20061004 Mayor O’Malley criticizes Hampstead bypass

Mayor O’Malley criticizes Hampstead bypass

Posted by Kevin Dayhoff October 4^th, 2006

A journalist-colleague I work with, Chris Cavy, just e-mailed me information that on the Baltimore Transit Alliance Questionnaire for Candidates for Governor. O’Malley went out of his way to single out the Hampstead By-Pass as part of a criticism of Governor Ehrlich’s transportation funding.

Mr. Cavey writes: “Unbelievable it is actually that high of a priority to pick on Hampstead’s long awaited transportation needs rather than any other project in our State.”

In a follow-up phone call with Mr. Cavey, a fellow Tentacle columnist and a regular columnist, every second Tuesday with the Jeffersonian, remarked: “I’m surprised and annoyed that a candidate for governor would have such a shallow grasp on the transportation issues in Carroll County and would go out of his way to criticize a basic infrastructure improvement critical for Carroll County’s future.”

Well – it is unbelievable that Mayor O’Malley would go out of his way to alienate all the moderate voters in Carroll County who understand that without a bypass, Hampstead’s future was being strangled by gridlock.

What was Mayor O’Malley thinking?

Below please find the question and answer. To view a PDF of the entire questionnaire, please find it here: For some background and introduction go here.

The Baltimore Transit Alliance writes:

Gubernatorial Candidates Offer Support for Transit

Responding to a questionnaire issued by the BTA, Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. and his challenger, Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley both voiced strong support for transit in the Baltimore region. The candidates provided written responses on topics such as additional funding, commitment to maintaining the schedule for the Red Line planning process, and bus route restructuring. Although both candidates generally support BTA priorities, including construction of the Red and Green lines, improved connections to Washington, and short term improvements to the local bus network, the responses reveal differing priorities. Ehrlich's list of major issues facing transit in the region included safety and reliability of existing services, improvement of Mobility services for people with disabilities, bus route reform, and completion of the Red Line study. O'Malley called for a "first-class transit system," enhanced public participation in the planning process, bus system improvements, an "overhaul" of the MARC Train service, and incentives for businesses to locate near transit stations. To see the questionnaire and full responses from the candidates, click here.

4. For the Red Line, do you support completing the planning process by 2008 and initiation of construction by 2010?

Governor Ehrlich: My budget includes full funding for planning and engineering of the Red Line and money to start construction in 2010.

Mayor O’Malley: Yes. The Baltimore region has waited a long time for an east-west connector system that integrates the various modes of mass transit within the region. With the continued growth of the region, the upcoming challenges associated with BRAC and the possibility of shrinking federal funds for mass transit, we can ill-afford to wait any longer for implementation of the Red Line. While recognizing the need to follow the federal process, I will work toward achieving the milestones laid out for the initiation of construction of the Red Line in 2010.

As the elected leader of a largely transit-dependent community, I am acutely aware of the current administration’s practice of offering up unpopular, infeasible alternatives for review as a way to delay real progress. Major transit projects demand an open and participatory process, without losing a sense of urgency.

At the current time there is no funding to construct the Red Line, yet during the four years the Ehrlich administration has raided the Transportation Trust Fund, widened I-95, and built the Hampstead bypass. The current debate on funding is largely a zero-sum game because the Ehrlich administration hasn’t shown the leadership to bring fiscal balance to Maryland’s long-term transportation challenges. Instead, his regime assaulted the Transportation Trust Fund, diverting over $500 million to non-transportation programs.

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When I get a chance I’ll follow-up with this issue with more commentary and responses from Carroll County leadership.

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Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA. E-mail him at: kdayhoff@carr.org http://www.thetentacle.com/ Westminster Eagle Opinion and Winchester Report http://www.thewestminstereagle.com/ www.kevindayhoff.com has moved to http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/