At its meeting on August 11, 2021, the Maryland Board of Public Works voted 2-1 to advance Governor Hogan's proposed luxury toll lane project. Governor Hogan and Comptroller Franchot voted for the project, while Treasurer Nancy Kopp voted against.
Contact: Josh Tulkin, 650-722-3171, josh.tulkin@mdsierra.org
Maryland Sierra Club Director Josh Tulkin gave this statement:
It is unconscionable that Governor Hogan and Comptroller Franchot chose to green light this massive highway expansion in the same week that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) called a code red on climate change. Climate change must be central to all of our transportation and infrastructure planning. On that mark our leaders failed us today.
This project has been fundamentally flawed from its inception, and it remains fundamentally flawed. It reflects an outdated way of thinking, will not solve congestion, and prioritizes the interests of the privatized multibillion highway industry over the well-being of our communities, environment, and climate.
Maryland deserves better than a private toll lane highway expansion. It deserves a 21st century sustainable transportation system. We will continue to fight for that future.