Issue Position: Reduce Gridlock

Issue Position

Maryland's economic future depends in no small part on the strength of its transportation infrastructure. In 2020, Bob and Mary envision a network of roads and transit systems that safely and reliably connect commuters from their homes to their places of work and recreation. To reach that vision, they will be guided by three principles: 1) finding consensus, 2) fixing what's broken now, and 3) prioritizing new projects that boost the economy and improve safety.

Transportation Trust Fund: The Transportation Trust Fund pays for Maryland's transportation projects. Fund revenues are down significantly under Governor O'Malley. Over the last four years, the Fund received reduced motor fuel, titling, registration, and sales tax revenue, and also received fewer toll and transit fares. Governor O'Malley's irresponsible stewardship of the Fund has only accelerated the deterioration of MARC, Washington METRO, and road maintenance statewide.
The Ehrlich Administration will establish a "consensus commission," a blue ribbon panel to recommend realistic ways to fund Maryland's transportation system. The panel will be modeled on the successful Hellmann Commission, which replenished the Trust Fund and helped Maryland institute a geographically balanced transportation program from 2003 to 2007. Striving for consensus is what allowed Bob Ehrlich to launch construction on the Intercounty Connector after 50 years of delay and to enact an ambitious, $250 million transportation revenue package designed to fund 143 transportation projects statewide.

Fixing Transit: Performance on Maryland's MARC and Washington METRO systems have declined rapidly in recent years. Shoddy maintenance and unacceptable safety hazards top the list, along with this Summer's "Hell Train" incident, in which 900 commuters were trapped on sweltering trains without water, air conditioning, or information. The Ehrlich Administration will prioritize MARC and WMATA services and develop safe and cost-effective alternatives for the Purple and Red Lines.

The current Administration has threatened existing WMATA funds, but Bob Ehrlich will be an honest broker with the State's WMATA partners. A chief priority for WMATA will be fixing escalators at Red Line stations. Team Ehrlich will also revitalize the MARC riders' advisory committee, which the State's leaders have ignored for four years.

Restore Local Aid: Road maintenance funds in Maryland have been decimated over the past four years. Local governments are unable to fund basic maintenance to their roads, making Maryland towns less attractive to potential employers and tourism. The Ehrlich-Kane Administration will restore 25 percent of local road aid cuts proposed by Governor O'Malley in Ehrlich's first year in office to improve safety and reduce traffic.

Red and Purple Lines: The Red and Purple Line light rail projects are neither cost effective nor practical in light of Maryland's depleted transportation trust fund. Maryland currently lacks the money to build the $3.6 billion projects and any further funds spent on them are simply stolen from systems that need immediate help like MARC and Metro. The O'Malley Administration has admitted as much by failing to budget any funds for either project through 2015.
Bus Rapid Transit is a safe and cost-effective alternative for the Red and Purple light rail projects, which could save Maryland nearly $2 billion without losing rider capacity. Those savings could then fund other projects, including improving the Capital Beltway, building the Corridor City Transitway in Montgomery County, putting commuter buses on the ICC, adding hybrid electric buses, or improving the deteriorating MARC and Washington Metro services. Maryland cannot continue to spend money it does not have, especially on projects that have more cost effective alternatives.

Capital Beltway Improvements: Congestion on the Capital Beltway is a major problem, as is the deterioration of the concrete under the Beltway. The Ehrlich Administration will fix these dangerous problems. We'll prioritize proposals in the West Side Mobility Study, a joint effort between Maryland and Virginia to ease regional congestion. The Study's solutions include more effective use of HOV lanes on I-270 and improvements on I-495. Not all of the West Side Mobility Study's proposals are feasible immediately, but they deserve serious consideration as part of a frank discussion about Beltway congestion and maintenance.

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