image description

Highway User Funds Refill in Jeopardy with Importance of Mass Transit Projects

February 25th, 2015 by WCBC Radio

The state of Maryland has tapped hundreds of millions of dollars that once went to local governments to make road repairs in the last six years. Michael Sanderson, executive director of the Maryland Association of Counties, said about $2.1 billion, or about $350 million a year, has stopped flowing from the state to the counties over that time. Governor Larry Hogan campaigned on replenishing the money, but has said he wasn't able to do it in his first budget proposal in January because he inherited $750 million shortfall. Hogan has since released a supplemental budget to add $25 million to highway user funds. Some Democratic leaders however, have opposed that idea saying that the Mass Transit projects are too important for the state’s economy to cut those dollars now.  Former Transportation Secretary, Republican Howard County Delegate Bob Flanagan says targeting the vast majority of transportation dollars to two mass transit projects, while essentially ignoring the rest of the state is simply unfair…





 

Leave a Reply