County Will Move Forward With Rapid Transit without Transit Authority

Ike Leggett announced that Montgomery County will move forward with planning, building, and operating one or two bus rapid transit corridors, despite his decision to at least temporarily ditch plans for an independent Transit Authority to build and operate the system.

In a press release, he said “Expanding our transit reach is critically important to creating 100,000 new jobs in White Oak, around Shady Grove, in White Flint and Wheaton. I still believe that, ultimately, we will need an entity that can that raise the resources needed. However, in the here and now, I have instructed my Department of Transportation, while continuing its work with the State on Bus Rapid Transit, to explore less-expensive alternatives that we could pilot on one or two routes.”

According to Bethesda Beat, the County Executive hopes to get a recommendation from MCDOT for the first one or two routes that would “at least be considered in the budget cycle that would come out next spring,” though he didn’t specify which corridors country transportation planners are considering or how the system would be paid for.

The Washington Post reported that Leggett hopes that if opponents see the bus lanes in limited operation, they might be more inclined to support a transit authority.

Of course, Friends of White Flint will be working with all of you to advocate for Route 355 being one of the first one or two routes that would be in that spring budget cycle.