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Commissioner says state must help fix congested intersections as county weighs development controls
Summary
A commissioner said traffic congestion and failing intersections tied to new development are the State Highway Administration’s responsibility and urged state support rather than an immediate local moratorium on development.
Commissioner (unnamed) told the meeting that traffic impacts from development — including “clogging” and “failing intersections” — are primarily the responsibility of the Maryland State Highway Administration, and he urged county delegates to seek more state participation in road improvements.
“Now when we talk about a lot of development, we talk about the impact of traffic, that it's already clogging our intersections, failing intersections. And I think what's important to understand here is that our state representatives, it's the state of Maryland's State Highway Administration's job to fix those types of, issues,” the commissioner said. He added that metropolitan areas may receive more state funds because they serve more people, and that the county should press state delegates for help to add lanes or make intersections safer.
The commissioner addressed local proposals discussed previously — including a possible moratorium or additional regulations on development — and said he prefers “controlled development” and called new restrictions “more regulation.” He said development is “good if it's controlled” but that the county needs state highway participation to address safety and congestion before blocking growth solely on traffic grounds.
No formal motion or vote on development controls was presented in the remarks. The commissioner said the issue will be raised at the Maryland Association of Counties conference in mid-August as a venue to meet with members of Governor Moore’s cabinet and other state officials.
