SPEAK OUT: Will New Development Overcrowd Bethesda?

With new developments under construction and many more on the way, Bethesda residents are concerned about additional cars on clogged streets and more students in overcrowded schools, The Washington Examiner reports.

Projects already underway include Lot 31 – two residential towers and a public parking garage at the corner of Bethesda and Woodmont Avenues – and two Woodmont Triangle residential towers, the and

The Lot 31 project will beginning Sept. 4.

A released by the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center indicates 19 more projects that are either approved and pending or under review around downtown Bethesda.

The number of Bethesda families living in apartments and condos is projected to jump from 14,463 to 22,187 by 2040, the Examiner reported, citing county planners.

And more families moving into the new developments will mean more traffic and more students, residents worry.

"We already have gridlock on Bethesda Avenue and the other streets because the streets are not capable of providing enough space for the cars that come to the area," Robert Smythe, head of the Sacks Neighborhood Association, told The Examiner.

Sidewalk closures prompted by the construction may also have a negative impact on businesses, Smythe said.

Are you worried new developments will crowd streets and schools? Or do you think new projects will revitalize the downtown and boost the local economy? Is new development a boon or a bane for Bethesda? Tell us in the comments.