I'm writing to call your attention to an upcoming series of meetings on the badly misguided proposal to invest billions of dollars in widening I-270 and I-495. This is a huge diversion of resources from communities needing reinvestment that creates additional equity problems by incentivizing and subsidizing driving, which many people cannot afford, instead of prioritizing projects that serve people instead of automobiles. Oh, and building. new. highway. lanes. does. not. reduce. traffic.
I encourage you to speak out against this boondoggle. In their haste to build new highways, MDOT has already dropped the transit alternatives and is moving forward with only options that add lanes:
MDOT SHA recommends Alternatives 1, 5, 8, 9, 10, 13B, and 13C be carried forward for further analysis and environmental evaluation. All alternatives, other than the No Build, include managed lanes, either High Occupancy Toll Lanes also known as HOT lanes or Express Toll Lanes also known as ETLs, combine congestion pricing and lane management to control the number of vehicles entering the lane to keep traffic flowing. Link: Screened Alternatives
Thursday, April 11, 2019
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
In July 2018, MDOT SHA presented the Preliminary Range of Alternatives at a series of public workshops in Montgomery and Prince George's counties. Since that time, MDOT SHA has performed an initial screening and reduced the Preliminary Range of Alternatives to seven recommended Screened Alternatives. In addition to the newsletter, an 18-minute presentation has been posted to our website that explains, in detail, the alternatives that are being recommended to be dropped from further consideration and explains the screening process for those decisions.
Throughout Winter 2019, further technical studies are being completed to determine the traffic operations, financial viability, and potential effects to environmental resources associated with the recommended Screened Alternatives. Once further analyses of the seven recommended Screened Alternatives are complete, MDOT SHA will hold another series of public workshops in Spring 2019 to present the results of the additional analyses of the recommended Screened Alternatives and identify the remaining alternatives that will be retained for detailed study in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS).
Public participation is encouraged so stay tuned to the program website and a follow-up email for more details about the Spring public workshops. We encourage you to share this information with your neighbors and local community.
Questions or comments on the managed lanes study may be provided anytime via the I-495 & I-270 P3 program email at 495-270-P3@sha.state.md.us and updated information on the study and public involvement opportunities can be found on the I-495 & I-270 P3 program website.
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