counts represent the least amount of data available for
analysis.
MDSHA provides bicycle and pedestrian data to address
potential conflicts with cars at state-controlled intersections.
Bicycle data is also available from MWCOGs 2007/2008
Household Travel Survey. The findings from this source,
presented in the 2009 Highway Mobility Report*, show
a regional increase in bicycling since 1994, including in
Montgomery County. While most reported bicycle trips are
commuting and social/recreational, people also use their
bikes for school, shopping, and other personal trips. As with
pedestrian data, consultant services will be used to increase
observed bicycling data.
Based on data collected by MDSHA and consultants, 25 bicycle
counts were recorded at urban intersections. The highest level
of bicycle activity can be found in the Bethesda CBD. Some
cyclist activity was recorded in the Wheaton CBD and the Great
Seneca Science Corridor. While bicycling for commuting or
recreation is not as prevalent in the County as pedestrian or
automobile travel, Montgomery County is continuing to build
its bicycling database, including data for existing and proposed
shared use paths, bike lanes, and signed shared roadways.
Future reports will include data on Bikeshare usage as this
program expands in Montgomery County.
* www.mwcog.org/uploads/committee-documents/YV5cV1ZX20090520110217.pdf
April 2014
39
Map 5: Bike Count Locations

The following map illustrates the breakdown of bike
movements through intersections by each leg in an
intersection. Each leg is represented by a color in pie chart
format on Map 6 to give an indication of the amount of
bikers in comparison to the other legs. Investigating bike
movements this way can further support an analysis for
understanding the flow of bicycles within an intersection.
When looking closely, the data will show which legs of an
intersection are crossed or not crossed, thus highlighting any
specific need to improve bike accommodation based on
volume or lack thereof. This type of analysis can be expanded
and will be more useful when additional counts become
available. North and South leg movements are dominant
along MD 355 in downtown Bethesda explaining that the
main share of cyclists are using MD 355 to ride through. In a
master plan setting, it would be very useful to get an idea of
the bike activity at its intersections.
The counts that are currently available in the database are at
select locations in Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Clarksburg, Great
Seneca Science Corridor, White Flint, Wheaton CBD, and
Silver Spring CBD. Currently, the top ten highest bike counts
are located in downtown Bethesda. At Woodmont Avenue at
Montgomery Lane, 163 bikes were counted, with 84 during
the morning peak and 79 during the evening peak. There are
124 cyclists at MD 187 and NIH driveway, which represents
the third highest bike count in the list. Counts outside of peak
hours are sometimes as much or greater than peak counts,
indicating a steady flow of bikers through an intersection.
More information will be needed in the database to study the
movements further.
Relative to the Bethesda CBD, the Wheaton CBD currently
shows a low number of bikers. As Wheaton redevelops,
bicycling may increase in the immediate area, but Georgia
Avenue, the CBDs main artery, continues to be a heavyvolume road and acts as a deterrent for both pedestrians and
bicyclists.
40
April 2014
Map 6: Total Bike Split Movement Analysis

Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) released
a Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan in November of
2013. This document recommended goals that can help
with monitoring efforts for Montgomery County. Complete
Streets is the state of Marylands approach to achieving
an interconnected, multi-modal transportation network
throughout Maryland that supports access and travel for all
users (MDOT, 2013). During the past decade, the State of
Maryland has made progress in implementing policies to
provide pedestrian and bicycle accommodation as a routine
element of road improvements. The reality is that not every
need will be met due to constraints in the rights-of-way and
in the budget. To remedy this situation, MDOT is striving to
improve the evaluation of bicycle and pedestrian needs in
order to support balanced decisions and trade-offs. The State
will continue to work on improving its evaluation criteria and
methodology for assessing bicycle and pedestrian needs to
support fully informed Complete-Streets decision making.
A potential analysis tool that the Planning Department can
use is the development of a Bicycle Level of Comfort (BLOC)
model to help determine which roads have the greatest need
for bicycle-focused improvements. For the pedestrian, the
Pedestrian Comfort Factor (PCF) measures, such as crossing
distance, intersection spacing, and buffer from traffic, will
form an additional metric to better understand the pedestrian
network.
April 2014
41
Table 6: Bike Count Ranking
42
Bike
Ranking
Date
North Leg
South Leg
East Leg
West Leg
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
4/25/2012
12/12/2012
4/6/2011
4/6/2011
12/14/2010
4/6/2011
4/6/2011
11/17/2011
4/6/2011
1/18/2012
4/6/2011
11/17/2011
11/17/2011
1/18/2012
1/18/2012
5/9/2012
11/17/2011
1/29/2013
12/12/2012
9/14/2011
12/18/2012
5/3/2011
9/15/2011
5/11/2011
1/29/2013
9/15/2011
5/16/2012
9/5/2011
9/15/2011
12/18/2012
9/14/2011
5/11/2011
9/14/2011
5/11/2011
4/8/2012
9/13/2011
3/8/2012
2/6/2013
1/31/2012
1/31/2012
9/23/2010
5/23/2012
Woodmont Ave
Bradley Blvd
MD 187
MD 187
Woodmont Ave
MD 187
MD 187
Woodmont Ave
MD 187
Woodmont Ave
MD 187
Woodmont Ave
MD 355
St Elmo Ave
Woodmont Ave
MD 410
MD 355
Parklawn Dr
Tuckerman Ln
MD 586
Fenton St
Shady Grove Rd
MD 97
Omega Dr
Parklawn Dr
MD 97
Democracy Blvd
Newport Mill Rd
Grandview Ave
US 29
Valley View Ave
Site Access
East ave
Shady Grove Rd
Verizon Bldg Access
MD 586
Traville Gateway Dr
Democracy Blvd
MD 355
Snowden Farm Pkwy
MD 185
MD 27
Woodmont Ave
Bradley Blvd
MD 187
MD 187
Woodmont Ave
MD 187
MD 187
Woodmont Ave
MD 187
Woodmont Ave
MD 187
Woodmont Ave
MD 355
St Elmo Ave
Woodmont Ave
Newell St
MD 355
Parklawn Dr
Tuckerman Ln
MD 586
Fenton St
Shady Grove Rd
MD 97
Medical Ctr Dr
Parklawn Dr
MD 97
Democracy Blvd
Newport Mill Rd
Grandview Ave
US 29
Mall Access
n/a
Mall Access
Shady Grove Rd
Travilah Rd
MD 586
Traville Gateway Dr
Democracy Blvd
MD 355
Snowden Farm Pkwy
MD 185
MD 27
Montgomery Ln
Seven Locks Rd
NIH Driveway
Mckinley St
Bethesda Ave
Battery Ln
West Cedar Ln
Norfolk Ave
West Cedar Ln
Norfolk Ave
School Driveway
Cordell Ave
Chelthenham Dr
Norfolk Ave
MD 187
Newell St
Cordell Ave
Randloph Dr
Seven Locks Rd
MD 193
Bonifant St
Research Blvd
MD 193
MD 28
Wilkins Ave
Reedie Dr
Seven Locks Rd
MD 193
MD 193
Bonifant St
MD 193
Research Blvd
MD 193
Corporate Blvd
MD 28
Metrobus Access
Shady Grove Rd
Westlake Dr
Foreman Blvd
Foreman Blvd
Perry Ave
Brink Rd
Montgomery Ln
Seven Locks Rd
Lincoln St
Mckinley St
Bethesda Ave
Battery Ln
Oakmont Ave
Norfolk Ave
Oakmont Ave
Norfolk Ave
Huntington Pkwy
Cordell Ave
Norfolk Ave
Norfolk Ave
MD 187
Blair Mill Rd
n/a
Randloph Dr
Seven Locks Rd
MD 193
Bonifant St
Research Blvd
MD 193
MD 28
Wilkins Ave
Reedie Dr
Seven Locks Rd
MD 193
MD 193
Bonifant St
MD 193
Research Blvd
MD 193
Corporate Blvd
MD 28
Shopping Ctr Access
Shady Grove Rd
Westlake Dr
Clarksburg HS Access
Stringtown Rd
Perry Ave
Brink Rd
April 2014
Total
163
150
124
110
109
100
76
69
68
56
55
49
48
41
38
32
31
23
21
13
12
12
12
12
11
11
10
9
9
7
7
7
5
4
3
3
2
2
2
2
1
0
Map 7: Average Daily Ridership: Ride On Bus
TRANSIT ANALYSIS
Transit performance measurements look at
headways and average ridership and are
provided by the Washington Metropolitan
Area Transportation Authority (WMATA),
and the Montgomery County Department of
Transportation (MCDOT).
Ride On Bus
Montgomery Countys Ride On bus service
is an extensive network of local, feeder,
circulator, and express routes that complement
the regional bus and rail service provided
by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit
Authority (WMATA). Total Ride On boardings
on a typical weekday are similar to the total
number of passengers boarding Metrorail at
Metrorail stations.
In FY13, average weekday ridership on Ride
On routes reached 88,370, a slight increase
from the 87,990 riders in FY12. Ridership has
decreased from the 95,000 average weekday
boardings in FY08 due to service reductions
of about five percent during the past two
years. In addition, fare increases may have
contributed to the decline. The only bus line
that has been discontinued in 2013 is Route
94 between Kingsview and the Germantown
MARC station.
April 2014
43
The heaviest Ride On ridership occurs along

Routes 55 and 59, which respectively serve
the Rockville-Gaithersburg- Germantown area
and the Rockville-Lake Forest-Montgomery
Village area. While over 70 percent of routes
have peak hour headways (the waiting time
for a passenger at a transit station) between
20 and 30 minutes, more widely-used routes
(such as the 55 and 59) have more frequent
service, operating at peak hour headways of
15 minutes or less.
Planning Department analysis has begun to
establish the link between high pedestrian
volumes and heavily used bus lines to
help focus attention on the needs of public
transit riders as the Countys transit-oriented
development areas grow.
44
April 2014
Map 8: Average Peak Headways: Ride On Bus
Map 9: Metrobus Daily Revenue Trips

WMATA Metrobus
WMATA daily revenue trips and
headways are part of the bus data set
that allows comparison to previous
years and will allow future comparisons.
WMATA Metrobus countywide average
weekday ridership increased from
62,062 in FY 12 to 65,794 in FY 13.
Daily Revenue Trips are the

total daily scheduled oneway trips on a given route
from its origin to its terminus.
Average headway is the
average waiting time for a
passenger at a transit station.
April 2014
45
Map 10: Metrobus Daily Headways

The Ride On network offers more routes
and broader coverage than Metrobus,
so the ridership numbers are higher than
Metrobus. Additionally, Metrobus tends
to serve predominantly major travel
corridors, while Ride On offers service to
many Up-County, multifamily, transitdependent neighborhoods.
46
April 2014
Map 11: Metrobus Ridership per Revenue Mile

The most heavily-traveled Metrobus
routes include the C2-C4 and J1J2-J-3, which travel respectively from
Greenbelt to Twinbrook and from
Montgomery Mall to Silver Spring. The
bus lines that have the highest average
daily revenue trips are the J1-J4, and
the C2 & C4. The lines with the least
amount of headways are the same
routes as daily revenue trips J1-4, and
the C2 and the C2. These lines serve the
down-county area.
April 2014
47
WMATA Metrorail
Metrorail ridership by volume and time is measured at each of Montgomery Countys Red
Line stations.
In the County, Metrorail ridership volume decreased between February 2006 and February
2009. Average Weekday Ridership decreased between FY 11 (173,307) and FY 13
(170,255). The county has seen a slight decreasing trend of weekday ridership of metrorail
between FY 10 and FY 13. Between FY 11 and FY 13 there were roughly 3,000 less
riders on an average weekday. There was a 2.4% decrease in between FY 11 and FY 13
of average weekday ridership. Since the recession, the ridership recovery of rail ridership
has been behind Metrobus. Some causal explanations behind the slower recovery is the
expansion of Telework and Alternative Work Schedules (AWS) for federal government and
contract employees. 40% of all metrorail riders are federal employees.
Average weekday ridership is heaviest at the Silver Spring, Shady Grove, Bethesda, and
Friendship Heights stations. In July 2010, Shady Grove peaked at an average weekday
ridership of 30,952. Ridership at those stations has decreased since FY09. Summer months
are often the heaviest traveled, with ridership declining during the winter. Weather and
political events like the federal shutdown affect ridership volumes.
In Montgomery County, ridership patterns through the day reflect the predominantly
residential nature of areas surrounding many Metrorail stations. Monitoring of exits and
entries indicates that Metrorail stations in communities with a mix of jobs and housing tend
to have an even pattern of entries and exits throughout the day. For example, ridership at
the Friendship Heights station is relatively steady through the morning, midday, afternoon,
and evening. By contrast, nearly three quarters of all entries at the Shady Grove station,
which serves a high commuter population, occur in the morning hours and two thirds of
exits are in the evening hours.
Illustration 18: Metrorail Entries and Exits
48
April 2014
Illustration 19: Metrorail Average Weekday Ridership
References
1. U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Adminstration, Office of Highway Policy Information, Traffic
Volume Trends, Washington, DC
2. Paper for the Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Identifying Net Effect of Highway Project in Before and
After Evaluation, August 1, 2013, Wenjing Pu, Subrat Mahapatra, Morteza Tadayon, Dennis Simpson
3. National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments,
Memorandum: INRIX Data Analysis for the Intercounty Connector (ICC) Before and After Study, Wenjing Pu
4. Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority, 2012 and 2013 Metrobus and Metrorail Data
5. Montgomery County Department of Transportation, 2012 & 2013 Montgomery County Ride On Bus Data
6. I-95 Corridor Coalition, Vehicle Probe Project,
http://www.i95coalition.org/i95/Projects/ProjectDatabase/tabid/120/agentType/View/PropertyID/107/Default.aspx
7. Maryland State Highway Administration, 2012 Maryland State Highway Mobility Report, July 2012, Subrat Mahapatra
8. Maryland State Highway Administration, Purpose and Need Statement,
http://www.iccproject.com/PDFs/PurposeNeedStatement.pdf
9. Various Aerial Images. Imagery 2013. Research & Special Projects Division, Montgomery County Regional Office.
Maryland-National Capital Planning Commission.
April 2014
49
Appendices
Appendix 1 Data Sources and Methodology

Data Sources
Traffic Counts
INRIX

INRIX & CLV Data & Methodology

INRIX Data Introduction

INRIX Analysis Methodology

Critical Lane Volume & Methodology

CLV and Local Area Transportation Review

Analysis of Intersections Using CLV and LATR Standards
Appendix 2 Future Congestion

Year 2022 Forecasted Mobility
Appendix 3 Scheduled Road Construction Projects

Appendix 4 List of Intersections and CLV Informations
Maps
Map 1
Map 2
Map 3
Map 4
Map 5
I-95 Corridor Coalition INRIX Data Coverage

INRIX Coverage in Montgomery County
Existing CLV and LATR Standard Percent Difference
2017 PM Peak Period V/C Ratios and Volumes
Difference in PM Peak Period Volumes, 2010 and 2017
Illustrations
Illustration 1
Illustration 2
Illustration 3
Illustration 4
Illustration 5
Illustration 6
Illustration 7
Illustration 8
How INRIX Works

Sample TTI Graph SB MD 355 Bethesda-Chevy Chase
Sample Congestion Chart SB MD 355 Bethesda-Chevy Chase
Intersection Online Database Map
Intersection Online Database CLV User Map Interface
Intersection Online Database Diagram
CLV Volume/Capacity Ratio Graph
CLV Volume/Capacity Ratio Pie Chart
Tables
Table 1 LATR Congestion Standards
Table 2 Intersections That Exceed the Policy Area Congestion Standard
Table 3 Top 50 Most Congested Intersections
Table 4 Comparison of County-wide 2010 and 2022 TRAVEL/3 Model Results
Table 5 Comparison of 2010 and 2012 TRAVEL/3 Model Results Non-freeway vs. Freeway Facilities
Table 6 2022 PM Peak Period V/C Ratios and Volumes
Table 7 Difference in PM Peak Period Volumes 2010 vs 2022
Table 8 Scheduled Road Construction Projects
Table 9 Intersection Ranking List by Report Year (Top 50)
Table 10 Countywide Intersection CLV Information
50
April 2014
Staff Draft
April 2014
Montgomery County Planning Department
M-NCPPC
MontgomeryPlanning.org

Sector Plan

Uploaded by

Sector Plan

Uploaded by

Sector Plan

mobility assessment report

Also available at www.MontgomeryPlanning.org/transportation

Prepared by the Montgomery County Planning Department

Ten Most Congested Intersections 7

Annual Total Miles Traveled County, State, Nationwide 4

CLV (Pre ICC) Intersection Analysis 5

The Planning Department continues to promote multi-modal travel

Mobility Assessment Report

Congestion % Color Scale

This report identifies the following key findings.

Total Vehicle Miles Traveled

to travelling along parallel local arterials.

Mobility Assessment Report

The Travel Time Index is the ratio of the reported speed

Pedestrians and Bicyclists

Mobility Assessment Report

Illustration 1: Annual Total Miles Traveled County, State, Nationwide

Trend data collected by the Federal Highway Administration

INTERCOUNTY CONNECTOR (MD 200) EFFECTS ON

Since 2013, national VMT has increased by 0.3

Illustration 2 County Vehicle Miles Traveled on State Highways, 1988-2012

In Spring 2010, The National Capital Region Transportation

Mobility Assessment Report

,, Corridor 1: Between South Gaithersburg and Laurel: MD 28, to Bel Pre

Road, to Bonifant Road, to Good Hope Road, to Briggs Chaney Road,

New Hampshire Ave at Norbeck Rd

Average Percent Change

Table 2: Change in Travel Time Before and After MD 200

Corridor 1 (S. Gaitherburg to Laurel)

Travel Time Savings

Mobility Assessment Report

Mobility Assessment Report

Illustration 3: Intersection Counts Breakdown by Source

Map 1: Ten Most Congested Intersections

As in past years, this report measured intersection

Table 3: Peak Level of Service (AM/PM)

Rockville Pike at W Cedar Ln

Bethesda - Chevy Chase

Mobility Assessment Report

Mobility Assessment Report

Rockville Pike at Nicholson Ln

Mobility Assessment Report

Old Georgetown Rd at Democracy Blvd

Mobility Assessment Report

Darnestown Rd at Riffle Ford Rd

Mobility Assessment Report

Shady Grove Rd at Choke Cherry Ln

Mobility Assessment Report

Connecticut Ave at East West Highway

Mobility Assessment Report

Georgia Ave at 16th St

Mobility Assessment Report

Great Seneca Hwy at Muddy Branch Rd

Mobility Assessment Report

Frederick Rd at Montgomery Village Ave

Mobility Assessment Report

Rockville Pike at First St/Wootton Pkwy

Mobility Assessment Report

OTHER CONGESTED INTERSECTIONS

Rockville Pike at W Cedar Ln

Veirs Mill Rd at Twinbrook Pkwy

Montrose Rd at Tower Oaks Blvd

Mobility Assessment Report

Bethesda - Chevy Chase

cont Table 4: Top 50 Intersections

Bradley Blvd at Wilson Ln

Bethesda - Chevy Chase

Falls Rd at Maryland Ave/Pot. Valley

Colesville Rd at Franklin Ave

Silver Spring - Takoma Park

Mobility Assessment Report

Randolph Rd at Veirs Mill Rd

Mobility Assessment Report

Frederick Rd at Shady Grove Rd

Mobility Assessment Report