Preliminary Range of Alternatives
The Preliminary Range of Alternatives included fifteen alternatives for consideration in the I-495 & I-270 Managed Lanes Study, which included the No-Build alternative and corridor-wide solutions intended to address congestion along I-495 and I-270, offer more travel mode choices, and enhance travel efficiency.
A wide range of alternatives were evaluated and included adding general purpose lanes, managed lanes, and transit alternatives. This initial range was presented to the public in a series of public workshops hosted in July 2018 in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.
The Preliminary Range of Alternatives presented in July 2018 included the following:
- Alternative 1: No Build
- Alternative 2: Transportation System Management/Transportation Demand Management (TSM/TDM)
- Alternative 3: Add 1 General Purpose (GP) Lane
- Alternative 4: 1-Lane, High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Managed Lane Network
- Alternative 5: 1-Lane, Priced Managed Lane Network
- Alternative 6: Add 2 GP Lanes
- Alternative 7: 2-Lane, HOV Managed Lanes Network
- Alternative 8: 2-Lane, Priced Managed Lanes Network on I-495 and 1-Lane Priced and 1-Lane HOV Managed Lane Network on I-270
- Alternative 9: 2-Lane, Priced Managed Lanes Network
- Alternative 10: 2-Lane, Priced Managed Lanes Network on I-495 and I-270 and retain 1 HOV Managed Lane Network on I-270 only
- Alternative 11: Collector-Distributor Lanes on I-495
- Alternative 12A: Contraflow Lane on I-495
- Alternative 12B: Contraflow Lane on I-270
- Alternative 13A: Priced Managed Reversible Lanes Network on I-495
- Alternative 13B: Priced Managed Reversible Lanes Network on I-270
- Alternative 14A: Heavy Rail
- Alternative 14B: Light Rail
- Alternative 14C: Fixed Guideway Bus Rapid Transit (off alignment)
- Alternative 15: Dedicated Bus Managed Lane Network on I-495 and I-270
To view the typical sections from the workshop, click here.
Following the July 2018 Alternatives Workshops, changes were made to the Preliminary Range of Alternatives based on comments received from the public and local, federal, and State agencies. Due to feedback from the public and the agencies to retain the HOV lanes on I-270, Alternative 13C was added. Additionally, the definition of price managed lanes was removed and clarified with High Occupancy Toll (HOT) Lanes or Express Toll Lanes (ETL). Lastly, the Collector-Distributor lane system was removed on all build I-270 alternatives to minimize the footprint and associated impacts.
The following modified Preliminary Range of Alternatives includes the changes noted above based on the public comments received:
- Alternative 1: No Build
- Alternative 2: Transportation System Management/Transportation Demand Management (TSM/TDM)
- Alternative 3: Add 1 GP Lane
- Alternative 4: 1-Lane, HOV Managed Lane Network
- Alternative 5: 1-Lane, HOT Managed Lane Network
- Alternative 6: Add 2 GP Lanes
- Alternative 7: 2-Lane, HOV Managed Lanes Network
- Alternative 8: 2-Lane, Express Toll Lane (ETL) Managed Lanes Network on I-495 and 1-Lane ETL and 1-Lane HOV Managed Lane Network on I-270
- Alternative 9: 2-Lane, HOT Managed Lanes Network
- Alternative 10: 2-Lane, ETL Managed Lanes Network on I-495 and I-270 and retain 1 HOV Managed Lane Network on I-270 only
- Alternative 11: Collector-Distributor Lanes on I-495
- Alternative 12A: Contraflow Lane on I-495
- Alternative 12B: Contraflow Lane on I-270
- Alternative 13A: Priced Managed Reversible Lanes Network on I-495
- Alternative 13B: HOT Managed Reversible Lanes Network on I-270
- Alternative 13C: ETL Managed Reversible Lanes Network and 1-Lane HOV Managed Lane Network on I-270
- Alternative 14A: Heavy Rail
- Alternative 14B: Light Rail
- Alternative 14C: Fixed Guideway Bus Rapid Transit (off alignment)
- Alternative 15: Dedicated Bus Managed Lane Network on I-495 and I-270
