Newell Street is a short street in south Silver Spring running between Eastern Avenue and East-West Highway. In 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, the block of the street between Kennett Street and East-West Highway, adjacent to Acorn Park, was closed to vehicle traffic and used to create additional outdoor space to support safe social distancing. The street has since been reopened to vehicle traffic.
MCDOT is conducting a facility planning study to examine the future of this portion of Newell Street. Keeping the roadway open to traffic is under consideration, but the study will also look at how to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety and expand green space in the area. The study will examine the streetscape and opportunities to reimagine this block both with and without vehicle traffic.
The study is getting underway in late summer 2023 and a community meeting to gather initial feedback is scheduled for October 2023. After getting this feedback, the project team will develop several alternatives to bring back to the community for feedback in early 2024.
The Newell Street Shared Street Facility Planning Study will take place over the fall/winter of 2023/2024. An initial community meeting will be held in October 2023 and a second meeting will take place in spring 2024 to give the community an opportunity to provide feedback on initial concepts that will be developed based on the initial meeting.
There is currently no funding programmed for construction.
Matt Johnson, A.I.C.P. Bikeways Coordinator Division of Transportation Engineering 100 Edison Park Dr., 4th Floor Gaithersburg, MD 20878 E-mail: Matt.Johnson@montgomerycountymd.gov Phone: 240-777-7237