Regional lawmakers on Wednesday approved looking into constructing a northern bridge across the Potomac River, despite opposition from Montgomery County and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s administration.
The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board also approved nine other proposals to be analyzed over the next four months. Board members will decide in December which of the 10 proposals to add to the long-range plan.
Meanwhile, a federal appeals court ruling has cleared the path for Maryland to proceed with the Purple Line light rail project.
The court decision reinstates environmental approval for the Purple Line as another court battle continues over a 2014 federal lawsuit that aims to block the project, a 16-mile line connecting Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.
State officials can move ahead with trying to get $900 million in federal grants while appealing an unfavorable ruling in the lawsuit, The Associated Press reported.
At the Transportation Planning Board, Maryland officials tried to remove the Potomac bridge from the list of proposals. Only six of 16 board representatives from the Old Line State voted for the plan. Six others abstained, and four were absent.
“From a state of Maryland perspective, it’s not happening,” said board member R. Earl Lewis Jr., representing Maryland’s Department of Transportation.
Discussion about the proposed bridge consumed more than half of Wednesday’s meeting, dominating public comments and board debate.
Officials in Loudoun County, Virginia, have been looking into building a bridge that would connect Northern Virginia and Montgomery County. But no bridge is possible without Maryland’s consent, and state and Montgomery County officials have long opposed the idea.
Currently, 11 bridges over the Potomac allow cars and trucks to travel from Northern Virginia to areas in Montgomery County or the District. White’s Ferry and the Rosslyn Tunnel also allow automobiles to cross the river.
Board member Ron Meyer, representing Loudoun County, said a new bridge would fill a 70-year-old gap in the regional transportation system.
“When are we going to actually start listening to the people who are driving to work every day?” Mr. Meyer said. “That is our job here today.”
Board member Martin Nohe, representing Prince William County, Virginia, said more research on the bridge should prove whether it would be a good addition to the long-range transportation plan.
“If in fact it is so terrible, if it really is that bad, then the analysis will prove that, and Ron [Meyer] and I will look stupid,” Mr. Nohe said. “I get that this is unpopular in Montgomery County [but] if you take the regional projects out of the regional plan it ceases to be a regional plan and becomes a collection of local plans.”
Board member Peter Schwartz, representing Fauquier County, Virginia, said that he was split on the issue and that the bridge was a distraction from other issues.
“There’s part of me that says if we’re going to look at everything [to improve transportation], let’s look at everything,” he said. “But this meeting itself, I think, portends where I’m afraid this discussion might go if the bridge continues to be on the list. It’s completely dominated the conversation today. I worry it will be a complete distraction.”
Board member Shyam Kannan, representing Metro, called for focusing on securing funding for the subway system.
The other proposed initiatives include:
• Express toll lanes and bus service.
• Congestion hot spot relief.
• High-capacity transitways.
• Virginia Railway Express and MARC rail enhancements.
• A new Metrorail line from Virginia to Union Station through Georgetown.
• Metrorail expansions.
• Optimizing regional land-use balance.
• Reduced Metrorail fares.
• Policies to discourage single-occupant vehicle commutes.
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