Annapolis officials say transit service to the state capital is lacking, and they want the state to expedite studying ways to bring trains to the city.
“If there is a little ice or snow, traffic in Annapolis will be backed up for hours,” said Del. Ron George, R-Anne Arundel.
” … A rail system would be very useful.”
A House committee heard two bills sponsored by George mandating studies to extend rail lines to Annapolis from Baltimore City and Washington, D.C., and to create a city light-rail or trolley system.
Annapolis aldermen echoed George during testimony Tuesday before the House Environmental Matters Committee.
“About 40 percent of my constituents commute to Baltimore and Washington. Routes97 and 50 are already clogged,” said Alderman Sam Shropshire.
“At times, it has taken me an hour to get across the city.”
Officials pointed to the lack of transit projects in the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board?s 2035 Transportation Outlook, which defines the region?s future transit projects.
While the report emphasized more road projects, the state has made commitments to improve MARC train service.
But efforts to extend rail to Annapolis have not occurred.
Paul Foer, an Annapolis activist, told the committee that while the city needs a rail station, express bus services to Baltimore City would be a quicker fix to the problem.
“It is absurd that in this densely populated, wealthy state, its capital does not have a express service,” Foer said.
The bills mirror legislation introduced by state Sen. John Astle, D-Anne Arundel.
But George said his legislation mediates some of the concern of the Maryland Department of Transportation by extending the deadline from 2009 to 2011, allowing the state to use its own staff.
Such a move would save 30 percent to 40 percent in costs, George said.
But the committee brought out another major issuewith the bill.
If the General Assembly mandates a study, it would bypass the typical process that all local governments use to vie for transportation projects, setting a precedent that state transportation officials say is unacceptable.
“This is essentially planning by politics,” said Del. Anthony O?Donnell, R-Calvert and St. Mary?s.
George said his bill would not create such a precedent and MDOT has continually ignored previous efforts to include a rail study in the state?s long-term plans.
