Discussion about the implementation of dedicated bus lanes or bus rapid transit systems in Montgomery County will continue at the Montgomery County Planning Board's next meeting, on Thursday, Feb. 21.

The county planning staff will update the board on its recent work on the Countywide Transit Corridors Functional Master Plan. A public hearing for the plan will be held on May 2, according to a planning department briefing.

The planning staff recommends that Maryland State Route 355 "is the best candidate for pursuing a high-quality BRT treatment to serve future planned growth," and that U.S. Route 29 "is the best candidate for implementing dedicated bus lanes in the near term," according to the briefing.

There is a concern, however, that BRT ridership on Route 355 could be low compared to other BRT systems across the country, according to a recent report on transportation planning in the county published by the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy.

County planners are more optimistic: "[Our] transportation modeling work has shown that the forecast 2040 ridership on MD355 is far higher and we are confident that we should begin planning for a two-lane median busway for most of this corridor," according to the department briefing.

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Staff planners also will recommend the board approve an amended Athletic Field Use Permit Policy, according to a Montgomery County Department of Parks memo.

Under the amended policy, field permitting will be administered by the Montgomery County Office of Community Use of Public Facilities, and the bulk permitting process that started last fall will continue. The amended policy also includes specific guidelines for the use of synthetic fields.

Read the amended policy on the planning department's website.

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The planning board also will hold a work session on the county's Zoning Rewrite Project.

Read the full agenda for Thursday's meeting on the planning department's website.