Enviros bill to stop work on Maryland ICC pending global warming impact study

Environmental extremists have gained sponsorship of a bill in the Maryland general assembly which would halt work on the Inter County Connector tollroad in Montgomery County. The bill HB1416 would require a study of the 'greenhouse gas' emissions impact of opening this road. Pending the conclusion of the study it would stop construction by "prohibiting financing." This is a new gambit by anti-mobility/anti-roads groups to stop a road that has gotten through the entire permitting and funding process, had contracts let, and where the big yellow machines have been at work for months.

Though its chances of success appear slim HB1416 may set a pattern for future obstructionism elsewhere.

HB1416 requires the departments of transportation and environment to conduct a study to assess the impact of the ICC on greenhouse gas emissions. Some direct quotes follow:

"The study... shall:

"(1) quantify the projected direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions generated by:

(i) motor vehicles traveling the Intercounty Connector and other roads within the ICC Study Area;

(ii) increased vehicle miles traveled attributable to the Intercounty Connector through induced

growth and travel;

(iii) the destruction of forests, wetlands, farmland, and other carbon–sequestering land uses for the construction of the Intercounty Connector; and

(iv) the anticipated growth in development attributable to the Intercounty Connector within the ICC Study Area;

"(2) assess the cumulative impacts on natural resources and public health within the ICC Study Area that would be attributable to the Intercounty Connector;

"(3) evaluate the impact of the Intercounty Connector on the State’s ability to meet the proposed greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals set forth in the Climate Commission; and

"(4) quantify the costs of mitigating the impacts identified...
The study would be published and there would be hearings and public meetings and the results would be presented to the Governor by Dec 1 2008.

The stop work provision is this: "(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the State may not issue any debt or expend any funds from any source for the Intercounty Connector until the requirements of this section have been met."

Here is the bill

http://mlis.state.md.us/2008rs/billfile/HB1416.htm

The project website

http://www.iccproject.com/

BACKGROUND: The Intercounty Connector, a 29km (18 mile) 3+3 lane expressway east-west between I-270 at I-370 in Gaitherburg and I-95 and US1 in Laurel has passed the full panoply of federal and state permitting requirements, won court appeals, and been authorized by the general assembly, construction bids have been sought and let, and construction is under way.

Costing about $2.5b it is fully funded with a mix of toll revenue bonds and federal and state tax-based grants. The project is divided into five segments for construction and work under Contract A, the first western most 11km (7 miles) has been under way since last year under a $479m contract.

A second segment contract C for $514m has been awarded and a start was authorized last month for work from US29 to I-95 including three interchanges and improvements south on I-95. Other segments are in bidding.

Archeological and conservation work has been conducted along the route for over a year.

The tollroad will be cashless all electronic tolling, and managed for free flow. The design supports new transit bus service as well as regular traffic east-west through a fully developed area without any modern highway. Few houses or other buildings have to be taken because most of the route is in a highway reservation going back 35 years.

ICC environmental programs to cost $370m

Some $370m or 15% of the project cost is going on a vast environmental improvement program.

Very photogenic was a small part of that project which used specially trained dogs to find turtles 150 of which are being relocated after having their health checked and transponders attached to their backs.

The environmental improvements include 68km (42 miles) of stream and watershed improvements, creation of 18km2 (4,380 acres) of new habitat, 3km2 (700 acres) of new forest, 3.1km2 (775 acres) of new parkland, 19km (11 miles) of bike paths, fish passage work, 44 special wildlife bridges and culverts for deer and small mammals, and extensive replanting.

http://www.iccproject.com/environment-programs.php

Purpose of the road is to provide east-west connectivity between the I-270 Gaitherburg/Geermantown area and Columbia, Ft Meade/BWI Airport, Baltimore and points north and east for half a million people who presently have to use slow, dangerous 2 lane surface roads, little more than paved-over farm roads that survived amid suburban development of corn fields. Or else they have to do long roundabout U-plan trips south on I-270 to the Capital Beltway (I-495) east, then north on I-95.

Though it may provide minor relief to traffic on the Beltway the ICC's main function will be to take traffic off slow signalized surface roads and put it on a free flowing expressway.

COMMENT: HB1416 is a preposterous last ditch contrivance by zealots who have failed to win over state or local governments, courts, public opinion, local communities or legislators during more than ten years of consideration of the project and alternatives.

HB1416 is based on a false premise that a single road will have a significant impact on global warming.

If global warming is a problem and if reducing carbon emissions will help alleviate the problem then the ICC will clearly tend to have some beneficial environmental result - through allowing more direct and smoother moving trips.

Vehicles traveling circuitous routes or driving from one traffic signal queue to the next generate more emissions than will be produced by an expressway that is managed for free flow. People with a real concern for the environment are supporting the construction of the ICC and looking forward to its opening in 2011.

see this TRB paper on the beneficial environmental results of free flow highways:

http://www.tollroadsnews.com/sites/default/files/TRB08-2860.pdf

TOLLROADSnews 2008-03-13