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The concerns of some County Council members, numerous civic associations, and the cities of Rockville and Gaithersburg about the potential traffic that the latest version of the Gaithersburg West Master Plan could bring cannot be lightly dismissed.

The plan, which offers a 30-year roadmap for development in and around the Life Sciences Center between Rockville and Gaithersburg, could bring 5,700 homes, 40,000 jobs and 18 million to 20 million square feet of commercial and research space (up from the 13 million currently approved). The plan, which would bring much-needed life sciences business to the county, hinges on the construction of the Corridor Cities Transitway, a mass transit project that will alleviate an estimated 12 percent of the increased traffic.

Still, as evidenced by resolutions passed by Rockville and Gaithersburg, residents of the community already feel burdened by woeful traffic backups and fear the influx of jobs will make things worse. County Council member Phil Andrews points out that after maximum buildout, even with the CCT, the surrounding traffic will move at an average of just 9 mph during rush hour. That average takes into account both directions on a road, so cars moving at reasonable speeds in the opposite direction of rush-hour traffic offset painfully slow speeds on the other side.

Steve Silverman, the director of the county's Department of Economic Development, is focused on the bigger picture. He points out that if the county scales back the plan too much, it sends a message to the life sciences business community that Montgomery County isn't serious about its efforts. He's also right — in an increasingly competitive global marketplace, jurisdictions must constantly find ways to roll out red carpets for businesses (e.g. the Northrop Grumman competition).

But many opponents aren't saying that the concept itself is flawed — just the scope. With more mitigation to improve traffic conditions, or a revised plan that finds a comfortable medium between the two schools of thought, Gaithersburg West could prove to be just as visionary as it is being presented.