MD Transp Sec Pete Rahn MD Sen Anthony Muse and Governor at announcement on MD RT 210 in PG County
— Kate Ryan (@KateRyan草莓传媒)
WASHINGTON 鈥� The state of Maryland is hanging Prince George鈥檚 County out to dry as the region prepares for a two-week Metro track shutdown, County Executive Rushern Baker said Thursday.
Baker said the state has not done enough to supplement the county-run bus system or the state-run MARC service ahead of the track repairs that will cut off Blue, Orange and Silver line service between D.C. and Prince George鈥檚 County beginning this weekend.
And he has yet to hear what specific actions the state could take to ease the effects of the Metro work.
Baker鈥檚 comments come a day after Gov. Larry Hogan criticized the Democrat in public remarks in Oxon Hill. The governor came to Prince George鈥檚 County to announce work on a new interchange on Route 210. But Baker said he was not invited.
The public spat highlights key differences in priorities between the state鈥檚 urban Democrats and Hogan, a Republican and former businessman from Anne Arundel County.
At the event, the governor touted more than 70 road projects planned in the county totaling $923 million.
“Well, Rushern was one of the guys who was standing in the way of our progress in all of these roads. But I’m sure he’s happy that we’re going to fix all of the problems,” Hogan said.
Baker and other local leaders supported a new law that will require the state to objectively score road and transit projects to ensure that the most beneficial projects are funded. Hogan, who campaigned on support for road projects over transit, vetoed the measure saying it would make it more difficult to complete projects and that it was unfairly weighted to urban areas, favoring transit over roads.
The General Assembly overrode Hogan’s聽veto and the law takes effect in July.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a state highway. I hope they talked about the money that we need from the state to fix 210 and make sure there鈥檚 not a bottleneck. This is my first time hearing about it,鈥� Baker told 草莓传媒.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been waiting. We put it as our No. 1 project in the state for the last couple of years. We were disappointed in the last two years that we really had to fight for 210, Route 1, where we鈥檙e doing economic development,鈥� Baker responded.
But when it comes to the ongoing Metro repairs, in聽Baker鈥檚 view, the state is failing Maryland commuters by not doing聽more to help them cope with 10 months of severely reduced subway service 鈥� the backbone of the region鈥檚 transportation network.
The the Blue and Silver lines between Eastern Market and Benning Road and the Orange line between Eastern Market and Minnesota Avenue.
鈥淲hat we鈥檝e asked for in the state is to look at alternatives with providing transportation so that we can get Marylanders to their jobs in the District of Columbia and to Northern Virginia and to Montgomery County,鈥� Baker said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e limited in our budget; we鈥檙e dealing with a deficit as it is. That鈥檚 why we need the state to step in. This is like a snowstorm, it is an emergency and we need them to really step in and help us out,鈥� Baker said Thursday.
Maryland Transportation Secretary Pete Rahn said Wednesday that the state has been working with local governments on 鈥渁 number of activities鈥� but did not elaborate on what those actions would be.
MARC plans to add some extra railcars to Camden Line trains during the two-week work zone, and Baker is joining regional leaders to encourage residents to telework, take buses, carpool or shift schedules to travel outside of the height of rush hour if possible.
Montgomery County has announced additional work later this summer and in the fall.
鈥淛ust come up with a plan. It could be commuter buses. It could be working with us, especially with the HOV, making sure that it is not being abused. It could be helping us on major highways to make sure we can get people coming in and out. There鈥檚 a number of things, but we need their participation in it,鈥� Baker said.
Virginia鈥檚 Commonwealth Transportation Board Tuesday approved $1 million in funding for special bus service in Northern Virginia in response to Metro鈥檚 10-month rehabilitation work that will significantly reduce service for riders throughout the region. Local agencies like Fairfax Connector and Alexandria鈥檚 DASH bus system will have to match that funding.
The state鈥檚 seeming inaction to help during Metro service reductions has touched a raw nerve. Local leaders are still smarting from Hogan鈥檚 decision to . He required Prince George鈥檚 and Montgomery counties to pick up a larger portion of the cost of the 16-mile light rail project in order to keep the long-planned for rail project alive.
鈥淲e think it鈥檚 important enough where the residents of both counties stepped up. But I think that鈥檚 uncalled for. This is an economic development tool for the entire state. Every other governor, Republican or Democrat, has stepped up to the plate. This is the first time we鈥檝e had to do it,鈥� Baker said.
The Hogan administration has enthusiastically said the Purple Line is now moving full steam ahead, despite a lawsuit from opponents trying to slow or stop the project.
The federal government announced this week that an $875 million loan has been approved for the project and a $900 million grant is in the works. Construction is slated to .
Ryan reported from Oxon Hill, Maryland.
