Montgomery Planning Board approves permanent road diet on Little Falls Parkway

WHEATON, Md. – The Montgomery County Planning Board approved the Little Falls Parkway pilot project with four votes for the project and one abstaining, at a work session on Thursday, April 27, 2023. The Board approved reducing the number of lanes between Arlington Road and Dorset Avenue from four to two and incorporating turn lanes, shoulders, a median at the Capital Crescent Trail crossing, and a median between the travel lanes where feasible.

The Little Falls Parkway pilot project was initiated in 2022 to study whether two lanes between Arlington Road and Dorset Avenue could accommodate vehicle traffic on this stretch of roadway. To further the County’s Vision Zero goals along the parkway, traffic counts were conducted on Little Falls Parkway between Arlington Road and Dorset Avenue during May, July, September, and December of 2022 and showed the parkway functions well with two lanes of traffic and the traffic calming improves safety for all road users, including pedestrians and cyclists.

Prior to the work session, Montgomery Parks conducted extensive outreach and held a public meeting in February 2023 before briefing the Planning Board at a public hearing on March 30, 2023.

Montgomery Parks will now begin work on the permanent design and then construct the roadway enhancements after obtaining all necessary approvals. Parks will also create a temporary linear pilot park with activities and programming, including seating, games and events.

At a future date, the Parks Department will begin community outreach to seek input on repurposing the unused travel lanes before seeking Planning Board approval for that project.

About Montgomery Parks     
Montgomery Parks manages more than 37,000 acres of parkland, consisting of 420 parks. Montgomery Parks is a department of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), a bi-county agency established in 1927 to steward public land. M-NCPPC has been nationally recognized for its high-quality parks and recreation services and is regarded as a national model by other parks systems. MontgomeryParks.org 

Accessibility    
Montgomery Parks, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, encourages and supports the participation of individuals with disabilities. Please contact the Program Access Office at 301-495-2581 (Voice/TTY), MD Relay 7-1-1 or 800-552-7724 or ProgramAccess@MontgomeryParks.org to request a disability modification. Visit Montgomery Parks Accessibility for more information.