Feds Block Maryland Toll Lane Project

A plan to construct 4 toll lanes on Maryland’s Capital Beltway and Interstate 270 was blocked by the Federal Freeway Administration (FHA), doubtlessly delaying the undertaking past Governor Larry Hogan (R)’s time period, which ends in January. In keeping with an article by Bruce DePuyt in Maryland Issues, “Hogan mentioned Maryland was ‘fully blindsided’ by the transfer and he accused performing Federal Freeway Administrator Stephanie Pollack of issuing a ‘rogue’ resolution towards the suggestions of company employees.”

Some backstory: “In June, Montgomery County Govt Marc Elrich (D), urged {that a} remaining resolution on the undertaking be delayed to offer folks extra time to learn the report. Shortly thereafter, transit advocate Ben Ross pressed the U.S. Division of Transportation to look into ‘potential scientific fraud,’ after he mentioned he discovered unexplained adjustments within the site visitors fashions the state used to find out how a lot time motorists would save through the use of toll lanes.”

Some residents opposed Hogan’s plan for the ‘specific lanes’ from the start. “It additionally drew condemnation from environmentalists, transit advocates and native leaders. Pointing to the generally eye-popping tolls that Virginia motorists pay, some critics maintained that solely upper-income folks would derive profit from the brand new lanes.”

Hogan insists he has scaled down the plan and agreed to requests from native leaders resembling letting transit autos go free of charge and including a motorcycle and pedestrian pathway. Noting that the delays have added 20 p.c to the entire value of the undertaking, Hogan “pledged to proceed his strain marketing campaign on the Biden administration and federal transportation officers to ‘instantly’ rescind their delay.”