The Montgomery County Council has approved a long-term plan to transform a 4-mile stretch of Veirs Mill Road from Wheaton to Rockville, Maryland.
The plan is the first one developed after the county adopted a Vision Zero policy in 2016.
As part of the plan, speed limits on sections of Veirs Mill could drop to 25 mph. There are also recommendations to make left turns safer.
Under its Vision Zero plan, the county wants to reduce the number of severe collisions on the county’s roads by 35% by November. In the long term, the goal is zero traffic-related deaths by 2030.
Other goals include encouraging the use of transit and creating more pedestrian-friendly facilities, including an overpass at the Matthew Henson Trail.
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich has said his goals for the plan include increasing safety for all road users — including pedestrians and cyclists — and increasing affordable housing.
According to county planning documents, 75% of the residents along the Veirs Mill corridor are African-American, Hispanic and Asian. A March 22 planning memo said, “The vision of the master plan is to preserve and strengthen the communities of the Veirs Mill corridor.”
In the latest version of the plan, two apartment complexes — Rock Creek Woods and the Halpine View Apartments — would have to abide by these rules: 15% of available units would have to be moderately-priced dwelling units and 5% would have to be “market affordable housing” units.
Editors note: This story has been updated to clarify that the plans include recommendations to make left turns safer.
