Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2008
ANNAPOLIS — With the county on tap to receive about $469 million from the state for transportation projects, lawmakers are grateful for the allocations, but say more is needed to deal with the county’s infamous congestion and BRAC-related growth.
‘‘This is baby steps, but it’s not enough, period,” said Councilwoman Nancy M. Floreen (D-At large) of Garrett Park.
Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) announced the county’s allotment last week as part of his six-year, $10.6 billion transportation construction program.
Two years ago Floreen and former Councilman Steven A. Silverman sponsored a plan to forward fund transportation projects on state roads in the county to jumpstart the state’s commitment. Under the plan, the county would use liquor profits to double its forward funding for state projects.
Back then, the council members announced the plan at Md. 355 and Montrose Parkway in Rockville, a future state interchange site that has long been on the county’s priority list. Included in O’Malley’s allocation is $5 million in engineering funds for an interchange at I-270 and Watkins Mill Road in Gaithersburg and $63 million in construction funds for an interchange at Georgia Ave. and Randolph Road in Silver Spring.
‘‘I appreciate the effort, and the main thing is that at least the state agrees that these are real priorities,” Floreen said about O’Malley’s commitment to the county. ‘‘But the question is the same as it has always been: how do we pay for these things?”
Transportation projects in the state are paid for by a dedicated Transportation Trust Fund that is separate from the state’s general fund, which pays for state agencies.
In previous years, money in the Transportation Trust Fund has been used to make up general fund deficits, thus delaying transportation projects.
With billions of dollars of backlogged transportation projects, the money has been slow in coming from the state.
‘‘We still have some concerns,” said County Executive Isiah Leggett (D), referencing the $45 million allocation for Base Realignment and Closure improvements for Bethesda.
‘‘Given the needs in that area, it’s a huge problem for us. We were looking at at least $70 million. [O’Malley’s allocation] will get us started, but we’ll be back to address this as we go forward.”
Going forward, the county is scheduled to receive $100 million in engineering funds for the 16-mile Purple Line. Similar to allocations for some of the other projects, some of the funds are scheduled for latter years in the six-year plan.
‘‘We try to be conservative in our financial forecasting, so barring a very severe situation, at the federal level that would change things dramatically, funds for the project will be available,” said John D. Porcari, secretary of the state’s Department of Transportation. ‘‘We have a good track record for delivering the project in our capital program.”
In addition to the targeted projects, Porcari said the county was fortunate to receive ongoing allocations such as $100 million in dedicated funding for Metro.
‘‘What [O’Malley] announced was very good news for Montgomery County,” he said. ‘‘The projects were part of the county’s own priority list. We worked carefully with every county as they developed their lists.”
The county is having better success in getting money for its transportation projects than in previous years, said Del. Ana Sol Gutierrez, ‘‘but we will have to keep walking a fine line.”
Gutierrez (D-Dist. 18) of Chevy Chase said she was ‘‘disappointed” that funding to add an entrance at the Forest Glen Metro Station — one of the county delegation’s special projects — was not included in O’Malley’s plan.
Some transit advocates in the county had long argued that the county’s likelihood of receiving all of its necessary transportation funding had been hurt by the $2.4 billion, 18-mile Intercounty Connector connecting Gaithersburg and Laurel. The highway project had been approved by Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R), and construction began late last year.
‘‘The fact that the [ICC] and over a billion dollars of construction is already under way really doesn’t have any bearing on the other projects on the agenda for Montgomery County,” Porcari said.
Now that the project is under way, the conversation has shifted from competition for dollars to prioritizing projects.
‘‘I think the issue is not going to be competition between the projects, but how to keep them all moving forward,” said Ben Ross, president of Action Committee for Transit. ‘‘There needs to be more money for transportation statewide.”
For the time being, Del. Kumar P. Barve (D-Dist. 17) of Gaithersburg is glad that money and construction for the ICC, Corridor Cities Transitway and the Purple Line will be on the way. ‘‘Hopefully after the recession that we seem to be in is over, the economy will rebound and there will be more money for completion of more of these projects.”
In addition to the county’s allocation, O’Malley’s transportation plan also included $513 million for Baltimore County projects and $460 million for Prince George’s projects.
