Montgomery Planning’s Access Management Study is an effort to examine existing access management practices in Montgomery County on a multi-agency level and develop recommendations to improve existing access practices and incorporate new access management strategies that are consistent with Vision Zero, a Complete Streets framework, and a desire to enable decision-making with a multimodal perspective.
Access management is the “coordinated planning, regulation and design of access between roadways and land development.”1 Its goal is to provide a systemic way to improve the safety and efficiency of moving people and goods while reducing conflicts between all modes using and crossing the roadway, including cars, heavy vehicles, transit, bicycles and pedestrians.
1 Access Management Manual, 2nd Edition, Transportation Research Board, 2014. P1-3.
This project recognizes that access management is context sensitive, with different levels of access and strategies applicable to different street types in different land use settings. The project team will engage partner agencies throughout the effort, which will include a review of existing access management practices in Montgomery County and an evaluation of access management best practices from across the country. The study’s findings will be presented to the public and the Planning Board culminating in a final report with recommendations on agency responsibilities and potential changes to county code.
The Planning Board reviewed and approved the Access Management Study on July 21, 2022.
View the Access Management Study Report.
Frequently asked questions
Vision Zero needs to have a well-designed access management strategy and policies to manage road access effectively.
Issues to be addressed in this study include:
- Examining the relationship between access and road safety and developing policy solutions that are supportive of the county’s Vision Zero Action Plan,
- Managing conflicts between all modes at intersections and at driveways more effectively, and
- Providing road safety rationales to restrict road access where practicable.
Potential access management policies that address equity concerns will be identified, including a focus on access management from a multimodal perspective. Residents in equity focus areas tend to be more reliant on public transit and walking than non-equity focus area populations. It is also hoped that study recommendations will lead to an increased focus on improving existing access that can be incorporated into current MCDOT Capital Improvement Program projects and level of effort practices, including the Vision Zero Action plan.
The county already has access management practices, and the intent of this study is to determine ways to improve current practices to help reduce the number and severity of access-related crashes. Access management is a vital strategy in the Vision Zero Action Plan.
Montgomery Planning advises the Montgomery County Planning Board on development review cases, conducts reviews (mandatory referrals) of public Capital Improvement Projects, and is a partnering agency of the county’s Vision Zero Action Plan. Montgomery Planning also prepares area master and sector plans and countywide functional master plans to help guide the future growth of the county. Improving access management is an important safety consideration in all of these efforts.
The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) owns and maintains all county roads and is responsible for the upkeep and safety along the roads. With the ongoing Vision Zero Action Plan and evolution as an agency to focus on public transit/Bus Rapid Transit, and improved bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, improved tools related to managing road access and improving road safety are needed in a multimodal context.
Staff contacts
Stephen Aldrich, PE
(301) 495-4528
Email
Schedule
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September 2021Project Scope of Work
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October 2021- April 2022Consultant Evaluation
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May 2022Staff Report of Findings and Recommendations