The first phase of the CCT is from Shady Grove to Metropolitan Grove. This would connect the high-density developments Kentlands, Crown Farm, and Watkins Mill Town Center with Metro and MARC. Intersecting with the Shady Grove Station, the route would follow the extra-wide median of King Farm Boulevard pictured here, with a station at King Farm Village Center and span over the I-270/Shady Grove interchange. Running on elevated tracks in a redesigned Fields Road median it would divert through the proposed Crown Farm development, where high-rise residential would be concentrated around the future station. A parking garage built by the developer is planned to serve the station.
The CCT would then proceed down Decoverly Drive with a station at the DANAC/Styles Corporate Campus, which is currently adding a large amount of office space. This is the closest station to the Shady Grove Life Sciences Center and massive (but incomplete) JHU Belward Research Campus. A local shuttle bus that makes a loop through the surrounding office parks, University of Maryland, and Fallsgrove would be very helpful in increasing transit options in this auto-oriented area. Next the route makes a right onto Great Seneca Highway (MD 119) where it parallels for some distance to the Kentland/MedImmune/Quince Orchard Park area.
Arriving at Orchard Ridge Boulevard, it veers diagonally through an undeveloped area with the proposed station next to the MedImmune Campus. The City of Gaithersburg and Kentlands residents are pushing to reroute along Kentlands Boulevard, but the Mass Transit Administration refuses, citing right-of-way issues and the added time spent in the relentless gridlock on Kentland Boulevard. There is talk of a pedestrian or bus-only overpass of MD 119 linking the station to Kentlands.
The CCT turns onto Quince Orchard Road (MD 124) and proceed next to NIST and the office park on its way to Metropolitan Grove. Phase 1 ends at a station and a short extension to the proposed massive railcar storage/maintenance yard near the Watkins Mill Town Center/Casey West development. Two high-rise towers are proposed to site right next to the station, which is complexed with the existing MARC station. Development is already underway in the area and a programmed extension of Watkins Mill Road across I-270 (and an interchange) is partially under construction by the developer.
The project timeline is as follows:
Jan/Feb 2008 Alternatives Analysis/Environment Assessment Document completed
Winter 2007/2008 Public Meetings in Montgomery and Frederick Counties
Summer 2008 Locally Preferred Alternative Selected
Summer 2008 Request Federal transit funding through the "New Starts" Program
2012 Construction Start Date – contingent on funding
2015 Construction Completed (estimated)
Estimated Capital Costs:
MODE PHASE 1 – Shady Grove to Metropolitan Grove
Bus Rapid Transit $320 M
Light Rail Transit $521 M
MODE Phase 2 – Metropolitan Grove to COMSAT
Bus Rapid Transit $528 M
Light Rail Transit $853 M
No comments:
Post a Comment