Bypass, bridge, transit are top transportation priorities

Study commission releases its report on region’s needs

Friday, July 25, 2008

The 21-member group met five times in 2007 and 2008 to compile a comprehensive, consolidated study of regional transportation needs.

Identifying the needs was the easy part. The challenge will be funding the projects and seeing them through to fruition.

‘‘It becomes a great source for elected officials to look at 20-year needs and take one step at a time to get there,” said Wayne Clark, executive director of the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland.

According to the study, between $6 billion and $7.3 billion in transportation needs have been identified. Of this total, between $2.1 billion and $2.4 billion has been identified as the top regional priorities.

‘‘People will be referring to this document for years,” said Charles County Commissioner Gary V. Hodge (D).

The Maryland Department of Transportation has estimated that Southern Maryland can be expected to receive around $640 million to $770 million between 2012 and 2030, an obvious shortfall.

It is estimated adding a new span to the Thomas Johnson bridge between St. Mary’s and Calvert could cost up to $750 million by itself.

The good news is planning money is already secured for the Waldorf bypass and new bridge options over the Patuxent River. Those projects would then move to design funding, Clark said.

‘‘It’s not like we have to get all that money now,” he said.

This study was unique for Southern Maryland, he said, because ‘‘it’s the only region in the state where all the counties come together with their top priorities.”

‘‘We’ve been patient; now we’ve got to be bold,” Hodge said. ‘‘We’re now one of the engines of the state’s economy. This is about regional competitiveness.”

The report found that 78 percent of trips in Southern Maryland are made by those driving alone. Thirteen percent carpool, and 1 percent use public transportation to get to work.

The average travel time to work in Southern Maryland was just more than 35 minutes compared to a statewide average of 30 minutes.

Trips from Southern Maryland to Washington, D.C., predominantly come out of northern Calvert and the eastern half of Charles. Commutes to Lexington Park⁄Patuxent River Naval Air Station come mainly from the southern half of Calvert and most of St. Mary’s.

In 2006 there were 5,124 crashes on Southern Maryland highways, causing 68 deaths and 2,994 injuries.