The Montgomery County Transportation and Environment (T&E) Committee met on April 27, 2026, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. to consider three agenda items. The first two items—a right-of-way abandonment and a supplemental appropriation for the North Bethesda Metro Station—were approved with minor amendments. The bulk of the meeting focused on the FY27 Operating Budget and FY27-32 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) for the Division of Transit Services, including expansion of microtransit (Flex) service, all-day Flash service to Burtonsville, and the US 29 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Phase 2 project.
FY27 Operating Budget (Mass Transit Fund) and CIP Adjustments
Bus Rapid Transit US 29 Phase 2 Project: The committee reviewed the project description amendment proposed by council staff to evaluate alternative technical concepts for 0, 1, or 2 dedicated transit lanes through Four Corners. Councilmember Mink requested adding an explicit reference to the previously considered managed lane concept. Director Conklin argued that the managed lane concept is already reflected in the zero-lane option within Four Corners and that reopening it would require significant additional engineering (1–2 years, millions of dollars). Councilmember Balcombe and Chair Glass supported the staff-proposed language without the managed lane reference. The committee approved the project description as drafted by staff. Ms. Mink indicated she would raise the managed lane issue at full Council review.
Good afternoon. It is Monday, April 27th. Welcome to the Transportation and Environment Committee. We have three items on the agenda today. The last one contains a lot of items. But the first is a resolution to approve the abandonment of a portion of public right-of-way at the corner of 2nd Avenue and Fenwick Lane. Feedback. Turn it over to Mr. Kenny and then I'll turn it over to the district council member. Good afternoon, Director Conklin. And thank you, Councilmember Mink for joining us. I know we'll get to your item of uh on the number the third item on the docker. Thank you. So uh this abandonment um, as you mentioned, um, is sought by the Housing Opportunities Commission and Alexander House Development Corporation to incorporate uh a small portion of this uh land uh intersection of 2nd and and Fenwick. Um this portion is is not currently used for any sort of uh transportation uh right of way, um, although it was originally planned as such. Um all stakeholders uh and DOT most importantly have have testified to the fact that this is not planned to be used for any transportation purposes and is not of uh needed public use. Um page two of the staff report uh documents the February 18th, 2025 public hearing um in which the uh relevant uh stakeholders, um, including Montgomery County Fire and Rescue and WSSC uh had no objection to the abandonment request. I mentioned WSSC specifically because uh they uh have operated uh sewer lines uh in this location in the past, um, but those uh sewer lines were approved for relocation and are our uh WSSC testified to to not needing them uh active any longer. Um C D OT uh recommended based on this public hearing testimony uh recommended approval of the abandonment um subject to several uh conditions. Uh the confirming of those uh utilities and sewer lines as having been moved or lone or no longer needed, um, preserving the existing pedestrian connection at 2nd Avenue and Fenwick and Fenwick and uh addressing the existing uh storm drain system. Um so this was was recommended for approval by MCDOT and transferred uh transmitted uh to the council. Um after uh this transmittal to the council, um the HOC sent a letter uh to the council president um requesting an amendment uh to condition one of the draft resolution, which can be found attached to the staff report um for the purpose of avoiding any misunderstanding as to the requirements for completing the abandonment section. Um this language can be found on page three of the staff report. Um the original language stated that the uh the current language uh before the committee states that the applicant must demonstrate all that all public utilities located within the abandonment area have been removed or relocated outside of the abandonment area. Um has has identified that these uh lines may be in place uh still um but that uh per WSSE's testimony um they can be safely and inadequately abandoned in place in in lieu of specifically being removed or relocated. So this abandonment abandoned in place uh allowance uh is what uh HOC is requesting to be added to its condition uh of abandonment. Um C DOT has reviewed this amendment uh and communicated its support uh based on public hearing testimony to council staff. Um so council staff suggests the committee recommend amending the resolution to add the term abandoned in place to condition one uh as written in the staff report, but uh but otherwise uh recommend supporting the resolution. Director Conklin. Thank you for that. Um we have no objections to that language. Typically um the condition is to ensure that the lines are relocated into a suitable location, but this has already happened, so uh the lines remaining in place, it will no longer be in right of way and they're not gonna be in use. So it seemed acceptable to us. Abandoned in place is a very artful turn of phrase. Um I'll see if the district council member has any comments. No, I just say uh I'm very supportive of the uh proposal in front of us, looking forward to this project moving forward and having this be a piece of realizing the overall potential. And I just want to say thank you to Director Conklin, everyone paying attention. Uh we know from uh the purple line construction that there's a lot under the ground in uh downtown Silver Spring that is not in use or have been abandoned for purposes, and uh making sure that that is all covered in this makes a lot of sense. So thank you for that. That particular area between second and even the Spring Street Bridge, there's there's a lot going on. Yes. Underground. That's right. Uh so with the Yeah, Councilmember Bonco. Yes, I I approve I support this uh completely. Just a question about abandon in place and the comment that uh uh council member mentioned. So do we have an inventory of all this all these things that are underground? I hesitate to use the word all. Um many of these utilities are mapped, but oftentimes there are pipes that predate the mapping or were used at different times that are no not reflected. So we don't have an inventory of everything.