We support the ongoing progress of the MD 97 Montgomery Hills Project and urge SHA to fund the construction so that work can proceed on this overdue and important improvement plan for the Georgia Avenue corridor. 

We are eager to see the Georgia Avenue Corridor improved.  Simply stated, the corridor is unsafe for all users: vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists.  Commuters and residents alike cannot travel through the area easily, and the existing conditions create an automobile-dominated environment that is unattractive and economically untenable to most community-oriented businesses.  In fact, the study area roadway and sidewalk conditions are one significant factor in the area's inability to attract a better mix of retail stores and businesses.  Furthermore, the study’s extended planning phase (the original planning effort for this corridor started seventeen years ago), has chilled any private sector improvements that may have been undertaken by the adjacent property owners.

We request that Montgomery County prioritize the MD 97 (Georgia Ave) Safety and Complete Street Improvements in its 2020 Transportation Priorities letter, and that Maryland State fully fund the design and construction of the Georgia Ave improvements without delay in their budget.