“Momentum is growing for our bipartisan interstate plan to fix the American Legion Bridge and relieve traffic congestion on the Capital Beltway. This multimodal project will address one of the worst traffic bottlenecks in the country, add more transit services as well as bike and pedestrian paths, and free up funding to advance projects across the state… Our forward-thinking vision for infrastructure is why Maryland is the nation’s most improved state for business, and we look forward to making more progress on this project in the coming weeks.” - Governor Larry Hogan, July 15, 2021
Annapolis, MD - Governor Hogan’s Traffic Relief Plan “Makes Sense,” And Is The Best Feasible Option
The Washington Post Editorial Board: Governor Hogan’s Traffic Relief Plan Is The “Best Feasible Option” To Ensure A Robust Transportation Network In The Washington Capital Region; Aside From A Public Private Partnership, There Is No “Politically Plausible Scenario” In Which The Project Could Be Financed. “That’s the most basic rationale for Maryland’s ongoing effort to rebuild and widen the nearly 60-year-old American Legion Bridge over the Potomac, and connect it to new high-occupancy toll lanes to widen the adjoining portion of the Beltway and Interstate 270 north to Frederick. There is no politically plausible scenario whereby the state on its own can finance such an undertaking, which would cost billions of dollars. Hence Gov. Larry Hogan’s (R) brash determination in pressing ahead with a partnership in which the state grants a private-sector entity the right to design, build and operate the new infrastructure for decades, in return for which the company will keep most of the toll revenue… Maryland’s portion of the Beltway and I-270 must be improved; the bridge must be rebuilt. And Mr. Hogan’s plan is the best feasible option for doing so.” (Editorial, “Maryland Needs Expanded Roads. Hogan’s Plan Is The Best Way Forward,” The Washington Post, 2/20/21)
The Washington Post Editorial Board: Governor Hogan’s Traffic Relief Plan Is A “Serious Plan” That Could Ease One Of The Eastern Seaboard’s Worst Traffic Chokepoints. “The American Legion Bridge over the Potomac, one of the Eastern seaboard’s worst traffic chokepoints, is set to get drastically worse as the region’s population grows. Better late than never, the governors of Virginia and Maryland have devised a blueprint for a new bridge, with expanded capacity in the form of optional toll lanes, that would shift the $1 billion cost to a private contractor. It’s a serious plan that can work if officials get the details and politics right.” (Editorial, “Virginia And Maryland Have Taken A big Step Toward Easing One Of The Eastern Seaboard’s Worst Traffic Chokepoints,” The Washington Post, 11/12/19)
The Washington Post Editorial Board: Governor Hogan’s Traffic Relief Plan “Makes Sense.” “Marylanders stunned by rush-hour traffic on the Capital Beltway, brace yourselves: Your commute is on track to get much, much worse. Roughly 30,000 more vehicles will be using Maryland’s portion of the highway each day by 2040, on top of the current 253,000, meaning cars and trucks will creep along at an average speed of 14 mph between Bethesda and College Park — a 10-mile segment that will take 43 minutes. That’s part of the impetus for a bold plan Gov. Larry Hogan (R) has advanced… Mr. Hogan’s plan makes sense.” (Editorial, “Brace Yourselves, Marylanders. Your Commute Could Get Much Worse.,” The Washington Post, 4/20/19)
Transportation Experts And Advocates Call Governor Hogan’s Traffic Relief Plan “Vital” For The Region
Greg Slater, Secretary, Maryland Department Of Transportation: Governor Hogan’s Traffic Relief Plan Will Provide “Reliable Travel Times” And “Unlock Economic Potential” For The Region. “The new American Legion Bridge I-270 Traffic Relief Project will address aging infrastructure, provide connectivity to deliver seamless travel and unlock economic potential for the entire National Capital Region. The planned public-private partnership would address $1.2 billion of the $4 billion highway repair backlog, deliver a new American Legion Bridge and high-occupancy lanes that would ensure reliable travel time and provide new transportation choices for walkers, bikers, motorcyclists, carpoolers, drivers and transit riders.” (Greg Slater, “Maryland, Virginia And D.C. Must Work Together To Deliver Transportation Solutions For The Future,” The Washington Post, 7/20/21)
Shannon Valentine, Virginia Secretary Of Transportation: “This Is A Once In A Generation Project.” “This is once-in-a-generation project that will improve accessibility throughout the region… ‘This is a milestone in regional cooperation. We in Virginia look forward to working hand-in-hand with Maryland to deliver this transformative transportation solution.’” (Press Release, “Governor Northam, Governor Hogan Announce Historical ‘Capital Beltway Accord; To Rebuild American Legion Bridge, Connect Interstate Highway System,” Office Of The Governor Of Virginia, 11/12/19)
Robert Cary, Chief Deputy Commissioner, Virginia Department Of Transportation: Governor Hogan’s Traffic Relief Plan “Is Vital To The Region’s Mobility, Economy, And Quality Of Life.” “This project and the validity of the constrained long-range plan are very important to this region and should be given due consideration…“With the region expected to grow by more than 1 million people over the next 20 years, we believe that this project is vital to the region’s mobility, economy, and quality of life. We believe that further consideration of this proposal is in the best interests of the National Capital region.” (Letter, VDOT To National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, 7/1/21)
Emmet Tydings, Chair, Suburban Maryland Transportation Alliance: “We Cannot Afford To Waste This Once-In-A-Generation Opportunity For Lasting Traffic Relief.” “The Transportation Planning Board should reverse this short-sighted abdication of its responsibilities as a regional planning agency, and all Maryland officials should come together behind the more limited version of this P3 plan that essentially gives them everything they have been asking for. “We cannot afford to waste this once-in-a-generation opportunity for lasting traffic relief.” (Emmet Tydings, “Suburban Md. Transportation Alliance: Highway Opponents Get It All Wrong,” Maryland Matters, 7/20/21)
- “The public-private partnership program is essential to the transportation and economic future of our region, which is why it was added to the region’s long-range plan in the first place, after years of effort by a planning task force on which I served. Without it, prior versions of the region’s Constrained Long-Range Plan showed traffic delays would grow 72% worse by 2040 than they already were in 2015. With traffic now back to pre-COVID levels, and expected to continue growing in the future, nothing about those earlier projections has changed. The clear and predictable results of removing these improvements from the TPB’s plan would include a catastrophic increase in congestion and over a billion dollars in cuts to other transit and road projects that are currently planned.”
Edgar Gonzalez, Executive Director, Suburban Maryland Transportation Alliance: The People Of Montgomery County And The National Capital Region “Deserve” Elected Officials Who Will Support The Traffic Relief Plan, To Improve Life For Residents And Make Montgomery County More Competitive. “A National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board vote on Wednesday will determine the fate of the only major uniquely transformational road project for the entire Washington metropolitan region. Wise voices from the past have recently openly expressed their support for the improvements to the American Legion Bridge: former Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett and former County Council President Roger Berliner. Both have urged our current elected leaders in the county to compromise, as without the private funding for the project, our generation and that of our children and grandchildren will be condemned to traffic conditions worse than the ones we experience today.” (Edgar Gonzalez, “Opinion: Board Should Heed The Many Voices Supporting American Legion Bridge Project,” Bethesda Magazine, 7/20/21)
- “The 300,000 users of I-270 and I-495 traveling every day between Montgomery County and Northern Virginia deserve better from their elected officials. The last chance to provide leadership on the issue will be on Wednesday. May they vote the right way.”
Elected Officials, Community Leaders Stress The Importance Of Governor Hogan’s Traffic Relief Plan
More Than 60 Business, Labor, And Community Organizations Have Indicated Strong Support For The Traffic Relief Plan, Stressing The Benefits That The Project Would Provide For Individuals And The Economy. “Furthermore, we support this forward-thinking, regionally significant project because it will substantially reduce congestion and delays for both free and toll lane users, improve regional transit service, increase carpooling, add new bike and pedestrian connections, strengthen our economy, and create thousands of good-paying jobs.” (Letter, Re: Traffic Relief Plan,” Suburban Maryland Transportation Alliance, 5/4/21)
- “Moreover, this project represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to address one of our region’s worst bottlenecks while minimizing risk to taxpayers through an innovative P3 approach. In addition to funding design and development of the project, the proposed pre-development agreement would include a commitment of up to $300 million for transit improvements in the corridor just for Phase 1 South, a new bike and pedestrian connection between Maryland and Virginia, $50 million for business and community grants, and $25 million to support new transportation technology and research in the corridor.”
Governor Ralph Northam: The Traffic Relief Plan Represents A “Shared Solution To Tough Regional Problems.”“A new bridge means commuters will get to work and back home faster… ‘Our teams have identified a way to fix one of the worst traffic hot spots in the country. This demonstrates what can get done when leaders come together to find shared solutions to tough regional problems. This is about helping people see their families more, grow their businesses, and further unlock the region’s vast economic potential.’” (Press Release, “Governor Northam, Governor Hogan Announce Historical ‘Capital Beltway Accord; To Rebuild American Legion Bridge, Connect Interstate Highway System,” Office Of The Governor Of Virginia, 11/12/19)
Senator Nancy King (D-Montgomery County): Canceling Governor Hogan’s Traffic Relief Plan Would Be A “Terrible Mistake.” “All I know is I think we have too much to lose to let that project die,’ said King, who represents the upcounty area. ‘Does it need to be tweaked? Maybe. But I think it would be a terrible mistake to not let it go forward.’” (Katherine Shaver, “Supporters Of Maryland Plan For Toll Lanes On The Beltway, I-270 Push For Another Vote After Regional Board Rejects It,” The Washington Post, 6/26/21)
Former Congressman John Delaney Called Governor Hogan’s Plan “Good News,” Referred To It As A “Big Solution To A Big Problem.” “In a statement, Democratic Rep. John Delaney called Hogan’s announcement ‘good news’ and called for bipartisan cooperation on the broad outlines of the plan. ‘This is day one of what should be a considered process and we’ve got to carefully analyze the plan and the costs, but I am encouraged that we’re finally moving forward and I’m supportive of the state thinking about these kind of big solutions to big problems,’ Delaney said.” (Jack Moore, “Hogan Proposes $9B Plan To Add New Lanes To Beltway, 270 And BW Parkway,” WTOP, 9/21/17)
Ike Leggett, Former Montgomery County Executive: “The Future Of Montgomery County And The Region Depends On” Governor Hogan’s Traffic Relief Plan. “Everyone suffers the consequences of traffic gridlock. And with the region’s population growing, this crisis is worsening by the day. That’s why, when it comes to fixing Maryland’s traffic crisis, not moving forward just isn’t a practical option...I’m an optimist, and I still hope and believe that we can move forward and get this done. The future of Montgomery County and the region depends on it.” (Ike Leggett, “On Fixing Maryland’s Transit Crisis, No Is Not An Option,” The Washington Post, 7/16/21)
Montgomery County Councilmembers Hans Riemer, Gabe Albornoz, Andrew Friedson, Nancy Navarro And Craig Rice Expressed Their Support For The Traffic Relief Plan. “Ultimately, we recognize that Montgomery County must remain tightly connected with the rest of the Washington metropolitan region. With a real transit alternative and further opportunities to work with the State to improve the project moving forward, we believe the County should vote to allow the project to be included in the 'Visualize 2045' air quality conformance analysis at the Transportation Planning Board.” (Press Release, “Statement On The American Legion Bridge, I-270 And Transit From Five Montgomery County Councilmembers,” Montgomery County Council, 7/20/21)
Gaithersburg Mayor Jud Ashman Is A Supporter Of Governor Hogan’s Traffic Relief Plan. “Gaithersburg Mayor Jud Ashman (D), who supports Hogan’s toll-lane plan, said a monorail warrants more in-depth state analysis.” (Katherine Shaver, “A Montgomery Developer Has A Plan To Ease Traffic On I-270: Build A Monorail,” The Washington Post, 5/18/19)
Jay Townsend, AAA Mid-Atlantic, Daniel Flores, Vice President For Regional Government Relations For The Greater Washington Board Of Trade, And Jason Stanford, President Of The Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance: The Traffic Relief Plan Is “Essential To The D.C. Area’s Economic Future.” “Maryland’s multimodal high-occupancy toll lanes plan for Interstate 270 and the American Legion Bridge is essential to the D.C. area’s economic future. This critical infrastructure will dramatically reduce travel times, create jobs and expand access for everyone in our region… Specifically, this investment will relieve congestion and improve travel times for both free and toll lane users, allow carpoolers free use, provide $300 million for transit and facilitate express bus service between key regional job and activity centers such as Bethesda, Gaithersburg, Silver Spring, Tysons and Reston.” (John Townsend, Daniel Flores, and Jason Stanford, “Maryland’s Beltway Toll Lanes Would Expand Access To Jobs In The Region,” The Washington Post, 7/19/21)
- “This project will strengthen our economy, expand equitable access to opportunity and create thousands of new good-paying jobs for our community, including an extraordinary commitment to hire Maryland minority-owned businesses for 26 percent of a $3.7 billion contract. Now is the time to move forward with this game-changing improvement for our region.”