Maryland Legislators District 39 Team Del. Charles Barkley, Del. Shane Robinson Sen. Nancy King, Del. Kirill Reznik |
I am testifying on behalf of the entire District 39 Team. We strongly urge you to reject the permit application for M-83, Midcounty Highway Extended, due to the environmental and community impacts that this destructive highway project will have on our District. We believe that the Montgomery County Department of Transportation's Environmental Effects Report (EER) pre-determined that the road would be built regardless of consequences to the environment and health of the citizens in the affected area.
Of the proposed alternatives, the only acceptable alternative is Alternative 2. This alternative makes the best use of our existing infrastructure by making improvements to MD 355, it costs the least, and enables the development of a high quality Bus Rapid Transit system connecting Clarksburg to Gaithersburg and points south.
We need real traffic relief in the Upcounty and that will not come by building another road and encouraging people to get in their cars. The millions of dollars needed to build M-83 can be better spent on the CCT.
Your [USACE and MDE] job is to protect "aquatic resources" and avoid them from diminishing. Your job is also to look at cumulative impact on other construction projects in the same watershed. Please consider proposed Clarksburg construction around Ten Mile Creek. Once we lose the wildlife and the wetlands, you just never get them back. A temporary impact to wetlands and streams in reality can never actually be restored when the project is completed.
We believe that the county is really only interested in getting support for the Master Plan alignment (Alternative 9). Some of the other alternatives were designed to steer community support to that alternative. I ask you to please review the purpose of the Midcounty Corridor Study and make sure that your decision will relieve projected congestion on roadway facilities between Clarksburg and Germantown, east of I-270. The proposed M-83 will only make congestion worse.
Sincerely,
Charles Barkley
Maryland House of Delegates
39th Legislative District
Join Us