Planning Board holds outreach meetings for feedback on M-83

Last week, the Planning Board held two meetings as outreach opportunities for feedback on M-83, in advance of their Public Hearing to recommend to the County Council to keep or remove the road from the Master Plan of Highways and Transitways (MPOHT). The meetings included one virtual and one in-person option, with each providing context as to why M-83 has become a recent discussion topic again.

To allow for adequate opportunities, a third meeting has been scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at Clarksburg High School, 22500 Wims Road, Clarksburg.

At the previous meetings, the Planning Board representatives noted that in their current review and Technical Update of the MPOHT, they received unexpected feedback asking for the review to include the removal of M-83 from the MPOHT. This ask was supported by M-83’s removal from other planning documents; the County Executive and County Council not supporting funding in Capital Budgets; and the County Council’s 2017 Resolution stating M-83 should not be considered as built when evaluating future development transportation needs. Seeing that the only feedback the Planning Board received was in favor of removing M-83 from the MPOHT, they paused their review to gain feedback from others who may be in favor of keeping M-83 in the MPOHT. This decision led to the scheduled outreach opportunities.

The presentation at both meetings focused on the timeline of M-83 in numerous master plans, studies and analysis since its conception in 1967. Current outreach efforts were aimed at gathering information to arrive at one of three recommendations: retain M-83 in the MPOHT; remove M-83 from the MPOHT; or other options suggested by the public. Planner IV and Project Manager Sofia Aldrich commented that after the November Public Hearing and staff report, the Planning Board would provide a recommendation to the County Council, who would ultimately decide how to proceed.

Aldrich reviewed reasons for the Technical Update to the MPOHT including: evaluating the classifications of all existing roads for accuracy; identifying target speeds and recommended adjustments; introducing a new approach to street design in growth corridors; and reevaluating master planned transit station locations. She then focused on M-83 specifically, noting its history in many master plans, and highlighting the resulting preferred Alternative 9A from the 2015 MidCounty Corridor Study (current proposed alignment). It was noted the original intent of the road was a parallel counterpart to Great Seneca Highway on the east side of I-270.

In 2017, a supplement to the MidCounty Corridor Study was released, with the conclusion that Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service on MD 355 (without M-83, but assuming intersection and road improvements on MD 355) would meet the same mobility needs. Montgomery Village Foundation (MVF) agreed with this position and reiterated its support for this option in the January 2023 Resolution opposing the building of M-83. MVF has been opposed to the proposed M-83 Highway for several decades. The proposed alignment would connect to the existing intersection of MidCounty Highway at Montgomery Village Avenue; would divide Village neighborhoods; traverse and destroy important stream valleys; and share borders in extremely close proximity to many Village homeowner properties and Watkins Mill Elementary School.

Approximately 50 people attended each, and residents of both Clarksburg and Montgomery Village shared their opinions as to why the road should or should not be kept in the MPOHT. Comments from audience members included: the need for the road to move traffic south from Clarksburg; the need for an updated MidCounty Corridor Study to include an additional 10 years of development; socio-economic and environmental impacts of build/no build; and years of perceived County “promises” to either build or not build the roadway.

A Public Hearing where testimony will be taken and recorded is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 14 at the M-NCPPC Building, 2425 Reedie Drive, Wheaton. The Public Hearing will be held in person, with a virtual option. Residents interested in testifying at the meeting must sign up in advance. Alternatively, written comments can be emailed to Planning Board Chair Artie Harris at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or mailed directly to the Planning Board via the address above.