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DOT Transportation Engineering Projects

 
 

Veirs Mill Road Flash Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

bus iconTransit Project

Project Manager:
Zouli Bereddad
Division of Transportation Engineering
Transportation Planning and Design
[email protected]
240-777-7220

Project Description

The Veirs Mill Road BRT (VMR Flash) will be a 7-mile, limited-stop, branded bus service with twelve stations planned along Veirs Mill Road and MD 355. The project will transform mobility options by connecting riders to activity and employment centers. This new service will improve transit travel time and increase opportunity for users, including a significant number of minority and low-income riders living along a highly congested corridor. The project will improve passenger transit mobility by connecting riders to high density housing and employment centers and both branches of the Metrorail Red Line. The Veirs Mill Road corridor has some of the highest existing transit volumes in Montgomery County and for that reason has long been considered for upgraded transit.

Where possible, VMR Flash will run in its own lanes to bypass the existing traffic congestion. VMR Flash will use queue jumps and transit signal priority to avoid traffic at select intersections to provide faster and more reliable service. The 12 BRT stations are designed to make boarding buses easier, improving travel time and increasing transit equity. The unique modern stations will provide weather protection, pre-payment stations, and real-time transit information. Bicycle and pedestrian improvements along the corridor will make it easier and safer to get to the VMR Flash stations.

VMR Flash Bicycle & Pedestrian Improvements

Continuous pedestrian facilities, including sidewalks and shared use paths, will be provided along one or both sides of Veirs Mill Road from Aspen Hill Road to Galt Avenue, and along Randolph Road between Veirs Mill Road and Bushey Drive. The VMR Flash project includes additional protected crossings of Veirs Mill Road to reduce the distance between locations where it is safe for pedestrians to cross. These new and upgraded facilities will increase access to the Flash stations and enhance safety along the corridor. More information about the preliminary design of these facilities can be found on the Veirs Mill Road Bicycle & Pedestrian Improvements page.

Routes / Upcoming Projects:

Related Projects:

Rendering of Twinbrook Prkwy and Veirs Mill Road Station Rendering of Twinbrook Prkwy & Veirs Mill Road Station

Rendering of Randolph Road BRT Station Rendering of Randolph Rd & Veirs Mill Road Station

Flash Veirs Mill Road Logo

Project Map

map of proposed Veirs Mill BRT Click to Enlarge

Project Updates

New and upgraded bicycle and pedestrian facilities are being designed and will be constructed as part of the VMR Flash project. These sidewalks and shared use paths are located within the Bicycle and Pedestrian Priority Area along Veirs Mill Road and along Randolph Road. A goal of the project is to provide continuous pedestrian facilities between Wheaton and Aspen Hill Road.

  • On the south side of Veirs Mill Road, a sidewalk will be constructed where gaps exist today. 
  • On the north side of Veirs Mill Road, a shared use path for use by both pedestrians and cyclists will be constructed (except where a service road exists). 

New, protected crossings of Veirs Mill Road are proposed at the following locations to provide opportunities to safely cross the road and reduce the distance between locations where it is safe to cross:

  • Veirs Mill Road at Havard Street
  • Veirs Mill Road at Bushey Drive
  • Veirs Mill Road at Pendleton Drive
  • Veirs Mill Road at Galt Avenue

 

Interactive Map

Check out the webmap below that shows the proposed bus rapid transit elements and pedestrian and bicycle improvements along the Veirs Mill Road (VMR Flash) corridor. On the map you can view the locations of the recommended enhancements, Flash stations, and dedicated bus lanes.

VIEW THE WEBMAP

Flash Stations
The new, comfortable Flash stations include weather protection, real-time transit information, seating, and lighting. 

Protected Pedestrian Crossing
Protected crossings are locations with a crosswalk and traffic signal where pedestrians and bicyclists can safely cross the road between major signalized intersections. 

​Queue Jumps
Queue jumps are short lanes at an intersection that buses are permitted to use to bypass congestion. 
 

 

 

 

Transit Signal Priority
Transit signal priority (TSP) is a tool that advances or extends the green light at a signal by a few seconds to allow a bus to continue through an intersection. 
 

 

 

Sidewalk
Sidewalks are paved facilities parallel to the road designed for use by pedestrians, including pedestrians with disabilities. 

Shared Use Path
Shared use paths are paved, off-road facilities designed for two-way travel of bicyclists and pedestrians, including pedestrians with disabilities. 

Dedicated Bus Lanes
Dedicated bus lanes are travel lanes designated to be used exclusively by buses or by buses and right-turning vehicles. Where possible, VMR Flash will run in its own lanes to bypass existing traffic congestion. Along select segments of Veirs Mill Road, Flash vehicles will be permitted to travel in the outside shoulder as a dedicated lane. 

Project Status

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation completed preliminary engineering of the VMR Flash design in 2021. The project is now in Final Design, which will be completed in early 2025.

Get Involved

Past Public Outreach

Spring 2024 Open Houses

On Tuesday June 4, 2024, a public open house was held. A virtual open house was conducted on Wednesday June 5, 2024.

Watch the virtual open house recording below.

Public Information Meeting November 2022

A public information meeting virtual presentation for the City of Rockville was held on Wednesday, November 9th, 2022

Virtual Corridor Advisory Committee Meeting November 2021

On Wednesday Nov. 10, 2021, Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) held a virtual Corridor Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting to present an update on the Veirs Mill Road Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project and solicit feedback on station access and design. 

Watch the meeting recording.

Public Survey - Summer 2021

In June 2021 we surveyed the public and asked how you would use the VMR Flash and what improvements you would like to see. Here is what you told us:

We showed you pictures of the US 29 Flash stations and asked how the stations could be improved. The comments we heard most often were requests for more seating and more weather protection. We heard you! The VMR Flash stations will include bigger benches and bigger shelters to protect riders from sun and rain.

We asked you how you would get to the stations and whether your station would be easy to get to. Many of you stated that there are locations with no sidewalks and that the pedestrian crosswalks are either missing or feel unsafe. We heard you! The VMR Flash project is exploring opportunities to add more pedestrian and bike improvements to the corridor, building new or wider sidewalks and shared use paths, installing signalized crosswalks, and redesigning some intersections to make them easier to cross. MCDOT is also studying the need for more lighting on sidewalks and shared use paths.

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Funding

The Project is funded for Final Design in the County Budget. MCDOT is pursuing a Federal Small Starts grant to partially fund the project costs.

BUDGET DETAILS