The good news first...and there IS good news

Yes, Governor Hogan got the go-ahead to start the contracting process for his disastrous toll-lane scheme, thanks to Peter Franchot’s ‘yes’ vote at the Jan. 8 Board of Public Works meeting.

But grassroots activism has had unbelievable success so far shrinking the scope of the project. A lot more can and will happen between now and the final vote, scheduled for mid-2021.

Here’s the good news:

  • A strong coalition of environmental, transit, civic, community, and activist organizations, including DontWiden270.org, is ramping up the fight for smarter, better alternatives to Hogan’s plan. 

  • Our allies in the State Legislature are introducing bills that could stop this toll lane project and fix the process that enabled it in the first place.

  • The Rockville Mayor and Council have strongly opposed Hogan’s plan. The City owns two bridges over I-270, which may give the City leverage in its dealings with the State and County.

  • DontWiden270.org is expanding its outreach to Upper I-270 communities as part of our efforts for fair, effective multi-modal transportation for all. 

  • You can take action now!

What does the Jan. 8 vote mean?
The Board of Public Works advanced to the bidding stage “Phase 1” of the Governor’s toll lane plan. Phase 1 would add privately built and managed toll lanes on I-495 from south of the George Washington Memorial Parkway to I-270, and along I-270 from I-495 to I-370.

The Board of Public Works vote on a final contract is not scheduled until mid-2021. MDOT says no homes will be taken along I-270, although some “strips” of property may be needed. MDOT’s current materials do not specify when construction might begin or when, if ever, Upper I-270 will be addressed.

An enormous array of elected officials, transit and environmental experts, watchdog organizations inside and outside of federal, state, and local government, and civic and advocacy organizations believe this plan will result in increased congestion, environmental harm, fiscal risk to taxpayers statewide, and the economic injustice that comes with unaffordable tolls.

Effort Turns to the State Legislature  

Momentum is clearly building in the State Legislature to protect taxpayers, communities, and the environment from disastrous projects like the one the Governor is proposing.

  • Senator Susan Lee (16-Montgomery) is sponsoring Senate Bill 229, to “expand to all counties…a prohibition on State agencies constructing…a toll road, toll highway, or toll bridge without the consent of a majority of the affected counties.” Such “county consent” protection already exists for the nine counties on the Eastern Shore.

  • The House of Delegates version of the county consent bill will be introduced shortly by Delegate Mary Lehman (21-Prince George’s). Like the Senate bill, it has significant support.

  • Delegate Jared Solomon (D-18) is reintroducing a House-passed Public-Private Partnership (P3) reform bill from last year (it died in the Senate) that would require more transparency, accountability, and collaboration with elected officials. 

DontWiden270.org’s Expanded Scope

Our name may be DontWiden270.org (a legacy from our earliest days) but we are decidedly a “Do” not a “Don’t” organization. 

  • We support fair, effective multi-modal transportation backed by evidence that it will actually work. 

  • We support reversible lanes on I-270, not high-priced toll lanes.

  • We support improved transit, including expanded MARC service and the Corridor Cities Transitway,

  • We support addressing the Upper I-270 bottleneck first. Upper I-270 will be particularly hard-hit by the plan just greenlighted by Hogan and Franchot.

DontWiden270.org spoke about the impact on Upper 270 and more at the Jan. 8 Board of Public Works meeting. Watch our testimony from the Jan. 8 meeting; go to time-stamp 1:46.

It’s worth watching, if just to see Hogan and Franchot’s expressions on the split screen as they listen. To watch all the BPW meetings this year, check out their video archive.

Actions to Take Now

Speak up to our state legislators, and stay informed.

  • Tell Delegate Kumar Barve (D-17), chair of the House Environment and Transportation Committee, to report both the county consent bill and the P3 reform bill out of his committee so they can be voted on.

    We can’t let him keep those bills bottled up. Contact Kumar Barve now.

  • Read Delegate Marc Korman’s quick take on the history, current status, and future of transportation in Maryland. Korman is Chair of the Transportation and Environment Subcommittee of the House of Delegates Appropriations Committee.

Get your friends and neighbors to join our e-mail list

This is a great way for them to stay current on what’s happening with the highway project and to learn how they can help fight this boondoggle. Go to https://dontwiden270.org/get-involved to sign up. And check out our website dontwiden270.org for more information. We even have a Spanish language section with translations of key documents. 

Have a Question or Comment? Want a speaker for your community?

E-mail us at contactdontwiden270@gmail.com .

Want a Yard Sign? 

Raise your voice and draw attention to Dontwiden270 with these colorful, two-sided yard signs!   Order here.

Sneaking under the wire, but we're still fighting

Communications folks know that if you want to bury bad news, release it on a Friday after 4 p.m. Well, guess what?

Friday, Jan. 3, after 4 p.m., just two and a half working days before the scheduled Jan. 8 Board of Public Works (BPW) meeting, Governor Larry Hogan announced that he and Comptroller Peter Franchot had reached an agreement on the Governor’s highway expansion plan. Mr. Franchot had been the swing vote since Treasurer Nancy Kopp had previously voted against the project.

Although Mr. Franchot’s chief of staff, Len Foxwell, said that the Governor and Mr. Franchot had been “discussing the proposal for the past month,” they waited until late on a Friday afternoon to make this announcement and post the Supplement with changes to the I-495 and I-270 P3 program on the BPW agenda. This last minute notice effectively blocked all in-depth review by other government officials or the public before the vote.

Increased collaboration? Really? 
Despite the concept that there will be increased collaboration with local communities, there was no information sharing prior to the release of this amendment. The proposal will have considerable consequences for the City of Rockville; however, Rockville Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton was totally unaware of the agreement. She stated that she had “heard nothing” and was speechlessly disappointed.” 

Additionally, this latest proposal puts residents along I-270 at greater risk. In a WTOP article, Greg Slater, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) Secretary designate (to be voted on January 10) stated the following. “There may be some ‘strip impacts’ on the route – the land adjacent to I-270. Under our bid proposal, we’ll be looking to the private sector to minimize that, but there are no homes themselves being impacted.”  This is a very disingenuous statement. The highway design will be determined by the companies. MDOT’s “minimizing the risk” is meaningless.

Proposed timeline
As described in the amendment, the first phase – all built by a single contractor -- will include widening the American Legion Bridge and the adjoining section of I-495. It also includes widening I-270 from I-495 to I-370 with four managed toll lanes. It specifies that widening the rest of I-495 and I-270 from I-370 to I-70 has been put off indefinitely. This process will only create greater choke points as traffic backs up where roads merge. 

The timeline presented in the Supplement includes beginning the contracting process in February 2020 with proposals due from the companies in February 2021. Contracts would be in place by May 2021. Construction could begin within a few months of the award.

What you can do

1. Write the Montgomery County Council: 

  • Mail sent using the form at https://www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/CCL_ContactForms/ContactCouncil.aspx  is included in the daily mail log, which is available to all Councilmembers and staff, and becomes part of the official public record.

  • Write Council member Sidney Katz (Councilmember.Katz@montgomerycountymd.gov)  if you are a resident of Montgomery County district 3. District 3 includes Gaithersburg, Rockville, Washington Grove, Leisure World, and parts of Aspen Hill, Derwood, North Potomac and Potomac.  Mr. Katz is also the new President of the Montgomery County Council.

Tell them: 

  • There must be a county-wide approach. They must be very cautious about releasing press releases or statements to the press until the facts are known. MDOT has a number of analyses, including estimated tolls, that they refuse to release. Why are they hiding this information?

  • It is premature to agree to any alternatives until there is more transparency from MDOT and all the facts are made available to the public.

 

2. Write the state legislature:

Dontwiden270.org will continue to keep you informed of what is happening and how you can help. You can download information about five fatal flaws in this new plan. 

 

Letter to Montgomery County Officials 

Dontwiden270.org joined Citizens Against Beltway Expansion (CABE), Maryland Transportation Opportunities Coalition (MTOC), Action Committee for Transit (ACT), and other organizations in the county in sending a letter to County Executive Elrich and Council President Katz. The letter demands full transparency and disclosure before any I-495 or I-270 highway decisions are made. MDOT has developed a Traffic and Revenue Model that calculates the predicted traffic volumes, toll charges, and profitability of the toll lanes. The letter stated that the County must insist that the complete results of these analyses be released to the public and only then should consideration of alternative highway plans begin.
 

Washington Post editorial “Why are so many lawmakers fighting Larry Hogan’s I-270 plan?”    

The Washington Post Editorial Board has enthusiastically backed Governor Hogan’s P3 plan to add managed toll lanes to I-270 and the Beltway. In a December 26 editorial, the Editorial Board is more even tempered than past columns, but persists in its unwavering advocacy for the toll lanes 

The editorial questions why so many officials are fighting the plan and then poses some curious responses. The Post acknowledges that “the probable answer lies in a combination of legitimate concerns about possible adverse effects on the environment and neighborhoods; the project’s daunting scale; [and] ideology-driven partisan politics…” 

Instead of conceding the legitimacy of concerns about the proposal’s fiscal and environmental impact, the editors contend that the opposition is due to “shortcomings so far in Mr. Hogan’s issue framing and salesmanship.” Furthermore, they claim that to gain critical support, all he needs to do is “step up their information ground game.” As if packaging and selling his project is the ticket for the Governor to convince policy makers to support his proposal.

The Post consistently blames opponents of the toll lane plan for promoting traffic congestion. In fact, this is a fatally-flawed scheme that will not solve Maryland’s transportation crisis. This is not a choice between doing this or doing nothing. Yet the Governor refuses to consider alternative forms of traffic relief, including transit. 

We are making progress in opposing the Governor’s proposal and getting under the skin of elected officials. We must keep up the pressure for full disclosure and demand that estimates of the tolls be made public. To publish informed editorials, the Washington Post Editorial Board should be requesting the same information.

 

Wall Street Journal reports “Motorists scorn North Carolina’s first public-private toll road”

The Wall Street Journal published a cautionary article on December 28 about a bi-partisan citizen and political revolt against North Carolina’s first P3 tollway. Problems to date include crashes in the construction zone, complicated local trips because of the way cars merge on and off access points, and confusing lane markings, among others. Motorists complain that the tolls are pricey and unpredictable. Local opponents on both sides of the aisle are urging a boycott of the toll lanes. 

“Everything about it is bad, from philosophy to pavement,” said Jim Puckett, a Republican who serves on the state transportation department’s local advisory group, who is quoted in the story. The WSJ also reports that he refuses to use the lanes. “It’s a miserable place for a toll road.” The Charlotte-area tollway runs 26 miles and is projected to cost $647 million. In comparison, Governor Hogan’s plan would cover over 70 miles and cost at least $11 billion.

North Carolina politicians who supported the project have been voted out of office, the article says. That’s a message that Maryland officials should keep in mind.

This article should be required reading for everyone interested or involved in Governor Hogan’s proposed I-495 and I-270 P3 program.  

(Note: the full article is only available to WSJ subscribers.)

 

Delegate Marc Korman’s take on taxpayer risk from the proposed P3 

Delegate Marc Korman is chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and the Environment in the Maryland General Assembly. He recently posted an important message about the need for honest and critical information about taxpayer risk from the Governor’s proposed plan. The first type of financial risk is the requirement for an up-front public subsidy. The second type of risk is what happens if the project is not completed, does not perform, or the vendor has financial or other issues. Both types of risk have occurred in comparable projects. Read Delegate Korman’s full discussion about P3 taxpayer risks.

 

Get your friends and neighbors to join our e-mail list

Tell them that this is a great way to stay current on what’s happening with the highway widening project and how they can help fight this boondoggle. Go to https://dontwiden270.org/get-involved to sign up. And check out our website dontwiden270.org for more information. We even have a Spanish language tab where key documents have been translated. 

 

Have a Question or Comment? Want a speaker for your community?

E-mail us at contactdontwiden270@gmail.com .

 

Want a Yard Sign? 

Raise your voice and draw attention to Dontwiden270 with these colorful, two-sided yard signs!   Order here.

MDOT, show us the data on tolls!

Jeff Folden, the deputy project manager of the public-private partnership for the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) stated at a Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) hearing on November 20 that MDOT has a computer model that “spits out the toll numbers.” You can listen to this statement at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bAq921AtQY (scroll to 1:07:00).

In other words, MDOT has estimates of traffic levels and tolls for each roadway segment. This information is used to estimate the profit-and-loss of each roadway segment, using a model that calculates traffic levels and tolls. 

But MDOT refuses to release these data to anyone – the Board of Public Works (BPW), M-NCPPC, legislators, or the general public. This is unacceptable. The BPW must not vote on the toll lane project until this information has been provided. 

Governor Hogan claims that 70% of voters in Montgomery County and Prince George’s County support his plan. However, he is not telling people what the projected tolls will be. This is a completely deceptive and misleading poll: Poll numbers without toll numbers are meaningless!

Did you know?  Rush hour tolls hit $72 in Virginia on December 18. 


Once again, Comptroller Peter Franchot is the ‘swing vote’ on the BPW and his decision will be decisive. What to do? 

Write to Comptroller Franchot:

pfranchot@comp.state.md.us. 

Tell him:

  • There must be transparency from MDOT and insist on full disclosure of the critical information needed to make informed policy decisions.

  • The financial analyses that include estimates of what the tolls will be need to be made available.

  • Further consideration of the toll lane plan should be delayed until MDOT has provided full disclosure of essential information. 

Use these points, or add more to share your thoughts in your own words. Be sure to include your home address in the email. 



Thank you: Monday rally was a huge success

On Dec. 16, a frigid and stormy weekday evening, over 300 people (standing room only) came together for an emergency rally at the Silver Spring Civic Center. 

State and local elected officials spoke against Governor Hogan’s proposed managed toll lane project. They derided its effect on homes, businesses, parklands, the environment, and its risks to state finances and Maryland taxpayers.

Among the many prominent speakers, Senator Susan Lee, Delegate Julian Ivey, and Delegate Jared Solomon discussed legislation they would be introducing in the 2020 General Assembly. Montgomery County officials denounced the expensive toll lanes that would be available only to the wealthiest residents and the impact the roads would have on communities and neighborhoods.  

The speakers praised the efforts of organizations and community activists who have spoken out, rallied, and written letters and e-mails to the Governor, MDOT, the Comptroller, and others voicing their opposition to the proposal. Representatives of these organizations, including DontWiden270.org also spoke during the rally, emphasizing their continuing commitment to fighting the project.


MoCo Council awards citation to DontWiden270.org

Sidney Katz and Tom Hucker, president and vice president of the Montgomery County Council, presented a citation to Dontwiden270 at the Dec. 16 rally. The citation reads "The Montgomery County Council awards this citation to DontWiden270.org in recognition of its commitment to protecting our homes and neighborhoods by working to stop Governor Hogan's plans to widen 270."

 

State seeks access to 3,700 properties for survey work in advance of highway expansion

The State Highway Administration (SHA) has sent letters to 3,717 homeowners in the I-495 and I-270 corridor informing them that surveyors may access their property. According to SHA, the surveyors need access to individual lots to “gain a better understanding of land use, environmental conditions, and cultural resources.”

State Delegate Al Carr has tried unsuccessfully, so far, to get more information from SHA. Read more at https://www.facebook.com/297913220669359/posts/836231740170835/?d=n 

 

Delegate Marc Korman’s take on taxpayer risk from the proposed P3 

Delegate Marc Korman is chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and the Environment in the Maryland General Assembly. He has posted an important message about financial risk from the Governor’s plan.

Read more about his message at: https://www.facebook.com/519017604812366/posts/2719953238052114/?d=n 

 

Montgomery County Council member Tom Hucker’s petition

Council member Tom Hucker has set up a petition to tell the Board of Public Works (BPW) not to approve the Governor’s plan to widen I-270 and I-495. To sign the petition, go to:

https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/dont-approve-the-i-495i
 

Press coverage continues to increase

News media (newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, social media) are steadily increasing their coverage of the managed toll lane boondoggle. Check out coverage of our lead stories on our Media Archives website tab. 

 

Get your friends and neighbors to sign on to our e-mail list

Tell them that this is a great way to stay current on what’s happening with the highway widening project and how they can help fight this boondoggle. Go to https://dontwiden270.org/get-involved to sign up.

And check out our website dontwiden270.org with our Spanish language tab for more: https://dontwiden270.org/en-espanol 

 

Have a Question or Comment? Want a speaker for your community?

Email us at contactdontwiden270@gmail.com .

 

Want a Yard Sign? 

Raise your voice and draw attention to Dontwiden270 with these colorful, two-sided yard signs!   Order here.