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Required Reading: Luxury Lanes Spark Bi-Partisan Scorn,
in North Carolina, says Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal ran a cautionary article on December 28 about a bi-partisan revolt against a 26-mile public-private partnership (P3) tollway in Charlotte, North Carolina, the state’s first public-private partnership tollway.
“Everything about it is bad, from philosophy to pavement,” said Jim Puckett, a Republican who serves on the state transportation department’s local advisory group told the WSJ. “It’s a miserable place for a toll road.”
What's the problem? According to WSJ, motorists are complaining that the tolls are pricey and unpredictable. Other problems include construction zone crashes, more complicated local trips because of the way cars merge on and off access points, and confusing lane markings to name a few.
So why is this important to Marylanders? The $647 million, I-77 tollway in Charlotte uses the same P3 financing model Governor Hogan is proposing for his $11 billion proposal to add over 70 miles of privatized, for-profit toll lanes along I-270 and I-495.
Also important: people in North Carolina reacted so negatively to the I-77 P3 toll lane project they voted out the politicians who supported it. Now members from both parties are urging a boycott. Republican Puckett, for example, says he won't use them.
(Note: the full article is only available to WSJ subscribers.)
Concerned? Make yourself heard!
1. Tell your state Senators to demand the release of critical Luxury Lane project data, like projected toll rates, from State Highway Administrator Greg Slater at his Jan. 10, 2020 confirmation hearing to become the next MDOT Secretary.
MDOT has been hiding basic fiscal and environmental project data, including its estimated toll rates for each segment of its proposed tollways, despite repeated request from Treasurer Nancy Kopp, Comptroller Peter Franchot, the General Assembly, the Maryland National Park and Planning Commission, and the public.
This data is needed so these state office can conduct their own independent due diligence and help protect taxpayers from the sort of boondoggle bailouts seen in Texas, North Carolina and other states. Maryland's watchdogs cannot rely on the US Department of Transportation to flag over-optimistic traffic and revenue assumptions at the root of many P3 tollway financial failures.
2. Tell the General Assembly to pass P3 reforms in the next session, which starts on January 8.
Tell your Delegates and Senators to support new laws to protect taxpayers and communities from flawed boondoggles like the one MDOT has been proposing. Several bills are being worked on. Stay tuned.
3. Keep up the pressure on the Board of Public Works, as well as your elected officials to protect taxpayers, communities, the environment, and transit from MDOT's current Luxury Lane plans. Here are the Board member's email addresses.
The Honorable Larry Hogan, Governor of the State of Maryland
Mark.Newgent@maryland.gov
The Honorable Peter Franchot, Comptroller of Maryland AKLASE@comp.state.md.us
The Honorable Nancy Kopp, Treasurer of the State of Maryland
jkille@treasurer.state.md.us
Stay Tuned. Spread the word.
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ICYMI
Used with permission from Hansen Art
(Note: The above Washington Post editorial is remarkably more even tempered than past columns advocating for MDOT's $11 billion plan to expand I-495/I-270 for private profit toll lanes. We are glad WP now acknowledges the legitimacy of the concerns about the proposal's fiscal and environmental impact expressed by the state Treasurer, Comptroller, U.S. Representatives, General Assembly, and elected officials in Montgomery, Frederick and Prince George's counties.)
(Check out this thoughtful look from GGW at the costs and obstacles (great), and opportunities (greater) involved in a rail link between Bethesda and Tysons Corner.)
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