Nos genuflectitur ad non princeps sed Princeps Pacem!
Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)
Posted on 04/04/2012 6:45:57 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Maryland’s top transportation priority should be a $5.8 billion project to widen the entire Capital Beltway, from the Woodrow Wilson Bridge to the American Legion Bridge, a leading national transportation group said Wednesday.
The first step would be the investment of $800 million to relieve the weekday congestion between Interstate 270 and the American Legion Bridge by widening the roadway, adding High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes and designating lanes where the direction of traffic could be reversed to accommodate the flow of the morning and evening rush hours.
The Beltway recommendations topped the list of 40 Maryland transportation projects prioritized by TRIP, a national nonprofit transportation study group supported by insurance companies, unions, equipment manufacturers and firms engaged in highway and transit construction.
In a report released Wednesday, the group said that Maryland’s recovery from the recession and its future economic viability depended on investment in relieving congestion and improving mobility.
“Maryland’s transportation system has significant deficiencies that could prevent the state from reaching its full economic potential,” the report said. “Maryland’s economy and quality of life could be adversely affected if its transportation system cannot provide for the efficient movement of goods and people.”
The cost of the top 10 projects TRIP (The Road Information Program) listed amounted to almost $13.7 billion.
In addition to the Capital Beltway project, they include replacing the Gov. Harry W. Nice Bridge in Charles County ($885 million); widening the Baltimore beltway ($1.2 billion); building the state’s Purple Line from Bethesda to New Carrollton ($1.9 billion); widening and adding interchanges on Route 5 in Prince George’s ($1.1 billion); widening Route 295 to six lanes near Baltimore ($220 million); building Baltimore’s Red Line light rail from Woodlawn to Bayview Medical Center ($2.2 billion); widening U.S. 29 northbound to three lanes ($104 million)...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Well gosh, where’s all that money gonna come from?
Maryland “Freak State” PING!
No sooner do they complete the $2B "Road To Nowhere" [also known as the ICC], which CANNOT pay for itself in tolls [so they jack the tolls on ALL other bridges and tolls to pay for it] ...
NOW, they want to spend $5B on widening the Beltway ???
They reflipped their eyelashes and They hate you more. :)
That's because it was not designed to Interstate Highway standards ~ in fact, it existed BEFORE the internet system absorbed it.
The big money boys in MD already took the money 60 years ago ~ that highway was designed as a money pit that would cut through their property and yield them a vast treasure trove of taxpayer dollars forever.
Because of another MD land boondoggle called "Corridors and Wedges" MD"S Politicians and highway bosses refuse to consider constructing another bridge up the Potomac any closer than Point of Rocks ~ which is way out of the urban area that needs the service.
That is the politicians in MD literally want a BRIDGE TO NOWHERE!
"Maryland Freak State" Is only a small glimpse into the bizarre of MD politics.
Sounds like a terrible idea.
Would these be union projects?
Time to ban the term "inter" ~ it has outlived its utility.
There will be no new jobs with this and it will take 25 years minimum. Think I-5 running through Riverside ~ (to bring Westcoasters into some degree of understanding what is going on here).
Now imagine that stretch of I-5 had dozens of 25 degree curves on a 5% grade ~ substantial subsurface conditions of all sorts (this is an ice age gravel bed) will delay the project in many ways.
Why does the Naval Academy have to be in this horrid state. I work there and love it but dang it stinks living in Maryland. I guess this is another reason that the Governor wants to raise the sales tax from 6 to 7 cents. Thank goodness that his hope for a gas tax increase got shot down...for now.
Easy answer: 1 cent increase in the state sales tax AND passing the bill adding the sales tax to each dollar’s worth of gasoline and diesel sold in the state. Think of the millions that will roll in when a 4 dollar gallon of gasoline costs $4.28 with the .28 being the 7% sales tax.
Remember a vote for O’Malley will be a vote for more government benefits for the people...just ignore where the money has to come from.
How about they just all ride their bicycles to work or take the bus?
Um, that's the entire Maryland portion of the Beltway, all of which serves commuters to DC and VA as much as Maryland. I live inside the Beltway, and would never move to a place that would require its use. Those that live outside of it and never use it should object loudly. That means you, everyone north of Columbia.
I just moved to Virginia from MD and I was shocked how much lower the taxes are (though by having an old car I basically have no Virginia car tax.)
My car insurance and apartment insurance are vastly less here in Arlington than in Greenbelt, largely for crime reasons I guess.
The Maryland Beltway has to get widened one way or another sometime for the region to function, however.
in my dream the republicans sweep the house, senate and pres and massive cuts are made. the dc area is the only place growing because of free flowing fed dollars.
where’s the tea party.
the cuts needed fed jobs must happen.
MD should build a fence to block off DC.
Make the beltway in MD a toll road.
Welcome to Arlington. It’s good stuff.
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