On Jan. 27, the Rockville mayor and council announced the 2025 Rockville Town Center Master Plan, an amendment to the Rockville 2040 Comprehensive Plan that aims to modify downtown Rockville based on extensive input from residents. The multifaceted plan aims to turn Rockville Town Center into a vibrant and readily accessible community by focusing on changes in transportation, recreational facilities, zoning, and other areas.
The plan includes numerous policies concerning transportation and traffic congestion. For instance, it seeks to improve existing public bus stops by adding digital displays on-site to show the times and frequency of bus routes, as well as real-time notifications of service and any potential delays. “Although I do not use the bus a whole lot, I think that sounds like a cool idea as long as they have adequate funding and do not cut funds in other important areas,” sophomore Andrew Kuan said.
Other plans include the addition of more bike lanes and the expansion of sidewalks to encourage walking and cycling. There may also be newly updated wayfinding signage to facilitate navigation around Rockville Town Center (RTC). “I think transportation is alright, there’s a good amount of buses around RTC but maybe they do not come often enough for the amount of people that use them,” sophomore Anna Lin said.
Another aspect of the plan concerns the Rockville Memorial Library and strengthening its role in community engagement through community activities and hosting events there. “I go [to Rockville Town Center] around two or three times a week and I think it is a nice place to hang out with friends since there are a lot of casual places to eat and the library is really nice for studying,” Lin said. “I go to the town center roughly three times per week. I think it’s a nice, convenient spot. I usually study and hang out with my friends there, either at the library or at one of several restaurants. The gym, ice rink, and other activities provide other things to do too,” junior Derek Wang said.
The City of Rockville also plans to collaborate with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to survey a wide range of residents, hoping to improve access to the metro and reduce congestion in the station and its vicinity. At the same time, another goal is to increase residential density, with a target of 3000 new housing units by 2040.
Promoting public spaces and recreational activities while ensuring a green and environmentally friendly place is also a top priority. The mayor and council plan to add new parks and green spaces to encourage more outdoor activities, thereby reducing sedentary, indoor lifestyles. Town Center could potentially see a publicly accessible dog park, along with public turf fields and other facilities yet to be named. The plan also emphasizes historic preservation and maintaining historic items while simultaneously shaping the city’s future. “I would love to see a park of some sort, since it is overwhelmingly urban without many natural areas or places for physical activity. Other than that, it is a very nice area that doesn’t need much else,” Wang said.
