Motorists will see traffic and construction along Little Falls Parkway in Bethesda over the next few months starting on Monday, Oct.17, as the county builds a new park running adjacent to the road.
Montgomery Parks, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, is set to begin the next part of their Little Falls Parkway pilot project by reducing the number of lanes for officials to determine if traffic would flow efficiently.
The pilot project surrounds plans to install a linear park on a 1.3 mile stretch of Little Falls Parkway between River Road and Arlington Road, according to a Montgomery Parks press release. The plan will reduce the four-lane parkway to two lanes where the park will be located.
“We believe that phase two of this pilot will show that Little Falls Parkway can continue to function well for motorists with two lanes while allowing bicyclists, pedestrians and other park users to enjoy a new linear park, unlike anything that exists in our park system today,” said Mike Riley, director of Montgomery Parks, in the press release.
Traffic along Little Falls Parkway is set to be redirected so that both northbound and southbound drivers will be guided onto the east side of the median in the remaining two lanes between Arlington Road and Dorsett Avenue, according to the press release.
In the summer of 2022, Montgomery Parks began the initial phase of the project by implementing a “road diet” that restricted traffic so officials could study the operational effects of permanently reducing the four-lane parkway to two lanes, according to the release. The plan progressed to the next phase after officials determined that the parkway would function with two lanes.
Montgomery Parks plans to launch a temporary linear park in the southbound lanes between Arlington and Dorset roads in the spring of 2023. The park will provide space for walking and biking as well as outdoor events with seating. After the park is set up, the public will have an opportunity to give feedback on the project.
However, this time frame has not stopped locals from voicing their concerns on social media. In an extensive NextDoor post, Bethesda resident and blogger Robert Dyer pointed out that narrowing the road to two lanes amid construction will create a chaotic visual field for drivers, making it more dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians who could be hit by oncoming vehicles.
NextDoor users who commented on the post both agreed and contended Dyer’s claims, typically echoing that safety is a primary concern, but that there is little data available to the public that truly supports his claims of danger.
The stretch of road where the park will be built was previously part of Montgomery Parks’ Open Parkways program. The county launched the program at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to provide more space for outdoor recreational activities after lockdown.
Hundreds of thousands of visitors have used the Open Parkways since it was established, according to the press release. “We are excited to build on the success of our Open Parkways Program and repurpose traffic lanes to provide additional recreational space for park users,” said Riley.
