Prince George's County's Committee of the Whole approved a joint county letter to the Maryland Department of Transportation on Nov. 4, 2025, urging state support for local priorities in MDOT's proposed FY2026'FY2031 Consolidated Transportation Program and asking that the county's requested edits be included before the state's final prioritization. The motion to approve the chair's signature with the edits outlined by Councilmember Rolison was moved by Councilmember Harrison and seconded by Councilmember Hawkins; the roll call vote was 10-0 in favor.

The letter, prepared with input from county transportation officials, stresses several priorities: restoring construction funding for the Medical Center Drive interchange (which staff said currently has design funding but lost earlier construction programming), maintaining funding for the Greenbelt Interchange, advancing transit-oriented development at locations including the Blue Line corridor and New Carrollton, supporting robust transit funding for WMATA and county systems, and continuing pedestrian-safety investments such as the county's Pedestrian Safety Action Plan (PSAP). "Thank you for your consideration of draft FY26 FY31 consolidated transportation...list that's been approved by the county executive," DCAO Kevin Steven said when summarizing the letter and changes to the list.

The DCAO told the council the letter also calls for close coordination with state partners, highlights the county's beautification and strike-force efforts, and asks that the Transportation Planning Board not incorporate the Virginia Department of Transportation proposal to add toll lanes near the Woodrow Wilson Bridge into the region's long-range plan. Councilmember Rolison asked an edit to a paragraph that had been drafted before a vote at the Transportation Planning Board, suggesting the text be revised to note the county's appreciation for state coordination "and of the county in opposing inclusion of the VDOT Southside Express Lanes project in Visualize 2050" rather than language that presumed an outcome.

County staff described specific list changes: Medical Center Drive is proposed to be returned to the top position on the county's construction-priority list (and staff noted it also remains listed in planning categories), Greenbelt Interchange is identified as fully funded and moved to number two on the construction list, several transit-oriented-development bullets are split out for Suitland and College Park, the Maryland 214 Blue Line corridor was added at number four on the bike/ped corridor list, and the "East-West Bikeway" name on the trail list was updated to "Northern Prince George's East-West Bikeway" to reflect an ongoing study through the TPB technical assistance program. "It is currently funded for design," DPWT Director Johnson said of the Medical Center Drive project, adding that prior construction programming had been removed and has not been restored; councilmembers said the county's request to MDOT is that construction funding be restored so the project can advance.

Councilmembers also discussed sidewalks and pedestrian connections in the letter. In response to a question about sidewalk retrofits and access to the Purple Line, staff noted the letter includes language about sidewalks and cites PSAP investments along corridors such as New Hampshire Avenue and MD 410 (East-West Highway). The letter expresses appreciation for state interest in advancing a bus-rapid-transit/high-capacity transit network and reiterates the county's desire that state funding align with local transit-vision goals.

The council approved submission of the letter with Rolison's timing edit to the paragraph on the Southside Express Lanes and with two minor typographical corrections to be handled by staff. The motion was described by the clerk as a "favorable recommendation with amendments" and passed by roll call as described above.

The action is procedural: the county will submit the letter and list to MDOT to inform the agency's upcoming prioritization and any county requests for project feasibility submissions next year. The council adjourned the Committee of the Whole and reconvened as the full council following the vote.