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On Wednesday, August 1, Carroll County residents will have an opportunity to meet with local transportation officials and comment on plans to improve highways, transit and bicycle and pedestrian facilities over the next twenty years. The meeting will be held in room 003/004 of the County Office Building at 225 N. Center Street in Westminster. The public is invited to drop in at any time between 4 and 8 p.m. to view maps and talk with local officials. There will be formal presentations on the plan at 5 and 7 p.m. A total of eight public meetings are taking place at the end of August, with one public meeting taking place in each of the region’s six jurisdictions. In addition, two meetings will be held at the offices of the Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) in the 2700 block of Boston Street in Canton. Each meeting will include displays of proposed projects, presentations by local transportation officials, and an opportunity to ask questions or provide comments. Every four years, the Baltimore region is required by the federal government to update its long-range transportation plan. The plan update must take into account projected changes in population, employment and land use patterns, and their effects on travel, congestion and air quality in the region. Planners must also consider the funding that is likely to be available, and must budget for system maintenance and operations, as well as new construction and improvements to existing infrastructure. Transportation Outlook 2035, the update which is currently under way, has seven goals:
Transportation Outlook 2035 Public Meetings Scheduled This update, which projects approximately $8 billion in federal and state funds for transportation projects, should be of special interest to residents because it addresses impacts on the transportation network projected growth in bio-science, health care and defense-related industries. “We all need to do a better job of informing residents about transportation projects that will affect their specific communities,” said Howard County Executive Ken Ulman, who serves as chair of the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board. “With Transportation Outlook 2035, we aim to get residents involved in the process from the start. These public meetings are the ideal forum for people to become informed, voice their concerns, and provide input on how transportation can help improve the quality of life throughout the Baltimore region.” The plan includes both regionally significant projects and projects specific to ear jurisdiction. Projects of regional significance include the widening of Route 50 between I-97 and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, widening portions of the Baltimore Beltway and I-95, and developing an east-west rapid transit line in Baltimore City. Come of the projects specific to Carroll County are:
Copies of the draft of Transportation Outlook 2035 are available at public libraries throughout the region, as well as in local planning offices. The draft plan is also available online at www.baltometro.org. Comments may also be submitted online at www.baltometro.org, in writing to Baltimore Regional Transportation Board, 2700 Lighthouse Point East, Suite 310, Baltimore, MD 21224, by fax to 410-732-8248, or by e-mail to The Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) is the organization of the region’s elected executives who are committed to identifying regional interests and developing collaborative strategies, plans and programs which will improve the quality of life and economic vitality throughout the region. The Baltimore Regional Transportation Board (BRTB) is federally-recognized Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for transportation in the Baltimore region. BMC provides technical and staff support to the BRTB.
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