​(December 19, 2024) – In coordination with Montgomery County and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro), the Maryland Department of Transportation and the State Highway Administration (SHA) have agreed to make almost seven miles of bus-only lanes on MD 97 (Georgia Avenue) between Silver Spring and Glenmont permanent. The temporary lanes are permanent effective immediately, and SHA will begin adjusting the permanent bus-only lanes for revised operational hours beginning in spring 2025.

The bus-only lanes were installed last sum​mer to efficiently transport bus riders during Metro work that closed several stations along the Metro Red Line. That work was needed to build connections with the Maryland Transit Administration’s future Purple Line light rail system, and to perform upgrades at the Glenmont, Wheaton, Forest Glen, Silver Spring and Takoma Metro stations. In addition to designating a lane for bus-only use, traffic signal timing was adjusted to prioritize bus movements and help reduce traffic impact along the corridor.

After the stations reopened in September, the Maryland Department of Transportation, in collaboration with project partners Montgomery County Department of Transportation and Metro, allowed extension of the bus-only lanes as a pilot project through December to conduct additional evaluation.

​Map Source: WMATA​​

As a result of feedback gathered at a November public meeting attended by residents, commuters, businesses and riders of Metro and county Ride On buses, and Montgomery County, as well as from data gathered, operation of the bus-only lanes will be altered by Spring 2025 to peak hours only – 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. – and will be in place only on weekdays. At all other times, the lanes will be made available for other uses as determined by the signage restrictions in place along the road, including many restrictions which predated the bus lane pilot.

These changes, along with associated signage to reflect the new hours, will take effect this spring. The project partners will continue to work together to evaluate future design improvements.

“The pilot program clearly showed transit benefits of the dedicated bus lanes, providing additional convenience and reliability for those in our community who count on transit for jobs, shopping, education and other necessities,” said State Highway Administrator Will Pines. “By limiting the bus lane operations to peak hours only and weekdays only, we will strike a balance between providing those benefits while limiting the impact on other roadway users and responding to business needs.”

Dedicated bus lanes generally reduce travel times and improve travel reliability for bus riders, resulting in additional bus ridership. Increased bus ridership improves the utility of roadways by moving more people within the road’s limited area. It can also reduce the number of cars on the road, which in turn reduces greenhouse gas emissions and congestion from single occupancy vehicles.

Data from the Georgia Avenue bus lane pilot found that the pilot increased bus speeds by as much as 32% and increased bus reliability by 18%. At the same time, average car and truck speeds in rush hours showed a decrease of 8% to 12% in speeds.

Montgomery County provided parking and loading alternatives in Wheaton and Silver Spring, which were summarized in the MD 97 Bus Lane Pilot Facts Sheet. Additionally, signage predating the bus lane pilot restricted stopping in the lane during peak hours in many of these business areas. SHA’s move to limit bus-lane operations to peak hours only and weekdays only will help to better align with these historical lane restrictions.

This month both Montgomery County and Metro formally requested that the SHA make the bus-only lane permanent. Letters from the agencies and additional information is available on the Project Portal page  . Requests from Montgonery County and Metro, along with community feedback and the results from the bus lane pilot, formed the basis for the State Highway Administration’s decision the make the pilot project permanent.

“We want to thank the Maryland Department of Transportation and Montgomery County Department of Transportation for collaborating with Metro on making these vital bus lanes on Georgia Avenue permanent,” said Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke. “The bus moves the most people, most efficiently and these bus lanes are multiplying that effect and providing a great benefit to bus customers.”

General inquiries about the MD 97 bus lane operation may be directed to Qianyu Hu, State Highway Administration District 3 Assistant District Engineer, at qhu@mdot.maryland.gov​ or Community Relations Manager Tiffany Boulware at tboulware@mdot.maryland.gov.

For a list of all major State Highway Administration projects, visit Project Portal. For a look at real-time traffic conditions, go to md511.maryland.gov.