Reminder: Tell MDOT No Private Toll Lanes on I-270 and I-495!

Let the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) know you oppose adding four luxury lanes to I-270 and I-495. This webpage has the details on how speak out to stop this mess. You’ll find guidance on writing a good comment about the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), and who to contact in the state legislature and state government.

Your words matter!

This toll-lane project is one of the largest of its type ever proposed and is expected to cost $11 billion or more. 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.

The toll lanes will cause 4-5 years of construction misery at any given location, especially where interchanges and bridges have to be rebuilt – without, in the end, solving congestion.

ACTION ALERT

Act Now! Written comments must be submitted by November 9 to be included in the public record.

Be sure to say “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. Some topics for discussion can be found by scrolling down here.

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

Toll on I-270 Luxury Lanes in Morning Rush Hour:  $49.63

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 calculation is buried 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. Multiplying that by the 21.96 mile length of the trip gives a total of $49.63.

The cost of the return trip in the afternoon is not given, but it is likely to be even higher because congestion is worse in the afternoon rush hour due to upper I-270 bottlenecks where six lanes reduce to two lanes.

Don’t Miss this Webinar about P3 Programs

Experts Jeremy Mohler and Shar Habibi from the national think-tank "In the Public Interest" will discuss the public-private-partnership (P3) process and concerns about MDOT’s proposed P3 program. A P3 is a complex and detailed form of privatization that gives control of a public good or service to a private entity. P3s are often risky, expensive, and secretive. Learn more: 

  • When:  October 28   6 -7:30 pm

Click here to register for the webinar. (You must register in advance.) An e-mail with a link to the presentation will be sent to everyone who registers. There will be a time for questions following the formal presentation.

Background: MDOT’s toll-lane project includes more than 70 miles of interstate highway. The P3 program would give the responsibility of designing, financing, constructing, and maintaining the toll lanes to a private contractor who would be able to set prices and collect tolls for the next 50 years. MDOT says this is necessary because there are insufficient funds in the Transportation Trust Fund to finance this infrastructure. But it’s now clear the toll-lane project would require taxpayer subsidy.

Critical issues must be carefully considered before MDOT goes forward with this project:

  1. Is this infrastructure actually needed?

  2. How much will Maryland taxpayers have to pay to support this P3?

  3. Are P3s actually successful in transferring the risk of the project to the private entity? 

Compared to the traditional route of issuing municipal bonds for capital projects, P3s are often cited as a less expensive way to leverage private capital to achieve public construction goals.

But are they? What are the costs and what are the risks?

With Gov. Hogan proposing a P3 for the  addition of toll lanes on I-270 and I-495, the more we understand about P3 projects, the better we can advocate for our tax dollars.

Check out the Tabs on Dontwiden270.org

“Media Archives” contains links to current and past key news articles. Recent postings have more information on the cost of the toll road. “On the Record” has links to reports and correspondence from area politicians, “En Español” has information in Spanish, and “CABE Connection” has information from Citizens Against Beltway Expansion (CABE), a coalition of individuals and organizations that collaborates with Dontwiden270.org to oppose widening the Beltway and I-270.

A Corrected Email Address and Why It's Important to Write to Peter Franchot

Corrected e-mail address for contacting Comptroller Franchot

The September 20th Dontwiden270.org newsletter, “Tell MDOT Why the Toll Lane Project Must Stop,” had an incorrect e-mail address for Comptroller Peter Franchot, who has the deciding vote to determine whether the toll lane project moves forward (more on that below).

Please send him a copy of the written comments you submit to the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT). Send these comments to the  point person in Mr. Franchot’s office for the Board of Public Works (BPW), Assistant Comptroller Anne Klase. 

The correct e-mail address for Ms. Klase is aklase@marylandtaxes.gov.   

For more information about sending written comments to MDOT, see Dontwiden270.org DEIS-Resources and Sept. 27 blog post.

Why is it important to contact Peter Franchot?

Peter Franchot is the Comptroller of Maryland, one of only a handful of statewide elected officials. The Comptroller’s official duty is to collect the State’s taxes, and as he puts it, function as Maryland’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO), but his influence on State policy is broader than that.

He serves as one of three members of the BPW, the State’s unique 150-year-old financial control body. The BPW, whose voting members are the Governor, the Comptroller, and the State Treasurer, meets every two weeks to approve virtually every State contract of significance.

In this role, the Comptroller is in a position to cast the decisive vote on the 495-270 P3 project, since the Governor is the project’s chief advocate, and Treasurer Nancy Kopp has been the Board’s chief skeptic.

Franchot has already expressed his intention to run for Governor in 2022. So his future votes on proposed P3 contracts as a member of the BPW will determine not only the fate of the 495-270 toll-lane widening project, but also have a major impact on his Administration as Governor—if he is elected.

Tell MDOT Why the Toll Lane Project Must Stop

Act Now! Written Comments Must be Submitted by November 9

The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) is forging ahead with the first part of the plan to add high-priced toll lanes to I-270 and I-495. On July 10, 2020, MDOT released the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the project. This month and next, you can submit written comments on the DEIS to the MDOT leaders.  

Your words matter!

Submitting comments now on the DEIS and this flawed project is one of the most important actions you can take to stop this disaster that threatens our environment, our communities, and our pocketbooks  --without solving congestion!

Written comments will be accepted until November 9th and become part of the public record. There’s no page limit -- comments can be as short or as long as you want. You can submit written comments even if you provided verbal testimony. Simply explain your concerns in your own words. Guidance on how to submit comments and examples of what you can say are below.

View the DEIS document (the full document or by chapter).

ACTION ITEM

Submit written comments on the DEIS.

There are three ways to submit your comments to MDOT:

  • 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.

  • Email: MLS-NEPA-P3@mdot.maryland.gov

  • Send a written letter about the DEIS to:
    Lisa B. Choplin, DBIA, Director, I-495 & I-270 P3 Office
    Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration
    I-495 & I-270 P3 Office
    707 North Calvert Street, Mail Stop P-601
    Baltimore, MD 21201

You can increase your impact by sending a copy of your comments to these key officials:

How to Comment

  1. Write your name and address.

  2. State upfront that you oppose the I-495 & I-270 toll lane project and support a no-build option.  This is important to ensure your comments are appropriately identified and counted.
    “No-build” is the one MDOT alternative that does not include adding new toll lanes, but it does not preclude improvements to I-270 such as those identified in our logo above.

  3. Begin by explaining why you oppose the expansion project and how it will affect your quality of life, particularly if you live near the highways or have children in affected schools.

  4. Then choose one or more of the topics identified in the DEIS, and elaborate and customize in your own words. For ideas to get started, search the list below for discussion topics. Refer also to the links in the Resource List for statements from the Mayor of Rockville and the Montgomery County Executive, as well as others opposed to this project.

  5. Whenever possible, back up your statements with data and facts and refer to the chapters and page numbers in the DEIS. Note that the DEIS references provided include both highways.

Some Topics for Discussion and Relevant Sections of the DEIS 

  • Traffic and Alternative Approaches  (chapter 2, pages 7-17, Appendix C: page 124)

    • The DEIS does not adequately address local road issues (e.g., traffic on feeder lanes, ramps).

    • The DEIS states an 8-lanes to 2-lanes bottleneck will actually worsen rush hour congestion on I-270 north. 

    • The DEIS ignores enhancing public transit with more commuter buses and other transit systems. 

    • The DEIS does not address how reversible lanes on I-270 could significantly reduce traffic at rush hours without toll lanes. 

  • Tolls (chapter 2, pages 41-44)

    • All build alternatives include tolling, with profits going to the contractor.

    • Toll lanes benefit only those who can afford the high tolls.

    • The DEIS omits rush hour toll calculation and lists only estimates of average daily rates. 

  • Environmental Justice (EJ) Disparities (chapter 4: pages 17,125,130,135,139)

    • Congestion pricing is regressive and disproportionately affects those with lower incomes. 

    • EJ communities are often near busy roads with health impacts on marginalized individuals.

  • Costs and Financial Viability (chapter 2, page 43, 48-49; appendix B, page 148)

    • Project costs are unknown since the project won’t be designed until the contract is awarded.

    • DEIS financial analysis reveals taxpayer subsidies of $482 million to $1 billion will go to the developer.

    • The DEIS ignores that 70 miles of water and sewer pipes would need relocation, costing ratepayers $1-$2 billion.

    • Maryland taxpayers are at risk if the contractor defaults or goes bankrupt. Taxpayers already will likely pay over $800,000 to finish the Purple Line; unexpected costs for this mega project could be billions. 

  • Taking of Private Property (chapter 4: pages 3,7,8,15-17,19,23, 34,157)

    • 34 homes and 4 businesses would be taken and 1,127 residential properties and 348 businesses impacted.

    • 18 publicly-owned community recreation centers, 14 places of worship, 5 schools, 4 recreation centers, 3 hospitals, and 2 cemeteries would be impacted.

    • Construction would cause 4-5 years of profound disruption at any given location.

  • Taking of Parkland and Historic Properties (chapter 2: page 23; chapter 4: pages 19,44,54,100, 154,156; executive summary: page 17) 

    • 47 parks would be destroyed, often in areas where there is no replacement parkland. 

    • 21 registered historic properties could be destroyed and archaeological properties altered. 

    • 1,500 acres of forest and tree cover would be removed with damage to bird and wildlife habitat. 

  • Impact on Waterways and Wetlands; Stormwater Management (chapter 2: pages 23,31,37; chapter 4: page 154) 

    • 127 acres of floodplain and 16 acres of wetlands would be impacted due to roadway runoff.

    • Increased stormwater runoff would damage local waterways and increase flood risk. 

    • The DEIS says the state does not plan to mitigate for stormwater runoff and flooding; affected cities and counties will have to pay for mitigation.

  • Air Quality and Climate Change (chapter 4: pages 61-62,80,89,91,107,154-158; appendix I)

    • Per the DEIS, the project will increase carbon monoxide, nitrous dioxide, and ozone.

    • Transportation is the leading source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Maryland; there is no plan to mitigate GHG emissions.

    • Nearby schools and homes will be affected by toxic dust from construction activities.

  • Teleworking - On August 13, 2020, the House Appropriations Transportation and Environment subcommittee found that:

    • The DEIS does not consider how covid-19 will impact future traffic patterns.

    • DEIS analysis does not acknowledge teleworking to be a strategy for traffic mitigation.

    • A Maryland Transportation Institute analysis showed that a 5% reduction in travel demand could reduce traffic congestion by 23%.

Refer to the Dontwiden270.org website (https://dontwiden270.org/deis-resources) for additional information on submitting comments to MDOT. 

Resource List

The following links also identify key topics and concerns you can write about: 

Listen to the virtual and in person public hearings. 

Check out the “Media Archives” Tab on the Dontwiden270.org website. 

This tab contains links to current and past key news articles.

Read recent articles by Dontwiden270.org members: