First Wave of Transportation Projects Bring Nearly $33 Million to the County

Thursday, February 19, 2009

GAITHERSBURG, MD (February 19, 2009) – Governor Martin O’Malley was joined today by 8th District Congressman Christopher Van Hollen to highlight transportation improvements in Montgomery County that are now possible with the passage of President Barack Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The federal recovery plan will provide at least $610 million for transportation projects in Maryland, supporting 17,500 jobs.

“This is all about preserving and creating jobs, quickly,” said Governor O’Malley. “Our first wave of transportation projects is designed to get ‘shovel ready’ projects out the door and put people to work. This means solid investments can be made now in Montgomery County roads, sidewalks and transit. As we confer with local leaders about additional needs, more projects will be coming through the pipeline. I want to thank Congressman Van Hollen and his fellow members of the Maryland Delegation for supporting President Obama’s recovery program.”

Within 24 hours of President Obama signing into law The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Governor O’Malley announced the first phase of transportation projects worth $365 million that will be part of the Maryland’s comprehensive economic recovery program.

“The American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan is the first step in getting Maryland’s economy back on track. It provides $3.8 billion to the state, and will help create 66,000 jobs,” said Congressman Van Hollen. “Millions of Maryland workers and their families will also qualify for the Making Work Pay tax credit, which will provide a refundable tax credit of up to $400 for working individuals and $800 for working families. It provides much needed funding to our aging infrastructure and our children’s schools, and makes critical forward-looking investments in areas like renewable energy, health information technology, and biomedical research. We won’t solve the problems we have inherited overnight, but this plan is the best course forward to a stronger economy in the 21st century.”

Phase I projects in Montgomery County include road, safety and transit investments totaling nearly $33 million dollars. The projects include resurfacing portions of:

The Capital Beltway Between I-270 and the American Legion Bridge
New Hampshire Avenue in White Oak;
Old Georgetown Road near Bethesda; and
University Boulevard in Wheaton.

Transit grant funding will be provided to the county for “Ride On” bus replacement or facility upgrades – the specifics of which will be determined with the county. Phase I projects in Montgomery County also will deliver everything from: new ADA compliant sidewalks and safety guardrails to traffic signal upgrades at key intersections.

As part of Governor O’Malley’s “One Maryland” approach, Maryland will invest federal economic recovery dollars in maintaining and improving the state’s existing transit systems, roads and bridges. Distributing the dollars to complete a wide range of smaller projects rather than only a handful of larger projects allows the benefit to be felt by workers and families in every region of the state. This focus also allows projects to get underway quickly, preserving jobs and providing the intended stimulus to the economy.

More information on Maryland’s transportation recovery program and the complete list of Phase I transportation projects can be found at http://www.marylandtransportation.com/ and click on the American flag icon.