Montgomery County, Maryland planners were trying to raise the bar for bicycle infrastructure planning and design in North America.

David Cranor reports on the recently approved Bicycle Master Plan in Montgomery County, Maryland.
The plan, "calls for more than 1,000 miles of trails, paths, and separated bike lanes; expanded bicycle parking near transit and in commercial areas; and bicycle-supportive programs and policies," according to Cranor.
A couple key concepts drive the goals of the new bicycle plan. First is the idea that bike infrastructure can contribute to Vision Zero traffic safety goals. The second is a shift more toward biking as a form of transportation, not just recreation.
The article includes a lot more detail about how planners gathered the information and made the decisions to most effectively address those ideals.
It's been a big year for transportation planning in Montgomery County. Here's a rundown of transportation related coverage of Montgomery County in 2018:
- 'Barnes Dance' Coming to Montgomery County, Maryland (May 2018)
- A Public Service Announcement to Explain Newfangled Bike Infrastructure (May 2018)
- Montgomery County Community Wants Walkability for its Town Center (August 2018)
- Walkable Suburbia (September 2018)
- Local Concern Grows Over Maryland's Plans to Widen Interstates (September 2018)
- Bus Rapid Transit Line Breaks Ground in Maryland (October 2018)
FULL STORY: Montgomery County’s 1,100-mile bicycle master plan raises the bar. Now it needs funding.

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

Downtown Los Angeles on the Rise: A Promising 2025
Fueled by new developments, cultural investments, and a growing dining scene, downtown Los Angeles is poised for significant growth in 2025, despite challenges from recent wildfires and economic uncertainties.

Report: Transportation Equity Requires More Than Electrification
Lower-income households often lack the resources to buy electric cars, signaling a need for a more holistic approach to improving mobility and lowering transportation costs.

Supporting Indigenous Land Reclamation Through Design
Harvard students collaborated with the Sac and Fox Nation to develop strategies for reclaiming and co-managing ancestral lands in Illinois, supporting Indigenous sovereignty through design, cultural storytelling, and economic planning.

A Plan to Expand Tree Canopy Across Dayton
Dayton is developing an urban forest master plan, using a $2 million grant to expand its tree canopy, address decades of tree loss, and enhance environmental equity across the city.
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UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
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Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
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HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research