Maryland transportation officials give the Charles County Commissioners and the Southern Maryland delegation bad news on the proposed light rail project for the county.
La Plata, MD – With the state of Maryland facing a severe deficit in transportation funding, the news is not good for proposed light rail in Charles County.
Jim Ports, deputy secretary for the Maryland Department of Transportation, said the state’s six-year Consolidated Transportation Plan for fiscal years FY 17-22 pushes preliminary funding for the project out to 2023.
The news had Maryland State Senator Thomas H. “Mac” Middleton seeing red, and he let officials from the MDT, the State Highway Administration and the Maryland Transit Authority know it during a briefing before county leaders Oct. 18.
“We are the fastest-growing county in the state of Maryland,” Middleton said. “Projects we have in that pipeline have been delayed again and again. Since we’re one of the fastest growing areas in the state, our traffic is impacted to what goes on in St. Mary’s County as well, because their citizens go through out county on the way to work.
“What were left with is an upgraded 301, which is the most costly of the projects,” he said.
“I’m really disappointed,” Middleton stressed. “I know there’s problems associated with the budget, but every day that goes by is a day lost. Every time we kick the can down the road it gets more expensive.
“The county commissioners worked real hard to get Prince George’s County to set it in place as a priority,” he added. “They got a commitment those things would be put in place so we could go to the federal government and make a case for federal funding. This report will be done then it’s delayed to 2023. That’s disturbing to me.”
Middleton refused to listen to excuses after a point.
“Here we’re talking about the only transportation relief and that has been pushed back,” he continued. “We just can’t let these projects continue to get pushed back. We really and truly have to work to get those projects moving forward.
“The thing we’ve been able to utilize to get relief has been in the commuter buses,” Middleton said. “And now it’s a long time, years and years away, before we have any shovels in the ground for mass transit.”
For Jason Groth, chief of Charles County Resource and Infrastructure Management, the announcement was a dagger straight through the heart of Charles County’s attempt to revitalize Waldorf.
The state’s announcement will not only make it more difficult but also more expensive as the project languishes.
“We are very eager to continue the momentum on the transit project,” he said. “We humbly ask for a small investment so we can continue the preliminary work.”
“I assure you, we will take that request back to the secretary,” Posts told Groth. “I can’t promise you anything else, but I can say that.”
Contact Joseph Norris at joe.norris@thebaynet.com
