Join the discussion on the following article:
Maryland delays Purple Line light rail bids
2 million if u lose the bid i wish I had bid on the project
Republican true to form; more money for roads and highways and less for public transit especially rail. We all know what side his bread his buttered on and by whom.
Other states/cities have built entire rail transit systems, or at least multiple lines, in the time it took Maryland to build one Metro line in Baltimore which doesn’t connect to anything, and a light rail line on the cheap that follows a less than optimal route and doesn’t connect at all to the Metro line that it crosses.
My guess is the the Washington-area Purple light rail line will be built because it connects so much across the Maryland suburbs, it’s badly needed, and there is a transit constituency in Washington, and that the Baltimore Red line will languish.
In the meantime, the state has found funds to rebuild a massive interstate highway interchange near Baltimore and install multi-lane EZ-pass express lanes on that part of Interstate 95. That project alone cost more than a billion dollars, and will only encourage more traffic and more congestion.
Critics of the $2 million provision have no idea of what it costs to submit a bid on a billion dollar project. It’s not as if Joe’s Storm Door & Lawn Mowing can submit a responsive bid!
What part of interstate 95 has become toll besides the Fort McHenry tunnel; I was wondering about the reference to EZ-pass lanes being built at a massive new interchange. I am not a highway fan but I saw this here and I used to live in Baltimore.
Re: Mr. Kidman- The JFK Highway at the Susquehanna bridge has always had a toll. A previous commentator was probably alluding to the new “commuter” lanes in the section of I-95 east of the Baltimore beltway.
They are the “EZ Pass express lanes” on I-95 northeast of Baltimore, including the massive new interchange with I-695, i.e. the Baltimore beltway. They opened a few days ago, on December 6.
I will give the state credit for finally starting to run MARC commuter trains between Baltimore and Washington on weekends, which was long overdue.