When Walter Reed Medical Center closes in 2011... thousands of commuters are expected to relocate to their new facility in Bethesda. The Maryland Department of Transportation has proposed improving roads to accomodate the traffic.

But as Jessica Forres reports… some cyclists feel left out...



Angela Atwood-Moore and fellow members of her Cycling Club are at MDOT’s community meeting.They are concerned about what ISN'T being talked about in plans to improve four intersections near Bethesda Naval Medical Center...

WE WALK IN AND THERE ARE BIKE MAPS ON THE TABLE BUT WE’RE NOT ANYWHERE IN THESE PLANS.

The Naval Hospital is expecting about 25-hundred employees and 4-thousand patients to relocate there in a few years ...as part of the military base closure plan.

Atwood Moore says the new design widens and extends sidewalks, but doesnt include bike lanes....

IF THE WHOLE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO MOVE TRAFFIC THAN I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY WE’RE PENALIZING THE VERY PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO GET OUT OF THEIR CARS AND DO THE MOST TO REDUCE TRAFFIC FLOW. I MEAN YOU CAN’T SAY YOU WANT TO MOVE PEOPLE AND THEN PENALIZE WHO AREN’T TAKING UP ROAD SPACE WITH THE CAR.

Mike Haley represents MDOT and says the agency will evaluate public comments when deciding how to use their limited resources..

SO PART OF THE EFFORT IS TO GET SOME FEEDBACK ON WHERE PEOPLE THINK THE MOST VALUE IS. SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SOME DECISIONS GOING FORWARD ABOUT WHAT TO DO WITH THE MONEY WE DO HAVE.

The proposed intersection improvements are at West Cedar Lane and Jones Bridge Road.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News