For Immediate Release: Friday, January 10, 2020
From the Office of Council Vice President Tom Hucker
ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 9, 2020—On Jan. 8 Maryland’s Board of Public Works approved changes to Governor Larry Hogan’s plan to add toll lanes to the Capital Beltway and Interstate 270. Council Vice President Tom Hucker, who serves as chair of the Transportation and Environment Committee issued the following statement on the discussion:
The Board of Public Works vote to approve a heavily-amended supplemental to the I-495 and I-270 P3 Program shows that our grassroots campaign has made a huge difference. The new proposal is much more aligned with the County’s transportation priorities than the original, and closely tracks with the county’s “ICC Diversion Alternative ” proposed in June that county transportation and planning staff agree is more likely to relieve traffic congestion.
For years, Montgomery County government has asked the state to prioritize fixing the American Legion Bridge first, to fund transit investments up-county, and to make improvements to I-270 within the right-of-way. I especially welcome this new collaboration with county government and local communities, and the incorporation of a dedicated funding stream for transit projects.
I’m hopefully optimistic that Maryland’s Department of Transportation (MDOT) will work in close collaboration with local elected leaders on this project going forward. From here, MDOT can build public support for this project by publicly sharing a traffic study, environmental analysis and fiscal analysis for the alternative as well as fulfilling other reasonable information requests.
Ultimately, if we’re going to meet both our transportation and climate challenges, we must focus on moving people not cars through this corridor. I look forward to working with the state and all of the stakeholders on the many remaining details of this project.
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Release ID: 20-005