The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) meets with each county every year to present their Consolidated Transportation Program (CTP), Maryland's six-year budget for transportation projects and programs.
This public hearing, also known as the “MDOT Road Show,” allows county officials and Montgomery County’s state delegation to comment on the proposed budget, including the $11+ billion project for for-profit tollways on I-495 and I-270.
When: Monday, November 4 at 7:00 p.m.
Where: County Office Building, Third Floor Hearing Room, 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville. Parking information.
Public attendance proves we oppose the proposed plan. Show up and bring someone with you. Make a protest sign and display it prominently during the meeting. It’s how we make a statement when we cannot ask questions or testify.
Sample signs can be found at https://dontwiden270.org/resources or design your own. [Note” protest signs must be 8 ½” x 11” or smaller.]
Montgomery County Executive Promotes Reversible Lanes on I-270
I-270 is a “time-constrained” highway. Traffic is greatest going south during the morning rush hour and then north in the afternoon, with minimal traffic in the opposite directions. This is an ideal situation for reversible lanes, in which lanes switch direction to reduce congestion during peak commuting hours.
Montgomery County Executive, Marc Elrich, has been actively pushing for the state to configure reversible lanes down I-270 as a faster and less expensive way for traffic relief. He backed this approach at the October 25th upcounty town hall.
Additionally, a statement supporting continued evaluation of reversible lanes for all of I-270 was included in an October 23rd letter from Mr. Elrich to MDOT Secretary Pete Rahn. The letter was co-signed by 8 of the 9 county council members.
Mr. Elrich elaborated on a variety of transportation-related issues in an interview with Bethesda Magazine. Read his response to questions about highways, tolls, transit and other transportation projects of relevance to Montgomery County.
Check out New Features on the Dontwiden270.org:
En Español: This section has Spanish versions of key Dontwiden270 documents, such as background information and facts about Governor Hogan’s plan to add four managed toll lanes on I-270. Share this information with Spanish-speaking residents of Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.
CABE Connection: Citizens Against Beltway Expansion (CABE) partners with Dontwiden270.org to oppose widening the Beltway and I-270 for privately owned for-profit toll lanes. Their website posts articles that are also meaningful for those in the I-270 corridor. Read more about the following on the CABE Connection:
“Will Trucks Use Beltway Luxury Lanes?” Most truckers opt for the free lanes because tolls come out of their bottom lines.
“$11 billion P3 Toll Lane Plan Hits Political Headwinds, Slipping Suburban Support” Opposition to widening I-495 and I-270 for Luxury Lanes rose to more than half of Montgomery and Prince Georges County residents surveyed in October.
“MDOT Interview Echoes Documentary on Texas P3 Bankruptcy” Texas highway officials promised traffic relief at no cost to taxpayers. In fact, the private investors were only responsible for 15% of the total project cost when the public private partnership went bankrupt in 2017.
Partner Organizations: Dontwiden270.org partners with other civic organizations to fight Governor Hogan’s highway expansion boondoggle. Check out their websites and sign on to their mailing lists.