BALTIMORE, MD (January 30, 2017) – The Maryland Department of Transportation’s Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) in partnership with the Montgomery County Department of Transportation will hold two open houses to provide information and receive input on a study for developing Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) along a portion of the MD 355 corridor.

The public is invited to stop by anytime between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. on February 7 and February 8 at the following locations:

At the meetings, project team members will be available to answer project-related questions and receive comments.  The open houses also will provide the opportunity for the public to review and provide comment on conceptual alternatives, results of preliminary analysis, station design concepts and next steps.

Both meetings will cover the same topic and there will be no formal presentation.  The public’s input is important in determining which conceptual alternatives will be refined and studied in more detail during the next phase of the BRT study.

BRT is a transit system that uses specialized buses to provide faster, more reliable service, while offering the flexibility to meet transit demand.  BRT features include: frequent, all-day service, dedicated BRT-only lanes, fare payment before boarding, transit signal priority and improvements at intersections.

The MD 355 BRT Corridor Planning Study is identifying transportation needs and evaluating potential alternatives for accommodating enhanced transit service via BRT along 21.2 miles of the MD 355 corridor (North and South) from the Bethesda Metro Station to Redgrove Place, Clarksburg.

Project information can be found at montgomerycountymd.gov/brt/. Those unable to attend the open houses can submit questions and comments to md355brt@mta.maryland.gov or by mail to Maryland Transit Administration, 6 St. Paul Street, Suite 902, Baltimore, MD  21202.

In the event of inclement weather, the open houses will be held on Monday, February 13, at the Executive Office Building and Tuesday, February 14, at Montgomery College.  Visit montgomerycountymd.gov/rts to learn the status of the open houses.

The Maryland Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is one of the largest multi-modal transit systems in the United States. MTA operates Local and Commuter buses, Light Rail, Metro Subway, Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) Train service, and a comprehensive Paratransit (Mobility) system. MTA also manages the Taxi Access system, and directs funding and statewide assistance to Locally Operated Transit Systems (LOTS) in each of Maryland’s 23 counties, Annapolis, Baltimore City and Ocean City. MDOT is a customer-driven leader that delivers safe, sustainable, intelligent, and exceptional transportation solutions in order to connect our customers to life’s opportunities. MTA’s goal is to provide safe, efficient and reliable transit across Maryland with world-class customer service. To learn more, visit mdot.maryland.gov  or mta.maryland.gov, check us out on Facebook at facebook.com/mtamaryland and follow us on Twitter @mtamaryland.

Media Contacts: 
Sandy Arnette               Paul Shepard
Office: 410-767-8367    Office: 410-767-3935
Cell: 443-835-7984       Cell: 443-622-4181

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