Our means of getting from Point A to Point B has changed drastically over time across the United States. As the original walking cities became more spaced out, railroads and streetcars became the favored mode of travel between cities. However, after World War II and the subsidization of the suburbs, people wanted to commute from further away to the inner city. In order to keep up with urbanization, new innovative ways of travel emerged to connect individuals with businesses, homes, and recreation in a more efficient and faster way. The Federal Government enacted the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, which provided funds and began construction on the intercontinental highway system. These subsidies made it easier for construction to occur and expedited the process by helping the states with resources. Today, there are approximately 4,071,000 miles of roads in the United States,
However, these new ways of travel also brought new challenges-- in the form of environmental costs. Many environmental groups warned of the heavy implementation and reliance of cars and roads. When a road is created, it splits through the land creating barriers. This is a major issue because it leads to fragmentation and habitat loss, less connectivity, less biodiversity, and more arrival of invasive species. The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 also gave them the right to construct roads through neighborhoods by the use of eminent domain. Often, this seizure of land displaced poor African American communities who did not have the same access to resources as others and the replacement of homes were not regulated leading to lasting generational handicaps to these communities.
The highway system has been a hot issue stirring up on Maryland’s political climate given Governor Hogan’s proposal of a $9 billion dollar highway project for I-270 and 495.
The Maryland Transportation Opportunities Coalition met on Thursday September 13th for the Trains not Tolls Community Forum at the C. Burr Artz Library in Frederick, Maryland. Citizens, legislators, and potential delegates gathered to discuss critical transportation priorities in the community. The group discussed their grave concern over Hogan’s proposed expansion of I-270 and how expanding and improving MARC service would be transformative to the county.
Ben Ross, Chair of the Maryland Transit Opportunities Coalition started the meeting off by providing an overview of how the figure of $41/trip for toll lanes came about. Essentially, 5 hours rush hour a day x 2,000 cars/hr x 2 lanes x 250 work days a year = 5,000,000 car trips. Dividing that many trips into the $209,000,000 estimated annual payment needed to pay off the project for 30 years = $41/trip on tolls. An expansion of the 495 outer beltway and I-270 would require the seizure of land through eminent domain, which is reminiscent of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956. Like what happened in the past, many communities would be displaced, including low-income apartments, small businesses, and even hospitals.
Governor Hogan says no taxpayer money will be used and that this is essentially free money. This project will be funded by P3 (public-private partnerships), which means borrowing money from a bank or a financial firm to fund the construction of these toll lanes. However, Jeremy Mohler from In The Public Interest, said that there is no such thing as free money and his proposal is radical. The traditional way to fund a public project or infrastructure, such as a road, library, or a school, are municipal bonds. Usually, people vote on these or government takes a loan on it with interest rates pretty low being around 3% since it is being subsidized. Now, if you go the route Governor Hogan suggests with private financing, Mohler states that we have seen effective rates go from 10% to 25%. These contracts last a long time and are essentially for 50, 60, or 70 years. This would put us in a contract that will long outlast the potential benefits once demand increases and congestion returns.
Gary Hodge, President of the Southern Maryland Alliance for Rapid Transit, articulated “We need an integrated comprehensive solution to our transportation needs. Rail is the backbone that we must have, upon which we can build a lot of connectivity, efficiency, reliable service, the right destinations, and the right people, and that will serve everyone in the state in an equitable and fair way..and will become the backbone of our future economy.” Hodge states he has been following the discourse on transportation for 30 years and, “pouring more rivers of concrete doubles down on past mistakes.” Click here to see a snippet of his speech and here to view his entire speech on his facebook page “Transform Waldorf.”
Miriam Schoenbaum from Action Committee for Transit ACT described the long battle for improved public transit and MARC trains. She mentioned MARC trains run on tracks owned by a company called CSX Transportation. Several talks have been had with CSX to improve access to MARC, but providing the amount of money they require to move forward with public requests is an ongoing problem. Currently MARC trains only operate Monday through Friday with some weekend service for the Pell line. Many say that the MARC train service is hit or miss on reliability. Constant delays or cancellations has an effect on commuters personal and work lives as thousands depend on MARC service for their transportation needs. However, MARC also provides many with access to key resources they would not have otherwise.
The Maryland Chapter of the Sierra Club, who was in attendance, and other environmental organizations have taken a heavy stance against the expansion of highways and propose more investment in cleaner solutions. Lindsey Mendelson, Transportation staff at the Maryland Sierra Club, showed Sierra Club’s solidarity in moving away from further carbon emitting transportation solutions. Maryland and Virginia have joined Transportation and Climate Initiative, which is a regional collaboration that seeks to develop the clean energy economy and reduce oil dependence and greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. More miles of highway would cause more cars leading Maryland to an increase in carbon emissions and impervious surfaces.
Elected officials were in attendance to hear the concerns and information on the transportation issue. One delegate of district 3A in Frederick, mentioned that MARC trains have been on the agenda for quite some time and she always advocates for it. However, when these issues come up for discussion, there is never anyone to give testimony on the issue. She urges everyone to come out to the next Maryland Department of Transportation hearing and give their voice on the topic in order to bring the change they are seeking.
The future of transportation in Maryland is a story with a number of characters, differences in agency, and socio-economic implications from citizens to stakeholders. It is tantamount that those with concerns speak out on the discourse of transportation for a more equitable and fair future. If you are interested in learning more about the highway expansion proposal and funding for transportation initiatives, then attend a local road show in your county. The schedule is here. Attend the road show in your county to learn more, talk to your local elected officials, and speak out against Governor Hogan’s dangerous plans to widen the Beltway, I-270, and the Baltimore Washington Parkway. More events can be found on the homepage and contact Lindsey Mendelson at lindsey.mendelson@mdsierra.org for more info on how you can be involved!
Semir Abdul
Transportation Intern
Sierra Club Maryland Chapter
transportation.intern@mdsierra.org
(240) 605-5604