By Adam Pagnucco.
Of all the folks who may be disappointed by the possible collapse of the state’s I-270 project, no one comes to mind more than Upcounty residents. They pay taxes like the rest of us, but it’s questionable as to whether they get as much return for their money – especially when it comes to infrastructure. And if the toll lanes are dead, there really is no Plan B for them.
Here is the fundamental problem for Upcounty: we allowed it to develop without delivering the transportation infrastructure we promised to support it. Consider these master plans:
This plan combined supercharged development with a new highway (M-83) and “a regional transitway which will be part of a larger transit network extending south to Germantown and Shady Grove and will ultimately extend north to the City of Frederick.” Clarksburg became the fastest growing area in the county but the highway and the transit network were never built.
Another project in the plan, an extension of Observation Drive to provide a north-south alternative to MD-355, has been repeatedly delayed and is now set to be completed in 2029 – 35 years after it was promised. That assumes there will be no further delays.
Great Seneca Science Corridor (2010)
This plan was based on the construction of the Corridor Cities Transitway (CCT) and the reconstruction of a number of interchanges. Thirteen years later, none of this has been built and no one has any idea how to get it built. The saving grace is that most new development in the area has been staged to the CCT and other transportation improvements, but they could conceivably be decoupled in part as the master plan is revised.
Gaithersburg Vicinity Master Plan (1988, 1990)
This ancient plan called for a set of improvements to Goshen Road, a major north-south artery east of MD-355, including curve reduction, widening and intersection work. Unlike M-83 and the Clarksburg transitway, this project is actually in the capital budget. But it’s stuck in limbo with no date to begin construction.
Germantown Employment Area Sector Plan (2009)
This plan recommended “a dedicated street crossing over I-270, an extension of Dorsey Mill Road connecting the east and west sides of I-270 with four travel lanes and the CCT.” The good news is that there is a capital project that would build the extension in multi-modal form, including a shared use path, a bike lane and a sidewalk. The bad news is that there is no set date for construction or completion – limbo once again.
I could go on but this site already has too many four- and five-part series.
Look folks, project delays are not confined to Upcounty. County Executive Marc Elrich’s latest round of delays primarily targeted the Bethesda-Chevy Chase area. But there is a crucial difference between Upcounty and the rest of the county. Most of the county from Shady Grove and Glenmont to points south has access to Metrorail and long-built, relatively dense road networks. It might be congested but at least people have options. In Upcounty, there are fewer options to get around, especially when headed towards jobs to the south, and bus service can take a looooong time. The two big options – I-270 and MD-355 – can turn into veritable parking lots at rush hour, especially if there are accidents.
The I-270 project may have made a modest, positive difference for people in that corridor from Gaithersburg to the north and let’s remember, the county was programming toll proceeds to fund bus rapid transit (BRT) on MD-355. If the I-270 project falls apart, there won’t be toll lanes and there won’t be BRT either. On top of that, there is no CCT, no regional transitway in Germantown and Clarksburg, no M-83 and no smaller scale (but helpful) improvements to Observation Drive, Goshen Road, Dorsey Mill Road or other arteries. In other words, there will be almost nothing. There is no Plan B.
Why does this happen? That’s an easy one – Upcounty has lower turnout in Democratic primaries than the rest of the county. Just ask Council Member Marilyn Balcombe, who famously wrote more than two years ago, “The Upcounty doesn’t vote and nobody cares.” It happened again last year. My former State Senator, Rich Madaleno, used to say that if you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu. Rich was right then and he is right now.
There is no Plan B so let me recommend a Plan C.
To the elected officials who represent Upcounty, it’s time to fight like hell. Guerilla warfare is what’s called for here. Start voting against everything everyone else wants until your people get their fair share. If Upcounty folks can’t have nice things, then why should anyone else?
And to Upcounty residents, get organized and VOTE. Vote like your quality of life depends on it.
Because it does.