An “off the wall” proposal from a group advising Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich on transportation policies would restrict the days cars could be driven in some parts of the county.
The recommendation was among dozens put forward by members of an Elrich-appointed transition team that examined housing, environmental, economic, transportation, housing and social issues after the November election.
Other suggestions are for an examination of tax policies and tax credits to encourage more dense development and discourage suburban sprawl and the appointment of a five- to seven-member county transportation authority that would have the power to set a local fuel or sales tax to raise money for transportation projects.
The advisory group studying road and transit matters also suggested the county consider encouraging employers to give cash payments to employees as an incentive for not driving to work, banning trucks longer than 48 feet from some county roads and expanding MARC commuter rail service.
The eyebrow-raising driving ban suggests restricting “traffic based on license plates in congested areas” by allowing driving “only on certain days of the week.”
“This is relevant to both maintaining road quality and the indicator on commute time,” the recommendation said. The report noted that commuting times have not decreased from the 34-minute average in 2012.
Although the recommendations made by the committee are not guaranteed to be implemented, they reflect some of Elrich’s broader philosophies that include prioritizing public transit over the use of highways. And those in the “off the wall” category come with the disclaimer that “these strategies could have an impact but for different reasons are considered less feasible.”
Since taking office in December, Elrich has proposed more limits on the number of parking spaces property owners may have and cut funding for the proposed Montrose Parkway in Rockville from the capital budget. The county also purchased an electric car earlier this year for Elrich’s official business travel, at his request.
A few of the suggestions, such as the driving ban, are labeled in the report as “off the wall,” which committee member Ben Ross said reflects a divide in the 28-member transportation committee.
“Those off-the-wall suggestions were sort of collected and do not represent a consensus of the group,” Ross said. “These are just things to think about. And I’m certainly not a fan of that kind of driving limiting.”
Ross, who chairs the transit advocacy group Maryland Transit Opportunities Coalition, said he agrees with the truck size limits, noting that New York City has limits on large tractor-trailers.
“They can’t turn safely on a city corner on the sidewalk, which is what you need for pedestrian safety,” he said. “If you’re going to build human-size streets you can’t have gargantuan size vehicles running on them.”
Ross said most RideOn buses are 40 feet, and a few articulated buses are 60 feet.
Ross said he also believes monetary incentives for not driving to work would be “a lot less of a shakeup than it seems,” because the value of free parking is small, and compensating employees in place of providing parking wouldn’t change a company’s bottom line.
Montgomery’s deputy transportation director, Chris Conklin, said the county has encouraged programs that favor transit over driving, such as employer-based incentives, but there has never been a mandate.
The driving restriction, Conklin indicated, was less realistic.
“That’s not something that we’re actively pursuing. It could radically change car use, but I’m not sure the county would have the authority to implement that program,” he said.
Dan Schere can be reached at Daniel.schere@moco360.media
