On October 7, 2023, Friends of Montgomery Hills (“FOMH”), and the neighborhood civic association presidents of Woodside Park, Woodside Forest, North Woodside, and Linden, sent a letter to Administrator Pines of the Maryland State Highway Administration expressing significant concerns about the SHA’s plans for the Georgia Avenue Safety and Accessibility Project.
In response to that letter, on December 15, 2023, SHA Administrator William Pines joined FOMH, representatives of the Montgomery Hills business community, Montgomery County Councilmember Kate Stewart, District 18 Maryland State Delegate Jared Solomon, District 20 Maryland State Delegate Lorig Charkoudian, and District 18 Maryland State Senator Jeff Waldstreicher, to conduct a walk-through of the Montgomery Hills corridor, focusing on the concerns expressed in the October 7 letter, beginning in local Montgomery Hills bakery Nothing Bundt Cakes.
FOMH and local business representatives noted in particular the concerns about the plan to prohibit turns both southbound and northbound onto Columbia/Seminary Road from Georgia Avenue. Administrator Pines listened and understood the community’s concerns, and explained some of the challenges the project was facing with the intersection.
After the walk-through, on January 23, 2024, SHA held a virtual meeting with FOMH and the civic association presidents to propose changes in response to the December 15, 2023 walk-through learnings. Although these changes did not address all of the community’s concerns, these changes were well-received by the civic associations and FOMH after SHA was able to communicate certain limitations with making all of the requested changes.
In response to the January 23, 2024 meeting, FOMH and the civic association presidents sent a letter to Administrator Pines thanking SHA for its engagement, re-committing the community’s support for the project, but requesting that SHA continue to work with the Montgomery County Department of Transportation to address anticipated traffic and pedestrian impacts of the new plan on county roads in the area:
“While we are supportive of the proposed improvements, we continue to have concerns about the increase in traffic on Seminary Place that will result from the plan to eliminate left (northbound) and right (southbound) turns from Georgia Ave onto Seminary Road. We understand that the intersection at Seminary Road presents significant design challenges and physical limitations, but we are concerned about how the proposed changes at that intersection will affect traffic volume and pedestrian safety on nearby Selway Lane. In addition, we are concerned about increased traffic at the already complicated intersection of Seminary Place, Seminary Road, 2nd Avenue, and Brookville Road immediately to the west. We hope and expect that SHA will work with Montgomery County DOT to find opportunities to address safety issues in that area of the project and impacts to the adjacent county roads.”
February 8, 2024 Letter to SHA
The full letter is available below:
The SHA responded that same day. Deputy Administrator for Project Development Matt Baker thanked FOMH for its efforts, noting: “We’re so appreciative of the fantastic partnership FoMH and its associated groups have brought to the table over so many years. Looking very much forward to pushing Montgomery Hills over the finish line. We will continue to coordinate with you all and Montgomery County as we finalize design and look to identify construction funding.”
A summary of the current status of the plan after these changes can be found here.
FOMH is working next towards organizing a larger community public meeting so SHA can share the project’s plan and status with affected neighborhoods and businesses. Stay tuned!
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