Transportation
As your Delegate, I served as the Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee’s Transportation and the Environment Subcommittee, as a member of the Joint Legislative Commission in Interstate Transportation (MD, VA and DC), as an alternate for the Transportation Planning Board, and as legislative liaison for the Frederick Area Committee for Transportation (FACT).
Through my efforts on the Appropriations Committee, Frederick County received $53.7 million in transportation funds including $26 million for State Highway Administration capital improvements, $7.4 million for mass transit, and $14.4 million for Highway User Revenue.
I worked relentlessly with Senators Mikulski and Sarbanes to acquire over $200 millon that completed the I-270/70 Interstate connections.
I accelerated by at least 8 years the work on the newly opened ramp from MD-26 to northbound US-15 to alleviate the increasing congestion.
I commissioned a study by the State Highway Administration that analyzed the viability of a commuter rail line down the center of I-270.
Of all the candidates for office from Frederick County this fall, there is no one who better understands or is more willing to tackle the tough transportation issues facing Frederick County in the future.
Alternative Fuels
Ethanol is a very exciting source of energy. Today, it is added to gasoline to increase octane and improve gasoline’s emissions quality. But researchers are exploring its potential as an alternative fuel on its own. Most interesting for Frederick County, ethanol is produced from starch crops such as corn, barley, and wheat. With our agricultural acreage, the County could reap tremendous benefits from incentives to increase use of ethanol as an alternative fuel.
I led a successful fight to promote use of Inherently Low Emission Vehicles (ILEVs) by allowing them to use the High Occupancy Vehicle lanes, regardless of number of occupants. ILEVs run on energy efficient compressed gas which is produced in Maryland.
As I did with ILEVs, I look forward to leading the fight to increase the use of ethanol, both as an alternative and as an additive.
We must do better at finding ways to reduce the number of vehicles on our inter-county thoroughfares, and I believe mass transit — including bus and light-rail — have come nowhere near their potential. Did you know, for example, that the State Highway Administration estimates that one bus can replace 60 automobiles and that one light-rail car can replace 240 automobiles?
If elected, I intend to continue my efforts to extend commuter rail service on the Interstate 270 corridor into Western Maryland.
I also pledge to explore other ideas, such as more MARC trains and more vigorous car-pooling and “share-a-ride” initiatives. One idea might be a public-private partnership to provide motor coach transportation to Metro stops.
I led the telecommuting effort in Annapolis by introducing “teleworking” legislation that offers tax incentives to employers who allow employees to work from home. Many commuters would prefer to work at or close to home, thereby enhancing the quality of their lives, spending more time with their families, saving fuel costs, and sparing the environment. If elected, I pledge to continue to promote teleworking as an alternative to paving over more land.
