(Originally published May, 2018, in “Finding Montgomery Hills,” updated in November, 2023)
Montgomery Hills has an identity crisis. To be honest, it has a lot of other more important problems; but its lack of place has created a 50-year spiral of decline.
Wait – Montgomery where?
Montgomery Hills is the neighborhood corridor that runs along Georgia Ave in Silver Spring, north of 16th Street to the Beltway. It is surrounded by some of the County’s neighborhood jewels: Woodside Forest, Woodside Park, North Woodside, Woodside, Linden, and Forest Glen. It is also home to beloved Silver Spring institutions, such as Snider’s Super Foods, the Woodside Deli, and Jalal’s Barbershop.
Traffic Crawls
More vehicles move through this stretch of Georgia Ave than any other non-interstate road in the County. “Move” is relative. Mostly traffic crawls. Traffic planners assigned failing, or near failing, grades for every intersection for existing conditions and for future traffic growth.
Unsafe at Any Speed
Rear-end, sideswipe, left-turn, angle, pedestrian, and truck-related crashes occur at rate significantly higher than statewide average for those crash types on similar roads. The road is unsafe for everyone.
Inaccessible Transit Access
This area was intended to be a neighborhood hub with shops, less than ¼ mile from the Forest Glen Metro. Yet it is unsafe to walk or bike. This is not smart growth.
What is the Plan Forward?
In 2020, the Montgomery County Council adopted the revised Forest Glen/Montgomery Hills Sector Plan. FOMH supported the plan, which focuses on
strategic redevelopment opportunities, improved connectivity and enhanced safety for all users. The Planning Department provided recommendations for land use, zoning, transportation, parks, trails and open space, the environment and historic resources. It also plans for and incorporates the Maryland State Highway Administration’s (SHA) plans to rebuild Georgia Avenue into a more pedestrian and cyclist-friendly zone.
But the Sector Plan is just that – a plan. The SHA’s redesign of Georgia Ave has secured funding (including substantial funding from the federal government), but questions remain regarding the feasibility of the design and construction has not started. Turning this into a reality will require constant effective advocacy on behalf of local neighborhoods and businesses.
Montgomery Hills is known as a place to drive through, not a destination. Help us fix that!