Bikeshare Is Latest Project with Montgomery County

When you’re walking or pedaling around the campus perimeter, ever wonder about that big pond on the south side of campus? That stormwater retention pond serves an important purpose for nearby residents and, along with the new Bikeshare station, is among the good-neighbor projects between NIH and the town of Bethesda.

NIH has long worked with Bethesda Urban Partnership on good-neighbor campaigns to make Bethesda a desirable place to live and do business, said ORF’s Tony Clifford. The pond, for example, located on NIH property but paid for by the county, collects and drains more than 200 acres of downtown Bethesda’s storm runoff, which paved the way in part for expanding the development of downtown Bethesda’s business and residential high-rises.

Bethesda and NIH also have a reciprocal agreement for emergency services. The Bethesda Fire & Rescue Squad on Cedar Ln. sits on a half-acre of land NIH transferred to it 60 years ago. NIH’s own fire department often responds to emergency requests beyond campus. In fact, in 2013, NIH responded to more than 1,000 emergencies throughout the Bethesda/Rockville area.

“If a house is on fire or someone has a medical emergency in nearby Bethesda, there’s a good probability that NIH’s Fire Department, under its mutual aid agreement with the county, could be one of the first responders,” said Clifford.

Another symbol of collaboration between NIH and Bethesda is the Woodmont exit ramp off of Rockville Pike. NIH owns and does landscaping to maintain the surrounding area, the gateway to downtown Bethesda. It’s all part of NIH’s Sustainability Management Plan.

So as you bike around campus or into downtown Bethesda, you’ll be passing these and other symbols of sustainability as NIH continues its efforts to be a good neighbor.