Transit “New Starts” Background and Status Transit Task Force Montgomery County

1. Transit “New Starts”Background and StatusTransit Task ForceMontgomery County March 2011

2. What is “New Starts”? • Federal program to fund new transit projects • FTA requires project sponsors to follow a rigorous evaluation process that results in an overall project rating • Primarily focused on • Project benefits • Project readiness • Ability of the project sponsor to carry out the project • Typically matched at <50% • Funding decisions made by Congress – national competition

3. New Start Development Process Systems Planning Alternatives Analysis/ Draft EIS Locally Preferred Alternative Entry into PE Major Development Stage Preliminary Engineering/ Final EIS FTA Decision Point Project Management Oversight Entry into Final Design Full Funding Grant Agreement Final Design Construction

4. Financial Plan • Required by FTA • Provides framework for project funding appropriate for phase of the project • Draft plan addresses funding for preliminary engineering and final design • Revised plan will be submitted with entry into final design and must include construction funding approach

5. Proposed Cost Share • Federal Share – 50% • State Share – 50% • Transportation Trust Fund • Local government coordination to take costs out of projects, e.g., • Georgetown Branch right of way and trail construction • Bethesda south station entrance

6. Financial Plan Assumptions • Conclusion: projects are affordable • Major assumptions • MDOT’s current revenue forecast is accurate, including a revenue increase prior to funds being programmed for construction • MTA expansion projects before 2020 are Purple Line, CCT, Red Line, and replacement MARC vehicles • System preservation continues at current levels • Future projects are prioritized and funding is programmed accordingly • MTA to receive approximately 50% of MDOT’s total capital budget during the 2015 to 2019 timeframe • FTA funds 50% of the capital cost, with unprecedented annual commitments

7. Preliminary Engineering • What is included in PE? • Project definition, cost, and schedule • Financial Plan • Completion of NEPA process (FEIS) • Project Management Plan for Final Design and Construction • PE evaluations include: • Three Alternatives: • Build, No Build, and Baseline • Phasing and staging of alternatives • Land use and policy alternatives • Implementation strategies • Financial Plan alternatives

8. New Starts Package • “Build” description • Risk Assessment • Risk Report • Risk Register • Capital costs • Design guidelines • Conceptual plans • Capital cost/ schedule/cash Flow • Financial Plan • Project Management Plan (PMP) • New Starts Templates • Land Use • Financial • Project Justification

10. Project Overview • 16-mile east-west rapid transit line • Bethesda to New Carrollton • Parallel to and inside the Capital Beltway • Will operate mostly at street level

11. Project Goals • Faster and more reliable transit for east-west travel market • Improve access to and connectivity to Metrorail, MARC, Amtrak, and bus services • Serve transit-dependent populations • Support local, regional and state policies and adopted Master Plans • Strengthen and revitalize communities in the corridor • Increase potential for Transit Oriented Development at existing and proposed stations in the corridor • Improve access to existing activity centers including and planned commercial, office, and residential development in Bethesda, Silver Spring, Takoma/Langley, University of Maryland/College Park, and New Carrollton

12. Transit System Access New Carrollton College Park Silver Spring Bethesda

13. Locally Preferred Alternative

14. Locally Preferred Alternative • Light rail: mostly in dedicated or exclusive lanes • End to end travel time is 55 minutes • Daily ridership in 2030: 60,000 • Cars off the road: 20,000 daily • Greatest ridership is between Bethesda and Silver Spring • 30% will use Metro for part of their trip • Capital cost: $1.563 billion (2010 dollars)

15. Design Concept: Bethesda • Red Line connection via direct elevator up to street and down to Metrorail

16. Design Concept: Trail at Bethesda • Trail access above transitway

17. Design Concept: Georgetown Branch Trail • Through Chevy Chase, trail next to transitway with vertical separation and landscaped buffer

18. Design Concept: Silver Spring • Transitway on south side of CSX; trail crosses to north side east of Talbot Street bridge • Station at SSTC one level above Metro and MARC trains

19. Design Concept: Silver Spring Library • At-grade on Bonifant Street; station integrated into the new Silver Spring Library

20. Locally Preferred Alternative • Wayne Avenue: at-grade; shared lanes with new left turns • Short tunnel between Wayne and Arliss • Piney Branch: median operation

21. Design Concept: Takoma-Langley Park Transit Center • Median operation on University Boulevard with station at New Hampshire Avenue adjacent to new regional bus hub

22. Design Concept: UM Campus • At-grade along Campus Drive with open pedestrian plazas

23. Locally Preferred Alternative • Paint Branch Parkway: shared lanes under CSX/Metro • Integrated into the new development at the College Park Metrorail Station • River Road: dedicated lanes on south side • Kenilworth Avenue: elevated aerial structure, crossing over the MD 410 intersection • Aerial station in Riverdale Park • MD 410: returns to grade, dedicated right of way on south side • Veterans Parkway: dedicated right of way on south side • South side of Ellin Road into New Carrollton Station

24. Public Involvement • Open houses • Community Focus Groups • Small Group Workshops • Community and civic association meetings • Community outreach events • Libraries, grocery stores, shopping centers • www.purplelinemd.com • Newsletters

25. Upcoming Coordination • Resource agencies • CSX and utilities • Review of development proposals • Montgomery County (Bethesda Station, Capital Crescent Trail, Takoma/Langley Sector Plan, Takoma/Langley Transit Center) • Prince George’s County (MD 410, East Campus, River Road, Takoma/Langley Sector Plan)

26. Schedule • Request Permission to Enter Summer 2011 Preliminary Engineering • PE and Final Environmental Summer 2013 Impact Statement Completed • Begin Final Design Summer 2013 • Begin Construction Summer 2015 • Open to Revenue Service 2020

28. Project Overview • Part of the I-270/US 15 Multi-Modal Corridor Study • Planning studies ongoing since 1990s • Completed Environmental Documents and held Public Hearings • 2002 Draft Environmental Impact Statement • 2009 Alternatives Analysis/Environmental Assessment • 2010 Supplemental Environmental Analysis (SEA) • Highway Improvements - 30 miles • Transit Improvements - 13-15 miles • Light Rail Transit (LRT) or Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

29. Alternatives Evaluation • Alternative 1: No-Build • Alternative 2: TSM • Alternatives 3A/B, 4A/B, 5A/B/C, 6A/B and 7A/B • Various highway lanes configurations, including general purpose lanes and managed lanes (HOV or ETL) • Transit options • “A” – light rail transit on original Master Plan alignment • “B” – bus rapid transit on Original Master Plan alignment • “C” – premium bus service on managed lanes • Additional Transit Alternatives were evaluated as part of the 2010 SEA • Crown Farm • Life Sciences Center • Kentlands

30. Key Features • 15 stations +3 as needed for development • Exclusive running way • End to end travel time is 44-48 minutes • Transit transfers to MARC (Metro. Grove) and Red Line (Shady Grove) • Access from local streets, I-270 interchanges, and direct access ramps

31. One Transitway; Two Options LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT BUS RAPID TRANSIT

32. Leaving Shady Grove station, cross MD 355 at or below grade • Median of King Farm Boulevard • Over I-270/Shady Grove Rd. interchange • Under intersection of Key West Avenue and Decoverly Dr • Right onto Medical Center Drive; cross Great Seneca Highway at-grade • Under Key West Ave again, cross Belward Farm to Muddy Branch Rd • Muddy Branch: median or south side • Great Seneca: west side to Kentlands; over to south side of Quince Orchard Rd • Cross over Quince Orchard and Clopper Rd; under CSX tracks

33. Adjacent to I-270 through Seneca Creek State Park to Middlebrook Rd • Under Germantown Rd to proposed transit center • Century Boulevard: median to under Father Hurley Boulevard to proposed extension of Dorsey Mill Road across I-270 • Observation Drive: median of existing and proposed extension to COMSAT

34. 2010 Alignment Study Results • Changes beneficial to project BRT LRT 40% 42% Ridership 14% 15% Cost

35. Cost & Ridership

36. Right-of-Way Status • Approximately 35% lies within publicly controlled land • Additional 25% has right-of-way protection through reservation or easement • Remaining 40% has no protections at this time

37. Next Step –Transit Only • Full proposed highway improvements by 2030 not feasible • Highway and transit on separate schedules • Highway: Additional studies, Tiered FEIS approach, break-out projects • Transit: Select Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA); proceed with FTA New Starts process • Close coordination between highway and transit studies to continue

38. Locally Preferred Alternative • Mode Selection – Bus Rapid Transit or Light Rail Transit • Alternative alignments and environmental impacts • Public Hearing review – evaluate concerns: • Citizen/community groups • Montgomery County Government • FTA/FHWA • Environmental agencies • Funding/Affordability • Phasing options

39. Public Outreach • Ongoing meetings with area community associations, business groups, and local officials • Enhanced coordination with the City of Rockville and King Farm residents • www.mta.maryland.gov/cct • Newsletters

40. Schedule • Select Preferred Alternative Spring 2011 • Request Permission to Enter Fall 2011Preliminary Engineering • PE and Final Environmental Fall 2013 Impact Statement Completed • Begin Final Design Winter 2013/14 • Begin Construction 2014/15