By Jacob Likins
On Thursday, February 25th, several important figures got together to host a Sierra Club: Maryland Chapter community forum on transportation in Southern Maryland. Our own Rosa Hance, chair of the Maryland Chapter, hosted this meeting along with several valued guests. Mrs. Hance, along with Maryland Section 28 Senator Arthur Ellis, Maryland State Delegate Rachel Jones, Secretary of the Lexington Park Rotary Club Rose Frederick, and President of the Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust, Frank Allen, spoke of different ways that transportation can and/or will be improved to benefit not only Maryland's environment, but to also make life easier for those seeking available and good quality public transportation.
On Thursday, February 25th, several important figures got together to host a Sierra Club: Maryland Chapter community forum on transportation in Southern Maryland. Our own Rosa Hance, chair of the Maryland Chapter, hosted this meeting along with several valued guests. Mrs. Hance, along with Maryland Section 28 Senator Arthur Ellis, Maryland State Delegate Rachel Jones, Secretary of the Lexington Park Rotary Club Rose Frederick, and President of the Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust, Frank Allen, spoke of different ways that transportation can and/or will be improved to benefit not only Maryland's environment, but to also make life easier for those seeking available and good quality public transportation.
The main and opening point to the forum was a simple but true statement: Transportation is the primary source of greenhouse gases. This was the perfect icebreaker as each of our treasured guests had much to say on this matter. Senator Ellis, in particular, spoke of several plans that are in the making, plans to assist the Sierra Club agenda. As a student at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, I was proud to be a part of this forum, listening to each of the subjects that each guest talked about. Senator Ellis brought up several plans for bills and bills that are currently in the process of being presented to the Maryland Senate. One of which was a plan to plant 5 million trees in Maryland. While being only partially related to the topic at hand, this would greatly improve Maryland’s status with greenhouse gases, carbon emissions, and the amount of oxygen in Maryland’s air. Senator Ellis did most of the talking when it came to solid future plans for Maryland. The biggest of these future plans would be the S.M.R.T Plan (Southern Maryland Rapid Transport). Senator Ellis said that this proposal to the Senate would arrange for the production of railways from many key positions in SOMD (Southern Maryland) to Washington D.C.. Trains running from SOMD to D.C. would reduce the need for commuters to use cars, taxis, and buses, and would severely reduce the crippling rush hour traffic that occurs on Route 301 every business day morning. Knowing what happens on 301 every morning, giving public transportation on trains would help get people to work on time. This is all a good idea, but why does this help the Sierra Club or it’s objective? Well, fewer cars and buses on the road means a large reduction in carbon emissions. As it was mentioned at the very start of the forum, transportation is the primary source of greenhouse gases due to carbon emissions. If this plan sounds good, then just know that it gets even better. Since this project will not take too much space and would not need a land priority to be built, no large amounts of land will need to be cleared and no trees will need to be cut down. This makes this project a win-win-win-win…..well you get the point. This is more important now than ever because Senator Ellis mentioned that efforts to provide public transit and extra bike trails have been snuffed out in the past due to events such as the cancellation of the Red Line Metro in Baltimore.
The forum went on for around an hour and provided much needed information to those who follow the Sierra Club: Maryland Chapter on Facebook as well as other Sierra Club members. This meeting was vital in providing much needed information about the efforts being made by our allies in office, such as Senator Ellis and Delegate Rachel Jones. Perhaps one of the biggest pieces of making the puzzle fit for those concerned for our world’s environment is knowing that they are not alone in their actions. While the Sierra Club is a great way for those wanting to help heal our environment and make our world healthier for our children, there is only so much that can be done on our own. This is why meetings and forums such as this one is necessary. Knowing that there are those in power, people in the local and national government, who wish to help organizations such as our Sierra Club, can help get the ball rolling for a national movement. If the government can finally grasp the situation that our world is in, and can slowly move towards progress, then our objective can be achieved one day in the near future.
There was a poll for those watching the forum that asked this question: What do you think should be at the top of Southern Maryland’s transportation priorities? 60% answered that “Expanding commuter mass transit options” should be the top priority. This is when President Rose Frederick of the Lexington Park Rotary Club, mentioned that Transit Equity Day had passed a few weeks prior to the forum. This day is a day that is dedicated to promoting public transit and environmental healthiness. Transit Equity Day is observed on February 4th, and is supposed to commemorate Rosa Parks, hence why it is observed annually on her birthday. This day is also dedicated to everyone’s right to have effective and quality public transportation. During the last few moments of the forum, Frank Allen, president of the Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust, mentioned other modes of private transportation for those on the outskirts of D.C. or inside the city itself. President Allen mentioned that those of whom are near Washington D.C. should start a routine with a healthier daily routine. Instead of getting in their cars and waiting in D.C. traffic for hours, they should buy a bike and ride to work every day. He mentioned that not only is this method cheaper and more reliable, along with being better for the environment since they are personally reducing carbon emissions, but it will get them to work on time for a change. President Allen was quite personal with this example and mentioned many others that started biking to work. He was passionate about this subject and was a great finishing touch to what would end up being an amazing forum. There could not have been a better forum for this subject, and I would personally like to thank Mrs. Rosa Hance for hosting this forum. There were a few final quotes from each guest, and they each have their own significance in the future of Sierra Club’s movement forward with public transportation.
“We have so many ways to make public transportation more available…..we just need to make the push to make it so.” - President Rose Frederick
“There is a lot of work to do...we’ll get through it if we work together for this.” -Senator Arthur Ellis
“Multimodality is the key for this all to work.” - President Frank Allen
Below is the contact information of each of our guests:
Jacob Likins
St. Mary’s College of Maryland