Veirs Mill Flash Bus Rapid Transit Project Begins Utility Relocations – Mocofeed

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) started construction for utility relocation on the Veirs Mill Road Flash Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. The project will deliver transit, bicycle, and pedestrian improvements that will make transit faster and more reliable, while also making walking and biking safer. The utility work is taking place within the publicly owned right-of-way and supports pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements that are part of the BRT project. 

Pepco began placing new utility poles last week, with work occurring on Thursday, Oct. 2 and Monday, Oct. 6, closing the right lane of Veirs Mill Road (eastbound) at Connecticut Avenue. Verizon will begin overnight utility work on Veirs Mill Road on Sunday, Oct. 12. The work is estimated to last a few months and will take place Sunday through Thursday from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. along two center westbound lanes.  

This utility work marks the start of implementation for the second Flash BRT corridor being built in the County.  

The first BRT route, US 29/Colesville Road Flash, has been in operation for the past five years and is one of the County’s highest ridership routes.  

The County is working to implement a Flash BRT Network on eight intersecting corridors. Flash is different from typical bus service, offering high-frequency service and faster trips thanks to dedicated bus lanes and upgraded technology, and has new stations with real-time bus arrival displays. Flash buses provide added convenience to all riders, with near-level boarding making it easy to step or roll onto the bus as well as bike racks on board. The vehicles stop at each of the state-of-the-art stations, so passengers don’t have to pull a cord. 

“I envisioned a Bus Rapid Transit system in Montgomery County many years ago, and we must continue making the infrastructure investments needed to build out the full Flash BRT network for our residents,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “I am pleased to see the Veirs Mill Road Flash project moving into construction. This project will improve connections to jobs and housing and will be the first transit service in the region to use hydrogen-powered buses, helping us meet both transportation and climate goals. I appreciate the work of MCDOT in getting this project to this stage and look forward to its completion.” 

The Veirs Mill Road Flash BRT is estimated to launch service in 2028 and will connect Wheaton, Downtown Rockville, and the Montgomery College Rockville Campus with twelve stations along Veirs Mill Road and MD 355. Flash service will connect with other regional transit services, including the MARC train and the Metrorail Red Line. The Veirs Mill Road Flash project will also include extensive bicycle and pedestrian improvements like continuous sidewalks, paths, and safer crossings. 

“This utility relocation work is specifically for pedestrian and bicycle safety improvement elements of the project including reducing crossing distances and conflicts between traffic and pedestrians,” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. “We are reconstructing the major intersection with Connecticut Avenue to improve safety, constructing a shared-use path on the north side of Veirs Mill Road, filling sidewalk gaps on the south side and adding numerous safe crossings. These improvements will transform Veirs Mill Road for the better; the corridor is currently included in Vision Zero’s high injury network. This project has been years in the making, and we are continuing outreach through a public meeting later this month and bi-lingual community events.” 

MCDOT is hosting an in-person public meeting from 6:30–8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 21 at Albert Einstein High School, located at 11135 Newport Mill Road in Kensington, just off the Veirs Mill corridor. The meeting will provide an opportunity to review the design and timeline of the project and ask questions of the project team. A presentation will begin at 7 p.m. and will be offered in both English and Spanish through simultaneous translation. Meeting materials will be posted on the project website, and additional opportunities for one-on-one meetings will be offered on the website beginning Monday, Oct. 20.   

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Additionally, community members are encouraged to attend a Monster Flash Halloween event. Two joint events with the Montgomery County Public Libraries are planned near Flash corridors. Families can attend a bilingual story hour, tour the “haunted” Flash bus and learn more about Flash. The Monster Flash Halloween bus will be at the Twinbrook and Germantown libraries and the HalloWheaton event the weekend of Oct. 25.  

Videos on the Veirs Mill Road utility work are available in English and Spanish. Additionally, videos explaining infrastructure improvements and resident impacts from the Veirs Mill Flash project have been published in English and Spanish.  

“Veirs Mill Road is one of our most heavily traveled and high-need corridors and these improvements will redefine how people move through it.” said Conklin. While some traffic disruptions are expected, our team is working closely with utility companies to minimize impacts and keep the project on track. When Flash service launches in 2028, it will transform the corridor and the daily experience of those who live, work and travel along it.” 

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