Gaithersburg Olde Towne Traffic

Archstone Apartment Traffic

Statistics show we can expect Archstone residents to own between 200-700 cars. The City has only approved three exits and intersection changes to accommodate all this new traffic.

Two exits will come from extending Teachers Way to North Summit dumping traffic on to both Summit and Girard. The third exit will be an alley dumping traffic on to East Diamond. (See current map below.)

The intersection changes will likely only be shorter traffic light cycles.

WhenThe Residences at Hidden Creek is fully occupied, more traffic will dump onto Summit Avenue and Girard creating even more gridlock.

The City has no plans to widen any of these roads. Smart growth is not smart if it does not include structural changes to the surrounding roads.

If don’t want your commute time tripled, let the City Planners know how you feel.

     Planning and Code Administration

     City of Gaithersburg
     31 S Summit Ave, Gaithersburg, MD 20877
     Phone: 301-258-6330; Fax: 301-258-6336
     E-mail: plancode@gaithersburgmd.gov

They meet the first and third Wednesday at 7:30 pm; location: City Hall Council Chambers.

New apartment construction on East Diamond Avenue, Gaithersburg

Here is my letter to the Gaithersburg Planning Commission concerning the current and future traffic issues resulting from a new apartment complex:

Gaithersburg Planning Commission

City Hall

31 S Summit Ave

Gaithersburg, MD 20877

Attn: Trudy Schwarz, Staff Liaison

Dear Ms. Schwarz:

As I am not the only one who will be confronted by this problem, I am writing the planning commission (John Bauer, Matthew Hopkins, Lloyd S. Kaufman, Geri Lanier, Danny Winborne) as a concerned citizen whose work commute brings me through Old Town via East Diamond Avenue to access the Gaithersburg MARC station.

I e-mailed the planning commission on April 11^th about current and expected traffic issues regarding the apartment complex being built across from the train station. Mr. Mumpower responded to this e-mail and briefly explained that the City was working with the builder to avoid current traffic woes. He did not address my question about what will be done to prevent severe morning tie ups on two-lane roads when the residents are all in place and, like me, trying to get to work in the morning.

To date, it takes me three times longer than it should given the distance and only two stop lights. Additional housing units on North Summit and on Goshen have added their share of traffic to underdeveloped area roads. Unless there are plans in the works, the traffic situation can only get worse. It doesn’t have to be this way if there is proper traffic planning and accommodation.

I hope the Planning Commission has effective planning in place already and that my concerns are unwarranted. If not, then I hope to open a dialog where we can start as soon as possible to make needed adjustments before many of us are late to work and stuck in carbon emitting traffic.

Sincerely,