New bike lane on Old Georgetown Rd in Bethesda

[Anonymous]

1/3 of very busy/congested lanes have been removed. Length of time in traffic has more than doubled (back up from Pike and Rose to the Beltway!).

They need to go.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I'm agnostic on the need for bike lanes on OGR. But this change could have been executed better. The left turn from westbound Tuckerman onto southbound OGR is an accident waiting to happen. The right most lane no longer exists so there are now two turn lanes trying to turn into the same lane to be able to take the ramp onto 270N. It's very confusing.

There are definitely improvements that could be made to reduce confusion, and I hope they will be made. The project isn't complete yet, though. People will also become less confused as they become used to it.

What's the solution though? Do we turn it into one turning lane? That would cause more gridlock. Regardless of how this is addressed, there will still be major gridlock. This is a major artery to access major interstates. Why would they ever encourage bike traffic on such a road is beyond me.

Which is worse, traffic back-ups or traffic deaths?

Deaths happen either way, so let’s avoid the gridlock

What a ghoulish thing to say. Fewer deaths happen when roads are safer.

But the roads are actually less safe now. Daily gridlock impacts people’s mental health and quality time. Delete tree lanes!!

No, they're not. If you don't like sitting in traffic, which who does, consider non-driving methods for getting around.

Please enlighten us as to what mode of transportation would replace automobiles? It certainly isn't the bicycle. Bikes don't work for people who have disabilities that prevent them from riding a bike (especially the elderly), moms of numerous children who must take them to activities, people going to the grocery store, people with long commutes, etc. Bikes are unsafe compared to automobiles as you only have the helmet on your head to protect you in the event of an accident -- and accidents will be inevitable regardless of whether you have bike lanes. You will never see our society move to bikes...never.

1) the more we get people out of cars and into mass transit and bikes/sscooters etc, the more space on the roads will be available to people with disabilities who have no alternative but to drive themselves
2) plenty of people bike with their kids to sporting events and other activities. Maybe the tell is, why aren't you?
3) The roads are safer. If people are that triggered by sitting in grifdlock, then they shouldn't be driving.
4) Please show your work on the statement that bikes are more unsafe than cars?

So you don’t believe induced demand is real? Good to know you folks only trot it out when it suits you and then say that it doesn’t exist when it doesn’t.

This doesn't seem inconsistent- isn't one of the goals of bike to induce demand for biking by adding a bike lane? Same way people argue that adding a lane for cars induces more people to drive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1/3 of very busy/congested lanes have been removed. Length of time in traffic has more than doubled (back up from Pike and Rose to the Beltway!).

They need to go.

Maybe you need to find another way to commute rather than insisting that the government solve your problems.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have the link to support the bike lanes?
I honestly don’t care about them north of democracy. But south of democracy is where the kids and teens really need them — around the Y and the library. I drive that regularly and the bike lanes have not notably increased congestion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
You think you’re being clever but it is actually in the state highway master plan to eventually widen Bradley to 4 lanes to River Road. If you haven’t noticed (probably because you don’t actually live in the area) the bridge over 495 has already been built for 4 lanes to accommodate future widening and the state owns the RoW to do so.

I don't know what the "state highway master plan" is. Can you provide a link?

In the county master plans, Bradley Boulevard stays at two lanes. I hope you've also noticed the new 25 mph speed limit and the speed cameras. If the state wants to widen Bradley Lane, they will spend a lot of time and money arguing with the property owners on the north side and the country club on the south.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have the link to support the bike lanes?
I honestly don’t care about them north of democracy. But south of democracy is where the kids and teens really need them — around the Y and the library. I drive that regularly and the bike lanes have not notably increased congestion.

Here's a link to the petition to support the bike lanes: https://www.change.org/p/support-the-sha-redesign-of-old-georgetown-road?redirect=false

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You think you’re being clever but it is actually in the state highway master plan to eventually widen Bradley to 4 lanes to River Road. If you haven’t noticed (probably because you don’t actually live in the area) the bridge over 495 has already been built for 4 lanes to accommodate future widening and the state owns the RoW to do so.

I don't know what the "state highway master plan" is. Can you provide a link?

In the county master plans, Bradley Boulevard stays at two lanes. I hope you've also noticed the new 25 mph speed limit and the speed cameras. If the state wants to widen Bradley Lane, they will spend a lot of time and money arguing with the property owners on the north side and the country club on the south.

The state already owns the right away needed to add lanes and a mixed use trail.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm agnostic on the need for bike lanes on OGR. But this change could have been executed better. The left turn from westbound Tuckerman onto southbound OGR is an accident waiting to happen. The right most lane no longer exists so there are now two turn lanes trying to turn into the same lane to be able to take the ramp onto 270N. It's very confusing.

There are definitely improvements that could be made to reduce confusion, and I hope they will be made. The project isn't complete yet, though. People will also become less confused as they become used to it.

What's the solution though? Do we turn it into one turning lane? That would cause more gridlock. Regardless of how this is addressed, there will still be major gridlock. This is a major artery to access major interstates. Why would they ever encourage bike traffic on such a road is beyond me.

Which is worse, traffic back-ups or traffic deaths?

Deaths happen either way, so let’s avoid the gridlock

What a ghoulish thing to say. Fewer deaths happen when roads are safer.

But the roads are actually less safe now. Daily gridlock impacts people’s mental health and quality time. Delete tree lanes!!

No, they're not. If you don't like sitting in traffic, which who does, consider non-driving methods for getting around.

Please enlighten us as to what mode of transportation would replace automobiles? It certainly isn't the bicycle. Bikes don't work for people who have disabilities that prevent them from riding a bike (especially the elderly), moms of numerous children who must take them to activities, people going to the grocery store, people with long commutes, etc. Bikes are unsafe compared to automobiles as you only have the helmet on your head to protect you in the event of an accident -- and accidents will be inevitable regardless of whether you have bike lanes. You will never see our society move to bikes...never.

1) the more we get people out of cars and into mass transit and bikes/sscooters etc, the more space on the roads will be available to people with disabilities who have no alternative but to drive themselves
2) plenty of people bike with their kids to sporting events and other activities. Maybe the tell is, why aren't you?
3) The roads are safer. If people are that triggered by sitting in grifdlock, then they shouldn't be driving.
4) Please show your work on the statement that bikes are more unsafe than cars?

So you don’t believe induced demand is real? Good to know you folks only trot it out when it suits you and then say that it doesn’t exist when it doesn’t.

This doesn't seem inconsistent- isn't one of the goals of bike to induce demand for biking by adding a bike lane? Same way people argue that adding a lane for cars induces more people to drive.

DP but induced demand won’t solve the gridlock on Old Georgetown Road unless the housing that is close to the bike lanes accounts for more than a third of the traffic on Old Georgetown Road and motorists can substitute a bike for their cars. Because more people leave the county for work each day than work stay in the county, it’s pretty obvious this won’t be the case. The math behind the projected commute times never worked. Those who pedaled it were dishonest. Over the long term, the broken promises are going to set back efforts to add more bike lanes elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have the link to support the bike lanes?
I honestly don’t care about them north of democracy. But south of democracy is where the kids and teens really need them — around the Y and the library. I drive that regularly and the bike lanes have not notably increased congestion.

Here's a link to the petition to support the bike lanes: https://www.change.org/p/support-the-sha-redesign-of-old-georgetown-road?redirect=false

And also https://waba.org/blog/2022/12/support-protected-bike-lanes-on-old-georgetown-road/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You think you’re being clever but it is actually in the state highway master plan to eventually widen Bradley to 4 lanes to River Road. If you haven’t noticed (probably because you don’t actually live in the area) the bridge over 495 has already been built for 4 lanes to accommodate future widening and the state owns the RoW to do so.

I don't know what the "state highway master plan" is. Can you provide a link?

In the county master plans, Bradley Boulevard stays at two lanes. I hope you've also noticed the new 25 mph speed limit and the speed cameras. If the state wants to widen Bradley Lane, they will spend a lot of time and money arguing with the property owners on the north side and the country club on the south.

The county has no jurisdiction over state highways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You think you’re being clever but it is actually in the state highway master plan to eventually widen Bradley to 4 lanes to River Road. If you haven’t noticed (probably because you don’t actually live in the area) the bridge over 495 has already been built for 4 lanes to accommodate future widening and the state owns the RoW to do so.

I don't know what the "state highway master plan" is. Can you provide a link?

In the county master plans, Bradley Boulevard stays at two lanes. I hope you've also noticed the new 25 mph speed limit and the speed cameras. If the state wants to widen Bradley Lane, they will spend a lot of time and money arguing with the property owners on the north side and the country club on the south.

Why would Bradley Blvd need to be widened to 4 lanes to River? There’s not that much traffic on the road past Fernwood. There were supposed to be some changes to Bradley as it enters downtown Bethesda to incorporate bike lanes.

[Anonymous]

There's more cur through traffic in the adjacent neighborhoods now too.

That sucks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You think you’re being clever but it is actually in the state highway master plan to eventually widen Bradley to 4 lanes to River Road. If you haven’t noticed (probably because you don’t actually live in the area) the bridge over 495 has already been built for 4 lanes to accommodate future widening and the state owns the RoW to do so.

I don't know what the "state highway master plan" is. Can you provide a link?

In the county master plans, Bradley Boulevard stays at two lanes. I hope you've also noticed the new 25 mph speed limit and the speed cameras. If the state wants to widen Bradley Lane, they will spend a lot of time and money arguing with the property owners on the north side and the country club on the south.

Why would Bradley Blvd need to be widened to 4 lanes to River? There’s not that much traffic on the road past Fernwood. There were supposed to be some changes to Bradley as it enters downtown Bethesda to incorporate bike lanes.

There is no plan to add bike lanes to Bradley. Sorry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You think you’re being clever but it is actually in the state highway master plan to eventually widen Bradley to 4 lanes to River Road. If you haven’t noticed (probably because you don’t actually live in the area) the bridge over 495 has already been built for 4 lanes to accommodate future widening and the state owns the RoW to do so.

I don't know what the "state highway master plan" is. Can you provide a link?

In the county master plans, Bradley Boulevard stays at two lanes. I hope you've also noticed the new 25 mph speed limit and the speed cameras. If the state wants to widen Bradley Lane, they will spend a lot of time and money arguing with the property owners on the north side and the country club on the south.

Why would Bradley Blvd need to be widened to 4 lanes to River? There’s not that much traffic on the road past Fernwood. There were supposed to be some changes to Bradley as it enters downtown Bethesda to incorporate bike lanes.

There is no plan to add bike lanes to Bradley. Sorry.

Actually there is.
https://mcatlas.org/bikeplan/

[Anonymous]

I drove OGR this past weekend and, honestly, I'd think MD should do what Amsterdam does.....widen the sidewalks. For most of OGR, there is enough space to widen the sidewalk without taking out a car lane.