The Montgomery County Planning Department has finalized the 2023 Rustic Roads Functional Master Plan Update, which adds new roads to the Rustic Roads Program and provides the necessary descriptions for several roads that are currently in the Program. Work on the plan update began in July 2019. This project included the review of 25 nominated roads, new descriptions for 29 roads currently in the Rustic Roads Program, updates to significant features, changes to the designated extents of some roads, and text corrections and additions. The Master Plan Update also proposed revisions to current policies and programs. See the master plan page for the approved plan.
The Rustic Roads Profile Viewer Map allows community members to view the Planning Board Draft road profiles for all roads considered in the 2023 Update. (Approved road profiles are coming soon!)
M-NCPPC’s full commission approved and adopted the plan. See the Master Plan page for the approved and adopted plan.
The County Council approved the Rustic Roads Functional Master Plan Update and Bill 30-23, which updates the membership of the Rustic Roads Advisory Committee. Planners are working on a final Approved and Adopted version of the plan.
The Rustic Roads Functional Master Plan Update is continuing to work its way through the County Council’s master plan review. On July 11, the Council will hold a public hearing on Bill 30-23, which proposes changes to County Code Chapter 49 regarding the composition and duties of the Rustic Roads Advisory Committee. The language in the draft bill comes directly from the Planning Board Draft of the plan. See the Council staff report.
The Council’s Transportation and Environment (T&E) Committee plans to hold a work session on the RRFMP Update and Bill 30-23 on July 17. The full Council’s work session is tentatively scheduled for July 25.
The Planning Board Draft of the Rustic Roads Functional Master Plan Update was transmitted to the County Council.
Traffic and Crash Analysis:
Click on the map to see the recommended rustic roads.
The third and final work session for the Rustic Roads Functional Master Plan Update was held February 9, 2023. The Planning Board approved the Planning Board Draft of the plan and authorized transmittal to County Council for the next step of the process. See the Planning Board agenda for the staff report and testimony. View the staff presentation. The Planning Board Draft will be posted soon!
The second work session for the Rustic Roads Functional Master Plan Update was held January 26, 2023. See the Planning Board agenda for the staff report and attachments. View the staff presentation.
The first work session for the Rustic Roads Functional Master Plan Update was held January 5, 2023. See the Planning Board agenda for the staff report and attachments. View the staff presentation.
The Planning Board held the Public Hearing on the Rustic Roads Functional Master Plan Update. The public record remained open until December 9, 2022.
Prior to the Public Hearing, Planning Staff provided a briefing to the new Planning Board members. View the staff presentation and video recording of both meetings, with the briefing beginning at 2:51:45 in the video and the public hearing starting at 4:38:00.
The Public Hearing for the Rustic Roads Functional Master Plan Update has been scheduled for November 17 at 6 p.m. in the Wheaton Headquarters auditorium.
If you prefer smaller files for quicker download, the Road Profiles Appendix is also available in four parts:
Planners presented the Working Draft of the Rustic Roads Functional Master Plan Update to the Planning Board and asked the Board to approve the document as the Public Hearing Draft and to set the Public Hearing date. Due to the plan’s size, the document has been broken into several parts.
Planners presented a briefing on the plan’s status to the Planning Board. View the report, attachments, and Planning Board presentation.
The Planning Board approved the Scope of Work for the Rustic Roads Functional Master Plan Update. View the staff report and presentation.
Originally presented at the 2022 Montgomery County History Conference, the Rustic Roads Advisory Committee invited Cultural Resources Planner Kacy Rohn to make an encore presentation of her talk on March 22, 2022.
Staff research and feedback from the Rustic Roads Advisory Committee on initial draft road descriptions
April 21, 2022 Planning Board Briefing September 2022 Planning Board Review of Working Draft Fall/Winter 2022/2023 Planning Board Public Hearing and Work Sessions February 2023 Planning Board approved Planning Board Draft; Draft transmitted to County Council April 18, 2023 County Council to hold public hearing July 17 and 25, 2023 County Council work sessions. The Council approved the master plan on July 25th. December 20, 2023 M-NCPPC’s full Commission approved and adopted the final plan.In the late 1980s, the County Council, along with community members, expressed concerns that historic, rural County roads were increasingly disappearing as the result of suburban standards being applied to their maintenance. A task force was convened to study the creation of a Rustic Roads Program for Montgomery County to preserve the rural quality of these roads while maintaining their safety. In 1993, the County Council incorporated the Rustic Roads Program into the County Code (Chapter 49, Article 8). At the same time, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) protected 82 roads under an interim rustic roads status while they were being evaluated for inclusion in the program.
The Rustic Roads Functional Master Plan was approved and adopted in 1996 and provided the criteria for classifying roads as either rustic or exceptional rustic in Montgomery County. The 1996 Plan also designated the initial 66 roads in the program and provided their complete descriptions, including the significant features for each road. The significant features are those elements that need to be preserved when the roads are maintained and improved, or when a public utility completes work on or near the roads.
The history of vehicle and pedestrian accidents on the road in its current configuration cannot suggest unsafe conditions.
An exceptional rustic road:
Since the 1996 Plan was approved, several roads have been added to the Rustic Roads Program through other master plans or have been nominated to the program by community members. This Rustic Roads Functional Master Plan update will:
A complete rustic road description in the updated Plan will be patterned to look like the 1996 Plan. In addition to the previous sections form the 1996 Plan, an environmental section will be added to each road description in this Plan.
A complete rustic road description in the new Plan will begin by listing the significant features along each rustic road. The next section will provide a brief history of the road, followed by a driving experience, which identifies some of the significant features along the road. An environmental section follows that will describe any important environmental features or parks in the vicinity of the rustic road. The roadway characteristics sections next will identify the road’s extent, length, width, surface, lanes, and shoulder.
Each road will also be shown on a map that identifies the historic resources, potential historic resources, historic districts, potential historic districts, cemeteries, mill sites, and scenic views relative to that road.
Florence Dwyer, Montgomery Planning
301-495-4563
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Jamey Pratt, Montgomery Planning
301-495-4588
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