For decades, Route 355 has been one of Montgomery County’s most important transportation corridors, carrying commuters, residents, emergency vehicles, delivery trucks, customers, and visitors through Bethesda, North Bethesda, Rockville, and beyond.

As part of the 2026 Metro Red Line maintenance project, Maryland has temporarily converted portions of Route 355 into dedicated bus lanes to help shuttle passengers while rail service is suspended. These temporary measures serve a specific purpose during a defined construction period.

However, the Maryland State Highway Administration has announced that it intends to evaluate whether portions of these temporary bus lanes should become permanent after the Metro work is complete.

That possibility raises an important question: Should a temporary construction measure become a permanent change to one of our region’s busiest roadways without a full public review?

This petition is not opposed to public transportation. Strong Metro service and reliable bus service are essential to our region. Many of us use them ourselves.

Instead, this petition is about ensuring that permanent transportation decisions are made openly, transparently, and with meaningful public participation.

A permanent reduction in general-purpose traffic lanes could affect:

Daily commuting times.
Emergency response.
Local businesses that depend on customer access.
Neighborhood cut-through traffic.
Freight and delivery operations.
Overall mobility throughout the Route 355 corridor.
Before any permanent decision is made, Maryland should publicly demonstrate that the benefits outweigh the impacts through independent studies, publicly available data, and a robust public engagement process.

We respectfully ask the Maryland Department of Transportation and the Maryland State Highway Administration to commit to the following:

Do not permanently convert existing Route 355 travel lanes into dedicated bus lanes without a formal public planning process.

Release all traffic, travel-time, and transit ridership data collected during the temporary bus lane project.

Conduct independent studies evaluating impacts on congestion, safety, emergency response, and local businesses.

Hold multiple public hearings throughout the Route 355 corridor before making any permanent decisions.

Consider alternatives that improve transit while preserving roadway capacity whenever practical.

Transportation decisions made today will shape our communities for decades. Whether someone drives, rides Metro, takes the bus, cycles, or walks, everyone deserves a voice before permanent changes are made to one of Maryland’s most important transportation corridors.

If you believe permanent changes to Route 355 should only occur after a transparent, data-driven process with meaningful public input, please sign this petition and share it with others who care about the future of our community.