Nov. 16, 2017
Find out what's happening in Silver Springfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The Action Committee for Transit, the Sligo Creek Golf Association, and 7 neighborhood associations are today announcing the formation of a coalition to oppose Gov. Larry Hogan’s plan to add four toll lanes to the Beltway.
Don’t Widen the Beltway also include the Woodside Forest Preservation Working Group and civic associations representing Forest Glen Estates, Indian Springs, Linden, North Hills of Sligo, North Woodside and Woodside.
Find out what's happening in Silver Springfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The groups rallied at a meeting of the County Council’s Transportation and Environment Committee which heard from Maryland Transportation Secretary Pete Rahn about the governor’s plan.
"We are working to oppose this appallingly bad idea that threatens to destroy large swathes of Woodside Forest, as well as Sligo Creek Park and Sligo Creek Golf course, two of the ever-dwindling number of recreational amenities inside the Beltway which happen to border our community,” said Jeff Russell, chairperson of the Woodside Forest Preservation Working Group.
Gov. Hogan announced his plan to add four lanes of toll roads to the Beltway, i-270 and the BW Parkway on Sept. 21 without consultation with local officials and with a promise taxpayers would bear any of the $9 billion cost.
Other details, like a map, design and homes impacted were missing.
“Hogan could have put all the information about this dubious toll road plan in a tweet,” said Woody Brosnan, president of the Sligo Creek Golf Association and organizer of the Don’t Widen the Beltway Coalition.
Noted local transportation expert Ben Ross, said, “The plan’s enormous cost will require sky-high tolls. Only the wealthiest drivers will be willing to pay, revenue will fall far short of what is needed to pay back investors and lenders, and taxpayers in all income brackets will get stuck with the bills.”
Ross, the chair of the Maryland Transit Opportunities Coalition and former president of the Action Committee for Transit, calculated based on a previous State Highway Administration study that a toll road from Frederick to the Shady Grove Metro Station would cost more than $4 billion and require a $41 one-way toll to come close to covering the costs.
Adding toll lanes and ramps to the Beltway would require huge cloverleafs half the size of downtown Bethesda at key intersections, said Ross
“We don’t need gigantic slabs of concrete dividing the Silver Spring community and polluting our streams with more runoff,” said Brosnan.
Action Committee for Transit is circulating an online petition drive opposing the Hogan plan. https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/dont-tear-down-homes-to-widen-i-495?source=direct_link
Ronit Dancis, president of ACT, said next year is an election year and ACT will be asking candidates whether they oppose widening the Beltway or not.
The Sligo Creek Golf Association is prepared to assist the coalition with a yard sale campaign like the one that helped persuade the County Council not to close the community nine-hole course eight years ago.
For questions contact Woody Brosnan, 301-588-0025, 240-481-0309, woodybrosnan@verizon.net, or Ronit Dancis, 240 432 9917, ronitadancis@yahoo.com.
