A 2.3-mile bikeway along MacArthur Boulevard through the Bethesda and Cabin John corridor is among more than 20 bike infrastructure projects Montgomery County is advancing, the county's Department of Transportation announced Monday, Aug. 10.

The MacArthur Boulevard Bikeway Improvement Segment 3 is listed in MCDOT's planning-phase project list as starting construction. No specific start date or completion timeline has been released. The route runs through a corridor heavily used by Potomac-area cyclists commuting toward Bethesda.

Countywide, three projects are already under construction and 20 more are in planning or design. The active projects will add more than two miles of bike pathways; the planned ones will add nearly 18 miles. The county currently maintains 112 miles of bike lanes, road shoulders and separated cycle tracks.

What's under construction

The three active builds are:

  • Capital Crescent Trail Phase 2 (Bethesda to Silver Spring): 0.25 miles, with a county-listed completion target of summer 2026.
  • Metropolitan Branch Trail Phase 2A (Silver Spring): 0.6 miles, targeting early 2027. The trail will connect to the Silver Spring Transit Center, Montgomery College's Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus and eventually to Union Station in Washington, D.C.
  • McComas Avenue Neighborhood Greenway (Wheaton): 1.2 miles with traffic-calming measures, due late 2026.

County Executive Marc Elrich said the county has built more than 17 miles of bike-friendly pathways since 2022, including protected bikeways connecting to the Purple Line project.

"We are redesigning our roadways to allow for more modes of transportation and better connections to our communities, schools, and job centers," Elrich said in the announcement.

MCDOT Director Chris Conklin said the McComas Avenue greenway's traffic-calming measures improve safety for all road users, and that the Metropolitan Branch Trail will eventually link cyclists to all planned Flash Bus Rapid Transit stations.

Nearby projects and bike parking

Two additional projects near Potomac are on the horizon: the Woodmont Avenue Cycle Track Phase 2 in Bethesda (0.4 miles), set to start construction in fall 2026, and the Grosvenor Shared Use Path along the east side of MD 355 south of Tuckerman Lane (0.2 miles), expected to finish by late 2026.

In downtown Silver Spring, MCDOT is building a secure bike parking facility inside Garage 5 at the southeast corner of Dixon Avenue and Bonifant Street. The facility will include storage racks, security fencing, a self-repair station and new lighting, and is expected to open in fall 2026. The contractor is Atlantida Builders Inc.

MCDOT has not announced a public meeting or comment deadline for the broader bike infrastructure program. Residents who want project updates can join the Montgomery County Bicycle Action Group (MCBAG) or contact MCDOT spokesperson Emily DeTitta at 240-372-2282.