Montgomery Planning Board work session on Little Falls Parkway pilot project to take place April 27, 2023

WHEATON, Md. – The Montgomery County Planning Board will hold a work session about the Little Falls Parkway pilot project on Thursday, April 27, 2023, during its morning session. See the Planning Board agenda for the time of day. During the March 30 public hearing on the project, parks staff presented details about traffic counts on the parkway and a recommendation to make the pilot project permanent, which was followed by public testimony. At the work session, the Planning Board will hear the Parks Department’s response to the public testimony and determine whether to retain the current two-lane configuration between Arlington Road and Dorset Avenue and make additional improvements to the roadway.

The Little Falls Parkway pilot project was initiated in June 2022 to address concerns with cut-through traffic in adjacent neighborhoods associated with the weekend closures of Little Falls Parkway for the Open Parkways Program, while retaining space for recreation on 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 road diet improves safety for all road users, including pedestrians and cyclists.

WHAT:           Planning Board work session and action on the Little Falls Parkway pilot project

WHEN:         Thursday, April 27, 2023
WHERE:        The Planning Board work session will take place in person at the
Wheaton Headquarters building, 2^nd Floor Auditorium,
2425 Reedie Drive, Wheaton, Md. 20902

and online. (Visit www.MontgomeryPlanningBoard.org and click the “watch” link on the homepage banner.)

The Little Falls Parkway pilot project currently provides an open parkway for pedestrians and bicyclists for two of the four lanes between Arlington Road and Dorset Avenue. This section was previously part of Montgomery Parks’ Open Parkways program between River Road and Arlington Road (1.3 miles).

The Open Parkways program launched at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to provide more outdoor space for recreation and exercise by closing portions of three parkways to vehicles on weekends. Since its inception, hundreds of thousands of visitors have used the Open Parkways and the program remains popular. The other two Open Parkways, Sligo Creek Parkway and Beach Drive, will not be affected by the Little Falls Parkway pilot program. 

Learn more about the pilot project online.

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), 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.  

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