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Corridor Cities Transitway

Corridor Cities Transitway MapCorridor Cities Transitway Study Area.

The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is studying various alternatives for providing bus or light rail service near I-270 – part of an-going effort that will eventually lead to the construction of the long planned Corridor Cities Transitway (CCT). This fixed guideway transit facility would extend from the Shady Grove Metrorail Station to the COMSAT site in Clarksburg.

On July 6, 2009, the Planning Board conducted a public hearing on the Maryland Department of Transportation's (MDOT) Alternatives Analysis / Environmental Assessment (AA/EA). Planners posted recommendations for the CCT in advance of the public hearing.

Download the staff report. View the appendices:

Read the press release.

Approved Master Plans for Clarksburg, Germantown and Great Seneca Science Corridor rely on the CCT as a means to cluster houses, jobs, and retail near transit to support uptown activity centers and lessen reliance on automobiles.

The recently approved Great Seneca Science Corridor Master Plan realigned the CCT to better serve the Life Sciences Center. A November 2009 feasibility study conducted by MTA found the realignment to have substantial benefits for ridership and cost effectiveness.

Master Plans in both Frederick and Montgomery counties call for the eventual extension of the CCT north to Frederick, Maryland via the Clarksburg Town Center. The CCT study is part of a larger effort, the I-270-/US 15 Multi-Modal Corridor Study, that is being conducted by the Maryland Department of Transportation. That study is examining a wide range of roadway improvements, including the introduction of Express Toll Lanes on I-270.

View a detailed CCT map(pdf, 152KB)

Progress

MTA estimates released in summer 2008 suggest the CCT ridership would be 26,000-30,000 on a typical weekday in 2030. These estimates were later increased somewhat with the release of the 2009 feasibility study that examined the realignment through the Life Science Center and Crown Farm.

In November 2010, MTA release a Supplemental Environmental Assessment (SEA), examining the environmental impacts, potential mitigation, and transportation benefits of three proposed modifications to the CCT alignment and stations from the alignment studied in the 2002 DEIS and the 2009 AA/EA. These modifications are intended to better serve three areas within the CCT corridor: the future Crown Farm development; the Life Sciences Center biotechnology campus; and the Kentlands community. A well attended public hearing was conducted on December 15, 2010.

Work also continues on the review of planned development along the corridor so that the right-of-way remains protected and consistent with adopted master plans. The review of development activity is carried out jointly between the MTA project team, the Planning Department, and the County Department of Transportation.

Learn more about the CCT study and the related I-270 component. Request a presentation on the CCT study activities.

Planning items

In Montgomery County, the County Council has forwarded a recommendation that the CCT be light rail. This recommendation has been forwarded to the State for consideration, It is anticipated that the Governor will select the mode (light rail or bus rapid transit) sometime later this year or early next year. a partial list of major items to be addressed in the study include the mode (bus or light rail), the design and location of an associated hiker/biker trail, station location and configuration, development review along the corridor, and the potential location of an operations and maintenance site and storm water maintenance areas.

Schedule (estimated)

  • Summer 2011: New Starts Submission / Request Permission to Enter Preliminary Engineering
  • Fall 2010: Supplemental Environmental Assessment to be released by MTA for public comment
  • Winter 2010/2011: Locally Preferred Alternative selected by state after local input

M-NCPPC staff contact

David Anspacher, AICP Senior Planner
301-495-2191
David.Anspacher@montgomeryplanning.org

Date of last update: September 21, 2010