Board approves update to regional transportation plan

Ryan Marshall, The Frederick News-Post, Md.
·2 min read

Jun. 16—The Washington, D.C., region's long-range transportation plan on Wednesday took a step toward receiving federal funding for transit and other types of transportation.

The Transportation Planning Board, part of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, voted Wednesday to approve two resolutions finalizing updates to the board's Visualize 2045 plan.

Wednesday's vote clears the way for projects included in the plan to receive federal funding.

The updates show progress toward expanding travel choices, advancing equity and opportunity, and taking steps to include climate goals and strategies in the board's planning, TPB Chair Pamela Sebesky, the mayor of the city of Manassas, said in a release.

The Visualize 2045 plan is a federally required plan for the Washington region. It is updated every four years.

The plan includes a wide range of highway, transit, bicycle, pedestrian, and other transportation projects from jurisdictions in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and northern Virginia.

The Visualize 2045 plan's initiatives include using transportation to bring jobs and housing closer together, improving walking and biking access to transit, and expanding bus rapid transit and transitways.

Projects affecting Frederick County in the long-range plan include:

— widening U.S. 15 to six lanes with an interchange at Biggs Ford Road

— widening Interstate 70 to six lanes with an interchange at Meadow Road in the Lake Linganore area

— plans to increase the frequency and capacity of trips on MARC commuter rail lines, including the Brunswick line that serves stations in Frederick, Brunswick, and Point of Rocks.

The board's staff began checking what types of federal money was available for projects more than two years ago, Stacy Cook, a transportation planner with the planning board, said Wednesday.

The Transportation Planning Board consists of representatives from local jurisdictions that make up the Council of Governments.

Frederick County is represented on the board by County Executive Jan Gardner. Alderman Kelly Russell represents the city of Frederick.

One resolution approved Wednesday would require the Maryland Department of Transportation to provide the Transportation Planning Board with updates on plans to provide funding for transit projects drawn from revenue from high occupancy toll lanes built on interstates 270 and 495.

"I think that would be a benefit to us," Gardner said in an interview Wednesday of receiving updates on an agreement with the state.

The county has to be a part of a group such as the Council of Governments to be eligible for federal funding for its transportation projects.

Its membership also makes the county eligible for grants and allows it to leverage certain contracts through the council, Gardner said.

But she said being part of the council and the Transportation Planning Board also gives the county an important seat at the table on regional issues.

Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia have their differences, but it's important to be part of a regional planning effort, Gardner said.

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