Montgomery Parks, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, will present information, including traffic data, related to the Little Falls Parkway Pilot Project to the Montgomery Planning Board at an evening briefing on Thursday, March 30. After the briefing, the Planning Board will hold a public hearing so residents can respond to the data and share input on the project.
The exact time for the March 30 briefing and public hearing will be posted on the Planning Board agenda closer to the date of the hearing. The hearing will take place in person in the second floor auditorium at Park and Planning headquarters, which is located at 2425 Reedie Dr. in Wheaton. The meeting also will be broadcast virtually.
Residents will have an opportunity to provide testimony virtually or in person at the hearing or in advance via email or mail. Details on how to sign up to testify, provide advance testimony and the procedures for testifying are outlined on the Planning Board “Sign Up to Testify” webpage.
The Little Falls Parkway pilot project was initiated by Montgomery Parks in June 2022 to address concerns with cut-through traffic in adjacent neighborhoods associated with the weekend closures of Little Falls Parkway for the Open Parkways Program, while retaining space for recreation on the parkway.
Traffic counts were conducted on Little Falls Parkway between Arlington Road and Dorset Avenue during May, July, September and December of 2022.
After the public hearing, the Planning Board will review the Parks Department’s recommendations and the public testimony. It will determine whether to proceed with the pilot project in a subsequent meeting on April 13. The exact time will be posted on the Planning Board agenda closer to the date of that meeting.
The Little Falls Parkway pilot project is currently a 24/7 open parkway for pedestrians and bicyclists for two of the four lanes. This section of Little Falls Parkway, between Arlington Road and Dorset Avenue, was previously part of Montgomery Parks’ Open Parkways program between River Road and Arlington Road (1.3 miles).
The Open Parkways program was launched at the beginning of the COVID-19 health crisis to provide more outdoor space for recreation and exercise by closing portions of three parkways to vehicles on weekends. Since its inception, hundreds of thousands of visitors have used the Open Parkways. The other two open parkways, Sligo Creek Parkway and Beach Drive, will not be affected by the Little Falls Parkway pilot program.
Learn more about the pilot project online.
