Starting Friday, a 2.2-mile stretch of Beach Drive from Knowles Avenue in Kensington to Cedar Lane in Bethesda will close to vehicle traffic from Friday through Sunday year-round.
The Montgomery County Planning Board voted unanimously June 13 to approve the permanent expansion of the weekend closure as part of Montgomery Parks’ Open Parkways Program. The modifications also included eliminating a 0.7-mile segment of road – from Cedar Lane to Connecticut Avenue – from the program.
The Open Parkways Program was first initiated by the parks department in 2020 as a way to provide more outdoor recreational space during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program closes portions of Beach Drive and the Sligo Creek and Little Falls parkways in the county to vehicles on weekends.
Before the recent changes, Beach Drive’s Open Parkways section from Knowles Avenue to Connecticut Avenue was closed to motor vehicles on Saturdays and Sundays. In the spring and summer, the parkway was closed from 7 a.m. on Saturdays to 6 p.m. on Sundays. And in the fall and winter, the parkway was closed from 7 a.m. on Saturdays to 4 p.m. on Sundays.
Now, Beach Drive from Knowles Avenue to Cedar Lane will be closed to motor vehicles from 9 a.m. Fridays through 6 p.m. Sundays in the spring and summer and from 9 a.m. Fridays to 4 p.m. Sundays in the fall and winter. Cedar Lane to Connecticut Avenue will be open again to motorists on the weekends.
According to Montgomery Parks, “more than one million pedestrians and cyclists have taken advantage of the Beach Drive Open Parkway.”
The new changes also mirror the Open Parkways schedule along Sligo Creek Parkway in Silver Spring, according to a Montgomery Parks news release.
In the release, Montgomery Parks Director Miti Figueredo thanked the Planning Board for approving the changes.
“We started this program during the pandemic as a pilot project to create more outdoor recreational space for residents and based on our analysis of usage data and traffic counts, as well as the evaluation of the significant public input we received,” Figueredo said. “We believe these modifications will make more space available for recreation while minimizing disruption to neighboring residents.”