Lindsey Mendelson, lindsey.mendelson@mdsierra.org
Josh Tulkin, josh.tulkin@mdsierra.org
MARYLAND – Yesterday, a regional transportation board composed of county and city leaders from Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, voted to remove the widening of highways I-495 and I-270 from a federally mandated environmental study, dealing a major setback to the highway expansion.
Legal analysis has shown that this is a project that is not in the public interest, has countless unanswered questions, and would be extremely harmful for the environment and public health.
On Thursday, June 24, the Maryland Chapter of the Sierra Club will host a town hall to discuss next steps to halt this project.
In response to the vote, Josh Tulkin, Director of Sierra Club’s Maryland Chapter, released the following statement:
“This vote reinforces the message that advocates and community members have been sending about the highway plan: Widening the Capital Beltway and I-270 would hurt Maryland residents and do nothing to ease traffic congestion.
“National attention is finally on the environmental injustice of highway expansions, which disproportionately harm communities of color and low-income communities, a reality that communities have known for years. And yet, Governor Hogan has moved forward with this boondoggle of a project. Maryland must pull the plug on this project and go back to the drawing board to plan for a sustainable, equitable transportation future that actually addresses congestion.
We will continue our advocacy to stop this flawed, expensive, and harmful project for good.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.8 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.