As part of a larger task order contract with the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT), STV is analyzing roadways for potential improvements to accommodate bicycle connectivity. These bike routes have primarily been identified based on the location of the county’s Capital Bike Share stations, as well as existing share-use paths, signed bike routes, and future bike routes. The contract also includes a study to determine the feasibility of removing a vehicular travel line along Arlington Road in Bethesda, MD, to accommodate two, five foot bike lanes. During this review, STV identified another corridor within Bethesda that already had existing bike lanes, as a candidate to evaluate potential improvements to improve bicycle connectivity. As part of the evaluation, STV performed operational traffic analysis and determined the feasibility of installing a two-way separated cycle track along Woodmont Avenue. STV developed preliminary alternative designs for the two-way separated cycle track. MCDOT chose a preferred alternative, and tasked STV with developing final design construction documents for the preferred alternative.

While performing these tasks, STV was contracted by MCDOT to design temporary “pop up” bike lanes as part of Maryland’s Bike to Work Day celebration. The bike lanes mirrored the proposed two-way separated cycle track, so that the county could evaluate its functionality and receive feedback for the bicycle community. The temporary “pop-up” bike lanes ran north-south along Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda and were the first of their kind in Montgomery County.