Transportation Review and Traffic Operations Study for Mixed Use Project

Montgomery County awarded Lot 31 Associates rights to redevelop Lot 31/31A, a 279-space surface parking lot on the south side of Bethesda Avenue at Woodmont Avenue in the Bethesda Central Business District. Lot 31 Associates built two residential buildings with approximately 245 market-rate, workforce, and moderately-priced units; and 42,000 S.F. of ground-level retail space – all above a 1,480 parking space garage.

Wells + Associates was retained by Lot 31 Associates to prepare a traditional Local Area Transportation Review (LATR) of the private mixed-use project and public parking garage. The LATR is designed to ensure that development in Montgomery County, Maryland is accompanied by appropriate and sufficient transportation facilities. LATRs are used by the Planning Board to estimate the impacts of development on the transportation network and determine effective ways to mitigate that impact.

Our Maryland traffic engineers also conducted a traffic operations study of the proposed garage driveways, adjacent driveways, and nearby public street intersections. We also prepared plans to modify the existing traffic signal at the Bethesda Avenue/Woodmont Avenue intersection.

W+A concluded that the Lot 31 project passed the Adequate Public Facilities test. The traffic operations analysis evaluated pedestrian safety improvements to the Bethesda Avenue/ Woodmont Avenue intersection, realignment of Woodmont Avenue, alternative traffic signal phasing/timings plans, turn restrictions at the parking garage driveways, curb parking restrictions, and other factors. Measures to protect the adjacent Sacks residential neighborhood also were evaluated.

Montgomery County concurred that the project passed the Adequate Public Facilities test.

We prepared an interim traffic signal plan to keep the signal active during construction, an ultimate traffic signal plan, and a communication signal interconnect plan. Our recommendations emphasized pedestrian accessibility for the maintenance of traffic plan and detour plan.

W+A also provided expert witness testimony before the Montgomery County Zoning Hearing Examiner.