This email is being forwarded with permission from The Coalition for Smarter Growth.
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Subject: Beltway/I-270 toll lane fight — this isn't the end
Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2021 15:18:09 -0400
We're disappointed, but we can't give up
Today, the regional Transportation Planning Board (TPB) voted to keep Governor Hogan's proposed expansion of I-495 and I-270 with four private toll lanes in the long-range transportation plan. We are very disappointed by this outcome, given the serious flaws in Maryland's study. View our full press release statement here.
This was a re-vote — the TPB previously voted on June 16th to remove the toll lanes from the long-range transportation plan, meaning that the project could not receive federal approval. The changed vote is due in part to a last-minute pivot by Montgomery County Councilmembers Hans Riemer, Andrew Friedson, Nancy Navarro, Gabe Albornoz, and Craig Rice. In the end, Montgomery County Council, Prince George's County Council, and the Prince George's County Executive flipped to support the toll lane expansion, along with the City of Fairfax, City of Alexandria, and Arlington County.
Governor Hogan successfully used strong-arm tactics to threaten local officials with cuts to other projects (even though he wasn't funding many of these as it is!) and by promising Montgomery County to fund the design (not construction) of local transit projects, such as the Corridor Cities Transitway and MD-355 bus rapid transit projects. While these are important transit projects, there is no commitment to fund construction, and it's not worth taking one step forward on transportation while also taking a huge step backward.
To be clear, we agree that we need to address the Beltway and I-270, but the process has been distorted from the beginning because of the power of the toll road companies and Governor Hogan starting with the conclusion first and failing to objectively consider alternatives.
Evaluation of alternatives is particularly important because the highway expansion will harm hundreds of acres of parkland, wetlands, and waterways, as well as lead to more noise, air pollution, stormwater runoff, and greenhouse gas emissions.
But this isn't the end of the fight.
The next decision point is at Maryland's three-person Board of Public Works, where Comptroller Peter Franchot is the key swing vote. The vote on the project's predevelopment contract is likely to take place either at the end of this month or in early August — before the final environmental impact statement has been completed.
Email Maryland's Board of Public Works today!
If the pre-development agreement is approved, the state will be on the hook to reimburse the private project developers up to $50 million taxpayer dollars if the project does not receive federal approval or is canceled for other reasons.
We believe that good government demands that members of the Board of Public Works and the public should know the full fiscal, environmental, and social risks of this project by completing the environmental impact study before the BPW votes — certainly before locking Maryland into a long-term, exclusive contract.
This project isn't worth the high cost to parks, streams, neighborhoods, taxpayers, and drivers. Instead of investing in transit-oriented communities — especially in Prince George’s County — it condemns residents of the east side of our region to forever having more costly, long commutes. Read more in CSG's executive director's op-ed in the Baltimore Sun.
In conclusion, use this form to tell the Maryland Board of Public Works to reject the predevelopment agreement and go back to the drawing board for more sustainable solutions!
Thanks for all you do,
Jane Lyons
Maryland Advocacy Manager
Coalition for Smarter Growth