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MoCo Looking For Residents, Business Owners To Plan Rapid Transit

By WTOP Staff

The four BRT corridors under study, via MCDOT

Montgomery County is looking for about 40 residents and business owners to help it plan a rapid transit system along Rockville Pike and Wisconsin Avenue.

The county on Monday announced the creation of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Corridor Advisory Committees (CACs) for four major corridors projected to be among the first where the countywide BRT system is implemented.

The 355 South Corridor would run along 9.3 miles of Rockville Pike/Wisconsin Avenue with 14 stations from Rockville to the Bethesda Metro station. Thanks to $10 million in funding from the state, Montgomery County is conducting planning studies with the State Highway Administration to get some idea of what BRT along the corridor would look like.

The County Council approved a master plan last year that set up the framework for a 10-corridor, 80-mile BRT network.

Sensing the controversy that permeated the master plan process, the Council required the county’s Department of Transportation to set up the CACs on a route-by-route basis.

The 355 South Corridor was originally proposed to extend all the way to the Friendship Heights Metro station and D.C./Maryland line in Chevy Chase. But the Council agreed to cut off the planned corridor at the Bethesda Metro station, unless the District of Columbia begins studying its own BRT system that could be connected along Wisconsin Avenue.

The CACs will have about 40 members, MCDOT’s Joana Conklin said on Monday. About 30 of those members will be residents who live within 500 feet of Rockville Pike/Wisconsin Avenue, representatives of civic associations adjacent to the corridor or business representatives nominated by the Greater Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce.

Another 10 members will be at-large and selected by MCDOT. Conklin said preference will be given to those who use transit and who live close to the road.

Nomination forms are here.

The county will hold a kick-off meeting with all CACs in early winter 2014, then meetings will happen every two or three months. Nominations are due Nov. 21.

Conklin said the CACs will discuss study assumptions and methodologies of each corridor with state and county transportation officials. CAC members will also be expected to voice concerns about impacts and let the rest of their communities know what’s coming.

The master plan did not recommend any specific treatments for the Rockville Pike/Wisconsin Avenue corridor, though the planning process include suggestions of dedicated BRT lanes in existing all-traffic lanes.

The idea of losing one lane of regular traffic — especially in areas of Bethesda where there’s no room to add lanes — didn’t sit well with some who testified against the idea during the master plan process.

Conklin said the state-funded studies happening now for the 355 South Corridor include finding utility and right-of-way constraints and some preliminary design. MCDOT has also developed concepts for service plans, looked at how BRT might connect with other transit systems and is now looking at transit signal priority, meaning how traffic signals will operate when BRT vehicles come through.

The county says it’s too early to come up with construction and operating costs, though the countywide system has been projected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

Image via MCDOT

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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