Steve Burns
WMAL.com

ROCKVILLE – (WMAL) The Montgomery County Council today is set to approve its 2017 letter to Maryland Transportation Secretary Pete Rahn, outlining the county’s priorities around transportation. This year’s letter, however, is engendering some more debate thanks to its top priority, improvements to Interstate 270, and a conspicuous omission – Metrorail.

In the letter, the county asks the state to look into its long-held belief that reversible high-occupancy toll lanes would be an effective solution for 270.

“This letter makes it real clear – 270 is our top interstate priority,” County Council President Roger Berliner told reporters Monday. “We urge them to actually take a look at what we have recommended for years, which is to have two reversible HOT lanes.”

Other priorities in the letter include improvements around the American Legion Bridge on the Beltway, Columbia Pike, and continued investment in the Corridor Cities Transitway Bus Rapid Transit project.

But some transit advocates are not happy with the list, as it does not include what they see as the most pressing issue – Metrorail.

“The letter they plan to vote on calls for an $8 billion highway widening, but says nothing about Metro’s needs,” Maryland Transit Opportunities Coalition Chair Ben Ross told WMAL. “We want the priorities to be Metro, restore all the cuts that just happened in Metro service, and have all-day service on the MARC Train between Union Station and Frederick.”

Those Metro cuts just went into effect this week, signaling fewer rush-hour trains, shortened operating hours and higher fares.

Berliner said the county is still “heavily supportive of transit” in the letter, but defended the decision to leave Metrorail out.

“The Metrorail is something that is a regional responsibility. It is not a Maryland responsibility,” he said. “If Maryland were to put ‘x’ dollars more towards it, that would not resolve the issue. Without Virginia coming forward with Metrorail, it is not a solution.”

Ross saw it differently.

“The state has a veto over the Metro budget, basically. It’s because the state wouldn’t pay more money that we’re having these cuts,” he said. “There are people in the county leadership who are out of touch with the voters. The voters want Metro fixed and the voters want more transit options.”

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