Act Now, Before MDOT Closes the Comment Period!

Tell MDOT Why the Toll Lane Project Must Not Move Forward

Written comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) must be submitted by November 9 to be included in the public record. Let the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) know you oppose adding four luxury lanes to I-270 and I-495. 

As a reminder, an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is a document that, according to Federal law, must be prepared when the proposed action will have significant environmental effects. The EIS is supposed to consider a range of alternatives and analyze the potential impacts of each.

This toll-lane project would be one of the largest of its type in the U.S. and is expected to cost $11 billion or more. The toll lanes will cause 4-5 years of construction misery at any given location, especially where interchanges and bridges have to be rebuilt. We need a balanced approach to traffic relief, which this project does not offer.


ACTION ALERT

Your Words Matter! Tell MDOT No Private Toll Lanes on I-270 and I-495

Submitting comments now on the DEIS and this flawed project is one of the most important actions you can take to stop the threat to our environment, our communities, and our pocketbooks. This webpage has the details on how to speak out to stop this fiasco. You’ll find guidance on writing comments about the DEIS and topics for discussion, including environmental concerns, social justice, and lack of transit alternatives.

Start by saying “I oppose the I-495 and I-270 project. I support the no-build option.” (Your comments must include these sentences to ensure MDOT counts you as opposed to expanding the highways.) Then use your own words to tell MDOT what you think of the toll lanes. 

  • Send your comments directly to MDOT at DEIS Public Comment Form:  Comments can be entered into the on-line comment box or by clicking on the link on the form to upload a file; or

To increase your impact, also send a copy of your comments to the following officials, and include your home address: 

Postcards and Door Hanger Distribution

Dontwiden270.org and Citizens Against Beltway Expansion (CABE) partnered on a massive get-out-the-comment campaign to generate thousands of comments to State officials to stop this 270-495-P3 project. Together, we distributed pre-printed postcards and door hangers encouraging residents to send letters to MDOT opposing this plan.

1,000 postcards were addressed and mailed.

  • 13,000 door hangers were distributed to communities along I-270 and I-495.

  • Note: Maryland Senator Cheryl Kagan displayed the door hanger at the annual MDOT “Road Show.” Great publicity!  Watch it.

    This mammoth endeavor would not have succeeded without help from many volunteers. We are so appreciative and grateful to everyone. Thank you to Holly Syrrakos, who designed the flyers, cards, and door hangers; to Mark Pierzchala for initiating and coordinating the campaign and providing maps and so much more; to Patrice Davis for helping oversee hanger distribution; and to everyone who volunteered to address postcards, deliver door hangers, and forward our flyer. Your efforts on behalf of this campaign were truly amazing. We could not have done this without you.

Now We Know:  The Tolls Will be Sky High  

Traffic experts at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) estimate that drivers will pay $49.63 to go one way from Frederick to Shady Grove in the morning rush hour if toll lanes are built on I-270.

The MWCOG projection was calculated from information on page 883 of Appendix C of the DEIS. It says the morning rush-hour toll from MD Route 85 in Frederick to I-370 in Shady Grove will be $2.26 per mile. The cost of the return trip in the afternoon is likely to be even higher because congestion is worse in the afternoon rush hour due to bottlenecks where six lanes reduce to two. These high tolls would be prohibitive for most drivers.

The True Risks of Public-Private Partnerships (P3s)

In the Public Interest and the Maryland Transit Opportunities Coalition’s webinar on “The Risks of Public-Private Partnerships for Toll Lanes” on October 28th described P3s and the huge risks they bring to communities. A video of the meeting can be found here.

A P3 is a form of privatization that gives control of a public good to a private entity. P3s are expensive, risky, and lack transparency. P3s are often cited by interested parties as a less expensive way to leverage private capital to achieve public construction goals but they entail extremely complex negotiations and are an expensive alternative compared to the traditional route of issuing municipal bonds for capital projects. 

MDOT’s toll-lane P3 program would give the responsibility of designing, financing, constructing, and maintaining the toll lanes to a private contractor who would set prices and collect tolls for the next 50 years. 


New “Must Read” Articles

Labyrinth of Pipelines and Cables Could Face Major Disruption by Highway Plan — And Who Would Foot the Bill?

WSSC Water, the utility that provides water and sewer service to Prince George’s and Montgomery counties, is just one of many companies with large pipes and other underground assets such as fiber-optic lines that might need to be moved because of the State’s plan to widen I-270 and I-495. The article reports that MDOT has been meeting regularly with 21 utilities and private companies about the project. MDOT officials have said it is too early to know what it will cost to move power lines, pipes, and fiber and who will pay for it.

Purple Line project uncertainty leaves Maryland residents, businesses in limbo

This article captures both the personal hardship to Maryland homeowners and the financial risk to the State caused by the Purple Line P3 and is a forewarning of the outcome of the I-270 & I-495 P3. Since mid-September when the Purple Line contractor quit over cost disputes with the Maryland Transit Administration, residents and businesses have been left with a 16-mile string of construction sites lying mostly dormant, while orange barrels and concrete barriers keep roads closed and communities torn up.