Council Names Gerald Cichy to Planning Board

Congratulations to our newly appointed Planning Board member. Here's the full press release:

The Montgomery County Council today unanimously named Gerald Cichy of Rockville to a soon to be vacant position on the Montgomery County Planning Board. He will begin his term in July, when the second and final term Amy Presley concludes. 

By law, the position had to be filled by a Republican, a voter who declines to affiliate with a party or by a member of another party officially recognized by the Montgomery County Board of Elections. In addition to Ms. Presley (Republican), current board members are Chair Casey Anderson (Democrat), Norman Dreyfuss (Republican), Natali Fani-Gonzalez (Democrat) and Marye Wells-Harley (Democrat). 

Mr. Cichy has more than 50 years in transportation and planning both in Montgomery County and the Washington region. He was director of the Montgomery County Department of Transportation from 1979-84. He also has served as a senior executive at the Maryland Transit Administration, the Maryland Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the District of Columbia Department of Transportation.

His experience has included work with the proposed Corridor Cities Transitway in Montgomery County, the planned U.S. Route 29 Busway/BRT, the Purple Line, the ICC commuter bus, transit-oriented development, the B-W Maglev and BRAC transit and rideshare services.

He was awarded a U.S. Patent for a Bus Rapid Transit Vehicle, with doors to directly assess transit platforms. He was the recipient of the Federal Transit Administration’s "Innovative Idea Award" for his concept of a 200-Mile Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System supplementing the 100-Mile plus Metrorail System in the Washington Region. 

“With my recent retirement from the Maryland Department of Transportation and the Maryland Transit Administration, I am able to bring my wealth of experience, time, commitment and energy to this board position,” Mr. Cichy wrote to the Council in his letter of application. “It would be a great pleasure for me to, once again, serve my home County and community.”