Branch Avenue traffic past the storefronts on Woods Way.
Recommended Bus Service Expansion In response to existing traffic patterns and the recommended extension of Regency Parkway (which would create a new regionally significant network connection) two additional bus services are recommended. The first recommended project is to institute a new Branch Avenue (MD 5) express bus service to the Branch Avenue Metro Station, as shown in Figure 42 on page 87. This service is based on analysis of the vehicular access pattern provided by WMATA. These are shown in Figure 42 as individual dots corresponding to parking customer SmartCard addresses randomized to the census block. Based on the data for these park-and-ride customers that shows an access pattern centered on Branch Avenue (MD 5), a new commuter service is recommended that would serve the Branch Avenue (MD 5) corridor with stops at the existing Clinton parkand-ride lot and a recommended new park-and-ride lot in the Brandywine area. The express bus is recommended to operate to the station with four buses per hour. Based on results from the County’s travel demand model, this new express route is projected to serve approximately 1,800 passengers per day. A potential alternative would be to terminate this route at the Naylor Road Station (rather than the express bus exiting Branch Avenue [MD 5] for the Branch Avenue Metro Station), or continue the route into Washington, D.C. If Regency Parkway is connected to the Branch Avenue Metro Station area it would be possible to create new bus routes that operate in that general direction across the regional network. As with the P12 service that operates on Silver Hill Road (MD 458), the new service on Regency Parkway could connect to adjacent communities through the Metro station, and potentially continue on to Virginia. The recommended Regency Parkway Crosstown Route, shown in Figure 41 would run from Largo or District Heights to Marlow Heights and on to Alexandria. This service would create new connections that are not currently served by Metrobus or Prince George’s County’s TheBus service. In terms of bus bay utilization, with the changes in the 86 | Branch Station
Figure 44: Proposed Regency Parkway Crosstown Bus Route 2008 Transit Service and Operations Plan and the two routes recommended in this study, the total buses per hour at the Branch Avenue Metro Station would increase from 14 to 35, indicating a need for 6 bus bays out of the existing 15 bays, confirming that the existing configuration at Branch Avenue Metro Station has a large surplus of bus bays. The recommended station concept includes a total of 11 bus bays (10 bays of 66 feet, and 1 bay of 72 feet to accommodate an articulated bus).
Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities
Provision of adequate pedestrian and bicycle facilities is a crucial component of creating transit-oriented development (TOD). A primary benefit of TOD is creating new development that is directly accessible to the transit station by foot, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions and helps to create a walkable community. The Southern Green Line station areas are currently deficient in terms of sidewalk network and lack any dedicated bicycle facilities. Therefore, the plan places a high priority on design and construction of new non-motorized mobility infrastructure projects.
Approved Southern Green Line Station Area Sector Plan and Sectional Map Amendment