For Immediate Release: Wednesday, November 15, 2017
Maryland Secretary of Transportation Rahn
Meets with Committee to Discuss
Governor’s Traffic Relief Plan
on Thursday, Nov. 16 at 2:30 p.m.
Also on Nov. 16: Review of interagency technology policy
and report on Interagency Technology Policy and Coordination Committee
ROCKVILLE, Md., November 15, 2017—The Montgomery County Council’s Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy, and Environment (T&E) Committee will meet with Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary Pete K. Rahn on November 16 at 2:30 p.m. in the Third Floor Council Conference Room, to discuss Governor Larry Hogan’s traffic relief plan for I-270 and I-495. The T&E Committee is chaired by Council President Berliner and includes Councilmembers Floreen and Hucker.
Earlier this fall Governor Hogan announced a $9.1 billion plan to add four express toll lanes to I-270 between Frederick and the Capital Beltway (I-495); I-495 from and including the American Legion Bridge and the Woodrow Wilson Bridge; and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. The I-270 and I-495 widenings would be implemented through a public-private partnership (P3), and the projected cost would be $7.6 billion of the $9.1 billion total. The $1.5 billion balance would be the cost of widening the BW Parkway.
Because of I-270 and I-495’s critical importance as the backbone of Montgomery County’s highway network, the T&E Committee addressed a letter to Secretary Rahn in October inviting the Secretary to meet with the Council and posing a number of key questions related to the Governor’s proposal.
The staff report can be viewed at:
http://tinyurl.com/ybv5kvu7
The Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) Committee, which is chaired by Councilmember Navarro and includes Councilmember Katz and Council Vice President Riemer, will meet at 9:30 a.m. in the Seventh Floor Council Hearing Room for a semi-annual review of the Interagency Technology Policy and Coordination Committee (ITPCC). The ITPCC brings together the County government, Montgomery County Public Schools, Montgomery College, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, and the Housing Opportunities Commission, to consider strategies that optimize the deployment and use of information technology for all County residents, visitors, and businesses.
The staff report can be viewed at:
http://tinyurl.com/yc9zu3dz
The GO Committee also will hold a follow-up discussion on Office of Legislative Oversight (OLO) Report 2017-12, Federal Grant Administration in Montgomery County. The Council asked OLO to examine whether Executive Branch departments and offices are pursuing federal grants effectively and to identify barriers in the grants process encountered by departments and offices that infrequently or do not pursue federal grants. The report was release on July 25 and the Committee held an initial meeting on September 14.
The staff report can be viewed at:
http://tinyurl.com/yd58eb4g
The Committee meetings will be televised live by County Cable Montgomery (CCM). The channel can be viewed on Cable Channels 996 (high definition) and 6 (standard definition) on Comcast; Channels 1056 (HD) and 6 (SD) on RCN; and Channel 30 on Verizon. The meetings also will be available live via streaming through the Council website at http://tinyurl.com/z9982v8 .
# # # Release ID: 17-363