Governor pushes highway plan

On Tuesday, Feb. 15, the period of public comment ended on Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr.'s (R) proposed intercounty connector (ICC), a highway that would link Interstate 270 near Rockville with Interstate 95 near Laurel. Ehrlich has labeled the ICC "his top transportation priority,” and the Maryland General Assembly is expected to vote on the project before the legislative session ends on April 11.

The ICC has been part of the region's master plan for over 40 years. The details of the current proposal were released early this year in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) commissioned by the governor, which contains information on environmental, development and traffic issues. (The DEIS is available online at iccstudy.org.)

During the month of January, the State Highway Administration held four public hearings to present the ICC options being considered, provide a forum for public comment and allow for presentations by outside interest groups. The last of these hearings was held at James Blake High School on Jan. 29. The ICC Study Team presented the DEIS; team members were required to remain impartial.

The DEIS presents three alternatives: Corridor One (which would stretch 18 miles and dip south near Northwest Branch), Corridor Two (which would extend 20 miles and run north by Burtonsville) and the No-Build Alternative. In the case of the two Build Alternatives, the highway would be three lanes in each direction, with 16 miles located in Montgomery County and several proposed alignment options that take into account established communities and ecosystems.

The ICC will decrease traffic on local East/West roads such as Randolph Rd. and Norbeck Rd., according to the DEIS. The study also shows that the ICC would slightly increase traffic on the Beltway at Colesville Road, Georgia Avenue, Connecticut Avenue and Interstate 270. However, ICC Study Team member Alan Straus described the ICC as essentially "Beltway neutral" and said that it will "by a large margin decrease traffic on local roads."

According to the DEIS, Corridors One and Two are expected to create significant development, with 4,945 and 5,546 acres of growth and 14,286 and 16,855 new jobs respectively. Corridor Two runs through a rural area where the ICC is not in the local master plan. As a result, there are concerns regarding sprawl and "more growth pressures," said Straus. In contrast, Corridor One passes through an already developed region that has had the ICC in its master plan for decades. Additionally, the ICC would result in the destruction of up to 87 homes, according to the Montgomery Planning Board's ICC Internal Review Team.

The DEIS also addresses a number of environmental concerns, including air quality, local watersheds, protected ecosystems and noise pollution. The study team hopes to avoid these problems through sound barriers, a reduced roadway footprint and "environmentally sensitive construction." This spring the proposals must be approved by the Expert Land Use Panel to ensure that they are consistent with environmental law before they can go to the General Assembly. Virtually every environmental group opposes the ICC.

Ehrlich estimates the road's cost at $2.1 billion, while opposition groups estimate the total price tag at over $3 billion. The governor proposes paying for $1 billion of the cost in GARVEE bonds, money borrowed against federal highway funds for the next 15 years. This would require the General Assembly to raise the limit on federal highway debt from 13 percent to 24 percent and would drain the state's discretionary highway moneys.

The remaining cost of the road would be paid for with tolls. The ICC would have a proposed toll as high as 25 cents per mile at peak hours and 17 cents otherwise. ICC Study Team member Dave Chapin explains that the different toll rates are "meant to vary the demand for use of the roadway." He also predicts that the average trip will be approximately 10 miles.

Toll collection would take place at highway speeds. Drivers would either use an electronic pass, such as the E-Z Pass (the preferred method), or a camera would take a picture of the car's license plate and bill the appropriate amount to the driver's account. The account could be set up so that the tolls are automatically paid electronically.

Before the final public hearing began, a protest was held outside Blake High School. Protestors wore pins that read "No Outer Beltway" and held up "No ICC" signs.

Inside the building different interest groups had tables set up with posters and literature, while in the auditorium citizens were allowed to testify for three minutes. All of the speakers were opposed to the Build Alternatives, especially Corridor 2.

All of the interest groups present opposed the ICC. "Consider this freezing cold morning," said Chris Carney of the Sierra Club, referring to the protest outside in the day's icy weather. "This just shows how strong the opposition is." Carney was volunteering with Save Our Communities, a group whose goal is to prevent the ICC.

Also at the hearing was Montgomery County Councilman Phil Andrews (D), who is a staunch opponent of the ICC. He called the ICC "stunningly irresponsible and very unwise." He believes that the money could be better spent on many smaller projects, like widening Georgia Avenue "The money is so large," he said. "It's just incomprehensible to me."

In 2003, the Prince George's County Council voted unanimously against supporting the ICC, claiming that it would disproportionately benefit Montgomery County. According to the DEIS, both corridors would produce thousands more jobs in Montgomery County than in Prince George's.

However, the Montgomery County Council does support the ICC, along with County Executive Doug Duncan (D), who is expected to run for governor in 2006. Duncan also supports the proposed Purple Line that would link Bethesda with Silver Spring via Metro. Many groups that oppose the ICC claim that it would not leave enough money to build the Purple Line.

Like Duncan, County Councilman Steven Silverman (D) supports both the ICC and the Purple Line. However, he is "adamantly opposed to Corridor Two" and said that the ICC should be "designed to support the development that is already there." When asked how he would propose to fund the ICC and expand Metro, Silverman said "we need to have more federal dollars going into transportation."

The highway looks to be an important issue in next year's gubernatorial election. Although Silverman admitted that the ICC is a "huge political issue," he said that it is not a party issue, as its supporters range from Duncan to President George W. Bush. "The vast majority of Republicans, Democrats and independents support it, based on every survey ever done," he said.

Del. William Bronrott (D) supports the ICC on the condition that it be made a limited access road and have a bicycle path. When asked about the feeling in Annapolis, Bronrott said, "I think the momentum is there." He said that the ICC is "recognized as an essential transit link."