Montgomery County will have to rely on public transportation to relieve gridlock, rather than expanding roads and highways, according to a new report by the county’s Planning Department. More than half of the top 50 most congested intersections in the county are between the Capital Beltway and the Intercounty Connector, according to the report. Fourteen are inside the Beltway, but only three of those are in the top 10.
The most congested intersection is at Old Georgetown Road and Democracy Boulevard in Bethesda, followed by the intersections of Darnestown Road at Riffle Ford Road in North Potomac and Shady Grove Road at Choke Cherry Lane in Rockville. Two are near the newly expanded Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda.
| Most congested intersections | ||
| 1. Old Georgetown Road at Democracy Blvd. | Bethesda | |
| 2. Darnestown Road at Riffle Ford Road | North Potomac | |
| 3. Shady Grove Road at Choke Cherry Lane | Rockville | |
| 4. Rockville Pike at W. Cedar Lane | Bethesda | |
| 5. Georgia Ave. at Norbeck Road | Aspen Hill/Olney | |
| 6. Rockville Pike at Edmondston Drive | Rockville | |
| 7. Great Seneca Highway at Muddy Branch Road | Gaithersburg | |
| 8. Connecticut Avenue at Jones Bridge Road | Bethesda | |
| 9. E. Gude Drive at Crabbs Branch Road | Derwood | |
| 10. Randolph Road at New Hampshire Avenue | Colesville | |
The most congested roadways were Route 355, Route 29, University Boulevard and Randolph Road.
The report predicts that by 2017 there will be more vehicles on the county’s roads, and only 25 percent of the congested roadways will be highways. The rest will be major non-highway roads like Route 29 and Georgia and Connecticut avenues. Though the Intercounty Connector is expected to help prevent traffic from getting worse, it will not be able to stop the number of vehicles on the road from multiplying.
“Not surprisingly, traffic volumes are generally forecasted to increase throughout the county,” the report says. “The county will be unable to build its way out of congestion.”
Though the county’s traffic problems are a nuisance for residents, they may have larger implications for the county’s economy.
Traffic congestion prevents businesses from locating in the county, Montgomery Business Development Corporation Vice Chairwoman Deborah Harrison, told the Montgomery County Council Tuesday. She is Marriott International’s senior vice president for government affairs.
“Unless we solve these problems, it will have a detrimental effect on economic growth in the county,” said County Executive Ike Leggett.
County Councilman Roger Berliner, D-Bethesda and chairman of the council’s Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment Committee, pointed to plans for bus rapid transit. Though the system would be based on buses, it would use dedicated lanes on major roads to avoid getting caught in traffic. The current plan describes at least 20 routes and has an estimated price tag of $2.5 billion.
Some areas — like White Flint or the east county — won’t be able to see new development until the new transit system is in place, said Department of Economic Development Director Steve Silverman.
“Transportation is going to be the key in the next five years to unlocking job creation and the broadening of the tax base.”
