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Wednesday, April 21, 2021


 

City of Rockville Gears up for Potential Legal Fights

The Rockville City Council has approved funding to seek outside legal counsel related to the plan to widen I-270 with for-profit toll lanes. The City wants legal advice on its right to refuse to turn over city-owned property the State needs for the I-270 expansion. The City is also seeking help with negotiations over the project if the Maryland Board of Public Works approves the first contract (aka the predevelopment agreement) with Australian toll road giant Transurban, for the design work on the project.

Read U.S. Rep. Anthony Brown’s Letter Slamming the I-495/I-270 Toll Lanes

In our previous newsletter, we highlighted a news report that U.S. Rep. Anthony Brown (D-MD-4) recently sent a letter to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg criticizing the I-495/I-270 project. Here is the very strong letter that Rep. Brown sent to Sec. Buttigieg.

Maryland General Assembly Fails to Pass P3 Reform Despite $250 Million P3 Fiasco

On the last day of the Maryland General Assembly, Senate Budget and Taxation Committee Chair Guy Guzzone (D-Howard) and Vice Chair Jim Rosapepe (D-Prince George’s) made one last effort to push a House bill (HB 485) through the Committee to reform the process for establishing future public-private partnerships (P3s). 
 
That effort fell short in large part due to opposition from Sen. Nancy King (D-Montgomery) of Gaithersburg and a coalition of industry groups. The sponsor of the House bill, Del. Jared Solomon (D-Montgomery) expressed frustration that the experience with the Purple Line P3 had not moved the Senate to act on the reform proposal. The need to reform the P3 process has become more evident with the challenges related to the Purple Line. The withdrawal of the construction contractor, the $250 million in added costs and the lengthy delays make clear that the existing P3 process does not protect the State and its taxpayers from the substantial risks inherent in public-private partnerships.
 
After being severely weakened in the House, the MDOT Promises Act (HB 67) was also blocked in the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee. This bill was sponsored by Del. Marc Korman (D-Montgomery) and would have required the Maryland Department of Transportation to fulfill the promises it has made about the I-495/I-270 project. The promises included a pledge that the added lanes would have no cost to taxpayers and that no contracts would be signed with the developer before the environmental review is completed. In a letter to legislators, MDOT objected to the bill, including a provision that would have prohibited subsidies to the developer.

Take Action Today! Tell the Board of Public Works to Delay Vote on the First Contract for Toll Lanes

Shouldn’t we know the environmental, fiscal and social risks of adding toll lanes to I-495/I-270 before the State signs any contract for the project?  Yes of course we should.  That’s the normal process.  Unfortunately, the General Assembly’s failure to act puts the pressure to protect the public from another P3 blowup squarely on the shoulders of the Board of Public Works.
 
Urge the Board of Public Works to get all the facts before voting on the predevelopment contract.
 
But MDOT isn’t waiting for the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) before asking the Board of Public Works to approve the predevelopment agreement, the design contract for Phase 1 of the project. They plan to submit the contract to the Board of Public Works as early as May, months before the FEIS is to be issued.

MDOT is not waiting to show us:

  • The amount of subsidies taxpayers will be forced to pay the developer;
  • The harm it will cause to our parks;
  • How the project will contribute to global warming;
  • The disparate impact it may have on low-income communities and communities of color;
  • The damage it will do to our streams, the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay.

Join us in urging the Board of Public Works to get all the facts before voting on the predevelopment agreement.


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Citizens Against Beltway Expansion

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