Major Suburban Maryland transportation projects currently in the pipeline include the following (Please note: MOST of these projects have been under study for many years but have NOT yet been funded for construction):
Corridor Cities Transitway
The Corridor Cities Transitway (CCT) is a bus-rapid transit line extending along the heavily congested I-270 corridor, from the Shady Grove Metro station north to Clarksburg. The CCT connects key job and population centers in Maryland’s leading technology corridor. A preferred local alternative has been identified and the project is currently awaiting Maryland Governor Larry Hogan’s decision on construction funding. More
Status: This project is ready to go forward but not yet funded for construction.
I-270 Improvements
The I-270/US 15 Multi-Modal Corridor Study is a joint effort by the Maryland State Highway Administration and the Maryland Transit Administration. The Corridor Study examines one of Frederick County’s and Montgomery County’s most congested areas: A 30-mile stretch from US 15 and Biggs Ford Road, southward along I-270, to the Shady Grove Metro Station. This Corridor Study explores options to ease congestion by making highway improvements in conjunction with proposed transit options, such as bus rapid transit or light rail transit along a dedicated right-of-way (the Corridor Cities Transitway). The Draft Environmental Impact Statement has been prepared and indicates dramatic reductions in congestion and significant travel time savings with these multi-modal improvements in place. A similar study, the West Side Mobility Study, has looked at the southern sections of I-270, the I-270 spur, and segments of the Capital Beltway across the American Legion Bridge to Virginia, but both project studies have been on hold for more than a decade (more on this below). More
Status: This project is not yet under construction.
I-495/American Legion Bridge Improvements, Capital Beltway Studies
A study to determine the feasibility of adding managed lanes on I-495, from the American Legion Bridge to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge has been under way since 1997. A separate study is looking at just the western portion of I-495 from the American Legion Bridge to lower I-270. In the meantime, the concrete under-layer of the entire 42 miles of the Capital Beltway in Maryland has reached the end of its design life and now needs to be reconstructed. This presents an urgent impetus to consider future design and capacity improvements to this severely congested facility, as Virginia has done, since it will be under construction soon in any event. The Capital Beltway (I-495) provides one of the most critical highway links on the East Coast. It is also the only circumferential route in the DC area, connecting the many key radial routes in the region. Current traffic exceeds 200,000 vehicles per day and is projected to increase to 300,000 vehicles per day by 2030. Segments of I-495 are among the top-10 most congested interstate highways in America. More
Status: This project is not yet under construction.
Inter County Connector
The Intercounty Connector (ICC) links the areas between the I-270 and I-95/US 1 corridors in Montgomery County and Prince George’s County with a state-of-the-art, limited-access, electronic toll lane highway that better accommodates the east-west movement of passengers and goods, is providing significant traffic relief to local residents, and has reduced average travel times between suburban Maryland’s two leading employment corridors by nearly 50%. More
Status: This project is now complete and has resulted in dramatic reductions in travel times and congestion delays.
Metro Matters – System-wide Safety & Capacity Improvements
The goals of the Metro Matters program are to: (1) maintain WMATA’s aging facilities and systems in a state of good repair, (2) relieve Metrorail passenger crowding and accommodate ridership growth by having 50% of peak-hour trains operating with eight cars, and (3) improve Metrobus service reliability by reducing the average age of the fleet, and improve regional air quality by replacing standard diesel buses with alternative fuel buses. Maryland’s share of this capital program is roughly $667 million through 2024. More
Status: This project is (partially) under construction.
Purple Line
The Purple Line is a 16-mile transitway between New Carrollton and Bethesda Metrorail Stations. The locally preferred alternative has 21 proposed stations traveling through four major activity centers. It would connect riders to Metrorail, MARC, Amtrak, and regional and local bus services. Also, the Purple Line would provide a 4.2-mile pedestrian/bicycle trail along the transitway between the Bethesda and Silver Spring central business districts (CBDs). Transit ridership is estimated at 64,800 daily boardings. The Purple Line would serve a highly congested corridor in Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties connecting the Metrorail Red, Green and Orange lines to key employment, residential and institutional destinations. This transit line also connects the MARC Brunswick, Camden and Penn lines as well as Amtrak at New Carrollton. In addition, the Purple Line connects to existing regional and local bus services. More
Status: This project is pending legal review and is ready for construction.
Yellow Line Extension from Branch Avenue to Alexandria
Expansion of the Yellow Line, either by extending Metrorail or regional express-bus service using new dedicated lanes along I-495, from Branch Avenue, across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, to Alexandria, Virginia. This provides additional transit connections between Maryland and Virginia, relieves congestion, and promotes economic development and better access to housing and jobs in National Harbor and other key growth areas in Prince George’s County.
Status: This project is not yet under construction.
The Choice We Face is Clear: Invest in Transportation Now, or Bring our Local Economy to a Grinding Halt.
Find out what you can do. Visit our Action page.
