TPB awards $685,000 in technical assistance for 9 D.C. area planning projects

At its monthly meeting on April 17, members of the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board approved support for nine local planning projects as part of its Transportation Land-Use Connections (TLC) Program, which promotes walkable, transit-oriented communities. Funding assistance provided to these projects through the TLC Program totaled $685,000.

Through the program, projects are awarded consultant assistance of $30,000 to $80,000 for planning projects, and up to $100,000 for preliminary engineering projects. Since 2007, TLC has funded 177 planning projects, totaling more than $8.1 million in local technical assistance.

COG and TPB planning concepts, which identify optimal locations regionwide for investment and growth, informed the selection process. All nine projects are in or near Activity Centers or positively affect Activity Centers. Additionally, eight projects are in or near Equity Emphasis Areas (EEAs) or positively affect EEAs. All nine projects are in or near High-Capacity Transit (HCT) station areas or positively affect HCTs, and five of these are in or near Transit Access Focus Areas (TAFAs). Eight projects directly or indirectly support the National Capital Trail Network (NCTN).

The following projects were approved for funding:

Edsall Road Corridor Improvements
City of Alexandria, $80,000

Three conceptual alternatives will be studied to enhance mobility, access, safety, and comfort for all roadway users on Edsall Road between South Pickett Street and the City line. Walking and biking infrastructure improvements are a particular focus of the study, as it is within a high-capacity transit area with the future West End Transitway intersecting this corridor. The study will identify improved connections between the corridor's high-density residential communities, commercial areas and transit stations.

River Road Protected Bike Lanes Project - 30% Design Phase
City of College Park, $60,000

This project will develop 30% design plans for protected bike lanes between the College Park-UMD Metro station and the Anacostia Tributary Trail System. Further, it will link Riverdale Park and College Park with dedicated bike lane facilities and follow the path of the Purple Line light rail, including a connection to Riverdale Park North-UMD Station. This will create a low-stress bike network that builds on existing facilities to provide direct access to multiple transit stations. This project was recommended in the FY2022 TLC Project Discovery District Multi-Use Trail Transit Access Plan.

Capital Bikeshare Fare Study
District of Columbia, $55,000

Capital Bikeshare updates its fare schedule infrequently and without in-house expertise on transit fare best practices. This study will examine the fare schedules of peer bikeshare systems, develop a fare model for Capital Bikeshare, and apply scenarios to that model, analyzing impacts on ridership, membership, and revenue. The study will ultimately result in a list of recommendations to the Capital Bikeshare fare structure, which will aim to maximize participation and revenue to ensure a financially sustainable and successful shared micromobility program for the entire Capital Bikeshare service area.

Public Space Strategies to Advance Racial Equity
District of Columbia, $50,000

This study will produce strategies for two commercial corridors to become more accessible and welcoming to pedestrians and transit riders: Okie Street NE in Ivy City and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE in Anacostia, two predominantly Black communities lacking equitable historic investment. The study aims to enhance public space access and use, via wayfinding, gathering spaces, and public art.

Wiehle Avenue Safety Project
Fairfax County, $100,000

This project will result in 30% design plans for a two-way protected cycletrack on Wiehle Ave in Reston running between the W&OD Trail and Sunrise Valley Dr. This cycletrack will provide a protected bikeway between existing and incoming developments in the Wiehle-Reston East Activity Center north and south of Dulles Access Road, which is currently a major barrier to biking connectivity in the region. It will also provide a connection to and from the W&OD Trail and directly to the Wiehle-Reston East Metrorail station, while linking up with existing bike networks in the Reston area.

Southern East Street Redesign 30% Design
City of Frederick, $100,000

Building upon the FY2022 East Street Redesign TLC feasibility study, this project will develop 30% design plans for sidewalks and bikeways recommended in that report. Implementing these facilities will improve the attractiveness of this street for business patrons and potential redevelopment, address frequent crashes between drivers and bicyclists, and provide better active transportation links between downtown Frederick and the Frederick Transit Center. The results of this design work will directly inform the work of the East Frederick Form-Based Code and will significantly improve north-south connectivity in the city.

Montgomery County VMT Tool
Montgomery County, $80,000

This study will evaluate how Montgomery County can best transition its transportation impact analysis process for new development projects towards using vehicle miles traveled (VMT) as a key metric. The project will include the creation of a public-facing VMT tool that will estimate average daily VMT based on location and land-use type. County staff believe that VMT is better correlated to impacts on the environment, public health, fiscal health, and infrastructure resiliency than the current system. A switch to VMT will encourage development in transit-rich areas because places with existing multimodal infrastructure will have fewer mitigation requirements.

Congressional Lane Complete Street Feasibility Study
City of Rockville, $80,000

This study will assess the possible pedestrian, bicycle, transit, and traffic calming improvements that could be added, as well as determine the impact of these new facilities on existing transportation patterns. Ultimately, it will identify three preliminary alternatives for redesigning Congressional Lane with multimodal infrastructure. Congressional Lane provides access to the Rollins Park Community, the Congressional Plaza shopping center, Montrose Park, and Community Center, includes a bus stop and a Capital Bike Share station, intersects with Rockville Pike, which has a planned Capital Trails Network Trail and the MD 355 Bus Rapid Transit line, and is less than half a mile from the Twinbrook Metrorail Station.

New Ave Bikeway Purple Line Connection Study
City of Takoma Park, $80,000

The Takoma-Langley Crossroads Transit Center is already a major transit hub and the site of a future Purple Line light rail station, but it is hard to reach by bicycle. This project will examine bikeway connectivity between the transit center and the planned New Ave Bikeway along the New Hampshire Avenue corridor. The New Ave Bikeway has been partially developed through two prior TLC projects and is nearing 100% design. This new study will determine routing and infrastructure recommendations for a safe and comfortable bike and pedestrian connection that will support transit access in an area that currently has somewhat dangerous conditions for walking and biking. It will also invite the creation of new community open space in an area that currently has none.

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