Governor Hogan wants to change his plan for privatized toll lanes on I-270 and the Beltway -- but the new version is no better for Rockville and the I-270 corridor.
Write to Comptroller Peter Franchot at pfranchot@comp.state.md.us and tell him that now is not the time to approve these changes.
The new scheme would build the costly "Lexus Lanes" first from the American Legion Bridge to I-370. Neighborhoods south of Shady Grove along I-270 remain in the cross-hairs. Along with that, the governor is trying to change the process for selecting the contractor in order to attract reluctant bidders to this financially dubious scheme.
The only approval needed for this change is from the state Board of Public Works (BPW), consisting of the governor himself, Comptroller Franchot, and Treasurer Nancy Kopp. Treasurer Kopp is already skeptical of the toll lane plan, so the Comptroller seems to be the swing vote.
The vote, originally scheduled for last Wednesday, was put off after Mr. Franchot asked for a two-week postponement. A letter from 84 state legislators asked for a delay until the public is fully informed. But the highway lobby is pushing hard to get a go-ahead at the next BPW meeting on December 18.
Write the Comptroller
Write to Comptroller Franchot now:
The Honorable Peter Franchot, Comptroller of Maryland at pfranchot@comp.state.md.us.
Tell him that the vote on the toll lane plan should be delayed until next year so that the public can be fully informed about it. Some additional points you can make:
The Maryland Dept. of Transportation (MDOT) has analyzed whether each toll lane segment will need taxpayer subsidies and how high the tolls will be. But it is keeping its findings secret. No vote should take place before the public sees these studies and has time to evaluate them.
The new contracting setup allows financial firms to bid without naming their construction subcontractor. It gives bidders only one month to write a multi-billion dollar proposal. This is an invitation to favoritism and incompetence.
Adding lanes just from the bridge to Shady Grove will make traffic jams even worse at the lane merges on northbound I-270 and where I-270 joins the Beltway east of Wisconsin Avenue.
Use these points, or add more to share your thoughts in your own words. Be sure to include your home address in the email.
Dontwiden270.org will continue to keep you informed of what is happening and how you can help.