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Council Committee Approves White Flint Road Projects, Moves Up Hoya Street

By WTOP Staff

Western Workaround projects: Realigned Executive Boulevard, new Main/Market Street and Hoya Street intersection White Flint District West: Hoya Street extended and reconstructed Rockville Pike

Three large projects that would remake the road network of White Flint got the OK from a Council committee on Monday.

The Council’s Transportation Committee reviewed County Executive Isiah Leggett’s recommendations for $163.4 million worth of funding spread over three projects that include a realigned Executive Boulevard, extended Nebel Street, two new roads and reconstructed Rockville Pike.

The money was supposed to come from proceeds from the new White Flint special taxing district. But lower than expected returns (the taxing district has collected $1.6 million from property owners so far) mean the difference is being made up by advances from the county’s General Fund reserve.

Special tax district bonds will be issued by 2015 or 2016. The taxing district is projected to take in $1.2 million this fiscal year, then $1.2 million, $1.6 million, $2.1 million, $2.9 million and $3.7 million over the next five years.

White Flint District East: Executive Boulevard extended, new private street, Nebel Street extended and bridge over White Flint Metro platformThe committee agreed to keep all of Leggett’s recommendations in the capital budget. Led by chair Roger Berliner, it also agreed to recommend that $7.3 million of construction for a new Hoya Street be moved into the six-year schedule for capital projects.

Leggett didn’t include it in his recommendations.

Those recommendations cover $55 million over the next six years for various Western Workaround projects: Main Street/Market Street (a new 1,200-foot, two-lane roadway from Old Georgetown Road to Woodglen Drive), construction of a bikeway along that street, and realigning four-lane Executive Boulevard for 900 feet.

Leggett recommended construction on Main/Market Street to begin in FY 2017 and construction on the realigned Executive Boulevard to go from FY 2016-FY 2020. The Western Workaround also includes work on an improved Old Georgetown Road intersection with Hoya Street to go from FY 17 to FY 19.

The Council memo includes detailed cost projections and schedules for all of the projects.

Some of the projects require right-of-way purchases that have yet to be finalized, which MCDOT officials said means the costs could increase.

Councilmember Hans Riemer recommended adding a sentence to each of the project descriptions that would allow the possibility of a private-public partnership to help pay for and expedite new road construction and realignment.

At a Friends of White Flint open house on Monday, Berliner said moving the Hoya Street project up will help lessen the load on six-lane Old Georgetown Road and could lead to fewer lanes and a more pedestrian-friendly version of the major thoroughfare.

“Maybe we can get down to five lanes. Maybe we can get this right and we can do that if we encourage people to use Hoya as opposed to Old Georgetown,” Berliner said.

Some in White Flint were disappointed by preliminary designs for a new Old Georgetown Road that kept all six lanes, saying it would not be conducive to pedestrians at the new Pike & Rose development.

Hoya Street, now a two-lane road that runs behind the old Mid-Pike Plaza, would be converted to a four-lane road and connected to Old Georgetown Road on its south end and Montrose Parkway on the north end.

Images via Montgomery County Office of Management and Budget

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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