Route 1 Reporter (https://route1reporter.com/tag/transportation/)
The Maryland State Highway Administration is currently in the process of re-designing the surface of Queens Chapel Road in Prince George’s County. The bad news: it doesn’t go far enough to enhance pedestrian or cyclist safety.
College Park wants to launch its new dockless bike, e-bike and electric scooter program before the fall semester gets underway in August. There may be a hitch in the plan.
Scooters and e-bikes are on the horizon for College Park.
A 14-year–old Bowie honors student, killed by a motorist June 15, is the 150th pedestrian to be killed by a motorist in Prince George’s County since 2010, according to a Route 1 Reporter database.
Maryland’s Board of Public Works voted two-to-one to advance a proposal to widen I-270 and I-495 with toll lanes. Now, state officials can begin to solicit bids to build the project. However, transit advocates and environmentalists won some concessions that will dramatically re-order the three-phase proposed project.
You can now bike from downtown Washington, D.C., to Beltsville, Maryland, almost entirely on paved trails, courtesy of an effectively-complete, not officially-opened, extension of the Little Paint Branch Trail along Cherry Hill Road.
On the narrow question of does this project achieve it’s stated goals — shortening highway commute times — Maryland may have a success. But on the greater question of proactive, responsible planning according to objective public policy, this plan is highly suspect.
Prince George’s County officials had harsh words for Maryland transportation officials pushing plans to add new lanes to the Beltway. Members of the Prince George’s County Council were briefed on the proposal, dubbed the I-495-I-270 Managed Lanes Study, at a March 25 meeting. The proposal calls for the addition of variable-rate toll lanes to the Maryland portion of the Capital Beltway. During discussion of the proposal – heavily backed by Gov. Larry Hogan’s administration – District Three County Councilor Danielle Glaros said the project lacked broad buy-in from local communities. She contrasted the toll lane proposal with the efforts to build the Purple Line, a transportation infrastructure project more enthusiastically endorsed by the communities and local governments through which it wends.
College Park could become a pioneer for dockless bikes and scooters in Prince George’s County.
An overview of the political winds tilting against Gov. Larry Hogan’s plan to widen the Beltway. We also have a smattering of weather-response stories from news outlets around the region.