Maryland Route 787

Maryland Route 787 marker

Maryland Route 787
Flower Avenue

Map of MD 787 c. 2011
Route information
Maintained by MDSHA
Length: 0.99 mi[1] (1.59 km)
Existed: 1956 – 2012[2]
Major junctions
South end: MD 195 in Takoma Park
North end: MD 320 in Takoma Park
Location
Counties: Montgomery
Highway system
← MD 786MD 788 →

Maryland Route 787 (MD 787) was a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Flower Avenue, the state highway ran 0.99 miles (1.59 km) from MD 195 north to MD 320 within Takoma Park. MD 787 served Washington Adventist University and was the main street of the area of Takoma Park east of Sligo Creek. The highway was constructed as MD 194 in the mid-1920s south of MD 320 and north into Silver Spring in the mid-1930s. MD 787 received its modern number in a number swap involving modern MD 194 and what is now U.S. Route 301 (US 301) in the mid-1950s. The highway's northern end was truncated at MD 320 in 1999. MD 787 was removed from the state highway system in 2012.

Route description

MD 787 began at an intersection with MD 195 (Carroll Avenue) in the city of Takoma Park. Flower Avenue continues south from the intersection as a narrow street that winds its way downhill to Sligo Creek Parkway. MD 787 headed north as a two-lane street through the campus of Washington Adventist University. Within the campus, the state highway began to follow the eastern city limits of Takoma Park; property on the northbound side of the highway is in unincorporated Montgomery County. MD 787 left the university campus after passing Maplewood Avenue and had a four-way stop at Houston Avenue. The highway reached its northern terminus at its intersection with MD 320 (Piney Branch Road), an intersection that forms the northeast corner of the Takoma Park city limits. Flower Avenue continues north into Silver Spring.[1][3]

History

Flower Avenue from Carroll Avenue to Piney Branch Road was paved as a concrete road by 1923.[4] The pavement was extended from Piney Branch Road north to Franklin Avenue between 1931 and 1933.[5][6] Flower Avenue between MD 195 and MD 516, which was the designatation for Franklin Avenue, was designated MD 194 by 1939.[7] MD 194 was widened to 30 feet (9.1 m) and resurfaced with asphalt concrete from MD 195 to MD 320 in 1947.[8] The highway from MD 320 to MD 516 was resurfaced in 1954.[9] In 1955, MD 194 was involved in a route number swap involving three routes in different parts of the state. At the time, MD 71 was assigned to the highway connecting Frederick with Taneytown, which connected with Pennsylvania Route 194 at the Maryland–Pennsylvania state line.[10] MD 71 was reassigned to the new Blue Star Memorial Highway on the Eastern Shore; this designation would be replaced with US 301 in 1959.[11][12] The Frederick–Taneytown highway was assigned MD 194 to match its Pennsylvania counterpart.[11] Flower Avenue's designation was changed to MD 787.[13]

The portion of MD 787 from MD 320 to Franklin Avenue was transferred from state to county maintenance in 1999. This mileage swap, which included the transfer of MD 516 as well, was conducted to bring MD 119 (Great Seneca Highway) into the state highway system.[14] The following year, a short segment of MD 787 south of MD 195 was removed from the state highway system.[15] This 0.10-mile (0.16 km) segment, which extended south to Chaney Drive, had already been maintained by the city of Takoma Park.[14] Chaney Drive had been where Flower Avenue intersected the Montgomery–Prince George's county line before the county line was moved in 1997 to place Takoma Park entirely within Montgomery County.[16][17] The remaining state-maintained portion of Flower Avenue functioned as more of a city street than a state highway, and the city of Takoma Park desired to reconstruct it as a "green street" with improved stormwater management and complete sidewalks on both sides of the street. In November 2010, after a series of discussions on several state highways in the city, the Takoma Park city council proposed the city receive ownership of Flower Avenue from the state in exchange for a one-time payment of $696,000, which was the amount the Maryland State Highway Administration had planned to spend to repave MD 787. The city would use the state payment toward reconstructing Flower Avenue after ownership was transferred to the city.[18] Flower Avenue from MD 195 to MD 320 was officially transferred from the state to the city of Takoma Park through a road transfer agreement on August 1, 2012.[2]

Junction list

The entire route was in Takoma Park, Montgomery County.

mi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
0.000.00 MD 195 (Carroll Avenue) / Flower Avenue southSouthern terminus
0.991.59 MD 320 (Piney Branch Road) / Flower Avenue north – Silver SpringNorthern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Highway Information Services Division (December 31, 2011). Highway Location Reference. Maryland State Highway Administration. Retrieved 2014-01-06.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Highway Information Services Division (December 31, 2012). Highway Location Reference. Maryland State Highway Administration. Retrieved 2014-01-09.
  3. ↑ Google (2010-01-30). "Maryland Route 787" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2010-01-30.
  4. ↑ Maryland Geological Survey (1923). Map of Maryland: Showing State Road System and State Aid Roads (Map). Baltimore: Maryland Geological Survey.
  5. ↑ Maryland Geological Survey (1933). Map of Maryland Showing State Road System: State Aid Roads and Improved County Road Connections (Map). Baltimore: Maryland Geological Survey.
  6. ↑ Byron, William D.; Lacy, Robert (December 28, 1934). "Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland" (1931–1934 ed.). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. p. 345. Retrieved 2014-01-06.
  7. ↑ Maryland State Roads Commission (1939). General Highway Map: State of Maryland (Map). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission.
  8. ↑ Reindollar, Robert M.; George, Joseph M.; McCain, Russell H. (February 15, 1949). "Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland" (1947–1948 ed.). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. pp. 19, 114. Retrieved 2014-01-06.
  9. ↑ McCain, Russell H.; Bennett, Edgar T.; Kelly, Bramwell (November 12, 1954). "Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland" (1953–1954 ed.). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission. pp. 163, 165. Retrieved 2014-01-06.
  10. ↑ Maryland State Roads Commission (1955). Maryland: Official Highway Map (Map). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Maryland State Roads Commission (1956). Maryland: Official Highway Map (Map). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission.
  12. ↑ Maryland State Roads Commission (1959). Maryland: Official Highway Map (Map). Baltimore: Maryland State Roads Commission.
  13. ↑ Washington West, DC quadrangle (Map) (1956 ed.). 1:24,000. 7 1/2 Minute Series (Topographic). United States Geological Survey.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Highway Information Services Division (December 31, 1999). Highway Location Reference. Maryland State Highway Administration. Retrieved 2014-01-06.
  15. ↑ Highway Information Services Division (December 31, 2000). Highway Location Reference. Maryland State Highway Administration. Retrieved 2014-01-06.
  16. ↑ Washington East, MD quadrangle (Map) (1979 ed.). 1:24,000. 7 1/2 Minute Series (Topographic). United States Geological Survey.
  17. ↑ "History of Takoma Park". City of Takoma Park. Retrieved 2014-01-06.
  18. ↑ Myers, Virginia (December 2010). "Crowd Weighs in on Fate of Route 410" (PDF). Takoma Park Newsletter (Takoma Park, MD: City of Takoma Park). pp. 1, 5. Retrieved 2014-01-09.

External links

Route map: Bing