Information, including traffic data and a recommendation, related to the Little Falls Parkway pilot project, will be presented by Montgomery Parks to the County Planning Board at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 30. After the briefing, the Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the project.
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 deadline to sign up to testify or submit written testimony is noon on Wednesday, March 29.
The Little Falls Parkway pilot project was initiated 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
The in-person presentation and following public hearing will take place at the Wheaton Headquarters of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission headquarters at 2425 Reedie Dr. in Wheaton.
The presentation and public hearing also can be viewed online via Microsoft Teams.
The public may testify in person or online during the Planning Board hearing.
After the public hearing, the Planning Board will conduct a work session and consider action on the staff recommendation on April 13. The time will be posted on the Planning Board agenda closer to the date of the meeting.
The Little Falls Parkway pilot project currently provides an open parkway for pedestrians and bicyclists for two of the four lanes between Arlington Road and Dorset Avenue. This section was previously part of Montgomery Parks’ Open Parkways program between River Road and Arlington Road (1.3 miles).
The Open Parkways program 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 program at pilot project online.