Maryland transportation officials are pushing a plan to have private investors build two new toll lanes in each direction on I-270. This plan first adds the new lanes between the Beltway and Shady Grove. Only later would they be extended to Frederick. And -- as with any big profit-seeking construction scheme -- if the early phases of the project don't pay off as well as expected, there might not be enough money to build the rest.
Under this plan, I-270 would back up at merge points even more than it does now. Eight northbound lanes would merge into two lanes between Shady Grove and Clarksburg.
Nancy King chairs the powerful Budget and Tax Committee of the Maryland Senate. If you live in Senator King's district (Montgomery Village, most of Germantown, and Clarksburg south of Little Seneca Parkway-see map), please sign this petition urging her to stop the plan for increased traffic congestion on I-270.
Petition to Senator Nancy King
Senator Nancy King
Maryland State Senate
Dear Senator King:
Please don’t let the Maryland Department of Transportation’s toll lane plan make our traffic jams worse.
Under this proposal, the section of I-270 between Shady Grove and the Beltway would first be widened by adding four lanes. Extension of the toll lanes from Shady Grove to Frederick would be left for later – and there can be no guarantee it would happen at all.
Widening south of Shady Grove first would force 8 lanes of northbound traffic to merge into just 2 lanes. The terrible traffic backups we already face at the merge points would get even worse.
Regardless of whether adding toll lanes to I-270 is a good idea or a bad one, this makes no sense.
As chair of the powerful Budget and Tax Committee, you have immense influence over the state government. We ask you to protect your constituents and stop this plan.