MDOT - Maryland Department of Transportation
09/24/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/24/2024 08:46
Maryland Department of Transportation Officials Visit Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s Counties as Part of Statewide Transportation Tour
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Officials Outline Six-Year Draft Budget and Provide Key Project Updates
HANOVER, MD (September 24, 2024) - Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld and other agency leaders met today with officials in Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's counties to discuss the Department's Draft Consolidated Transportation Program for Fiscal Years 2025 to 2030. The $18.9 billion, six-year spending plan invests in projects and programs that help advance Maryland's goals to be a safer, more affordable, more competitive and more sustainable State that leaves no one behind.
"We are making strategic investments to further enhance the safety of our system and maintain operations," said Secretary Wiedefeld. "This draft budget is balanced but we had to make tough decisions and reductions to live within our means. We will continue to follow the data and make investments that support Maryland families in a fiscally responsible manner."
The safety of all Marylanders is the top priority of the Department, and that is reflected in the Draft CTP, with projects that prioritize maintaining the current system and seek to reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries on Maryland's roads. To view the full Draft FY 2025-2030 Consolidated Transportation Program, go to ctp.maryland.gov.
At Tuesday's meetings, transportation officials offered details and updates on several projects and programs affecting Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's counties. In addition to Secretary Wiedefeld, officials attending included Deputy Secretary Samantha Biddle; State Highway Administrator William Pines; SHA Chief Engineer Sutapa Samanta; District 5 Engineer Kim Tran; Motor Vehicle Administration Deputy Administrator Nikki Charlson; Maryland Transportation Authority Executive Director Bruce Gardner and Director of Planning and Program Development Melissa Williams; Maryland Transit Administrator Holly Arnold and Local Transit Support Director Travis Johnson; and Maryland Aviation Administration Regional Aviation Director Ashish Solanki.
State Highway Administration officials noted the agency's commitment to move forward with multimodal projects that improve safety, accessibility and mobility statewide and said State Highway has worked in the past year to streamline its process to grant highway access permits, which supports commercial, industrial and residential development.
Among other important local investments in the Draft Consolidated Transportation Program:
- Construction on the $6.8 million MD 5 Bridge Replacement over Hilton Run in St. Mary's County.
- In St. Mary's County, MD 235 (Three Notch Road), from MD 237 to MD 246, has been selected for a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan project to expand and enhance pedestrian safety features. In the coming months, staff will work with local officials and residents to explore strategies to make the MD 235 corridor safer and more accessible.
- A $240,000 grant from the Kim Lamphier Bikeways Program for design and engineering for the first phase of the Indian Head Rail Trail Extension Project in Charles County.
- The Maryland Transit Administration is undertaking a Planning and Environment Linkages (PEL) study to advance the Southern Maryland Rapid Transit project. This work will position the project for next steps, including the required National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis.
- More than $6.3 in operating and capital grants to support local transit operations in Charles County, including preventive maintenance and construction of a VanGo facility.
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Investments of more than $1.3 million in Calvert County and more than $1.6 million in St. Mary's County to support local transit operations.
The meetings are part of the Maryland Department of Transportation's engagement process in all 23 Maryland counties and Baltimore City to discuss the funding plan and receive input from local officials and the public. The tour continues into October. Dates and locations for upcoming sessions can be found here. The schedule is subject to change and will be updated as needed throughout the process.
The six-year Draft CTP outlines capital investments in each mode funded by the Transportation Trust Fund: Maryland Aviation Administration, Maryland Port Administration, Maryland Transit Administration, Motor Vehicle Administration, State Highway Administration and The Secretary's Office, as well as Maryland's investment in the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. The Maryland Transportation Authority's toll facilities are financed, constructed, operated and maintained with toll revenues paid by customers using those facilities.
Following the tour, the Maryland Department of Transportation will finalize the Draft CTP and submit the Final Fiscal Year 2025-2030 CTP to the Legislature in January for consideration during the 2025 General Assembly session.