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State transportation officials brief Calvert commissioners on CTP cuts, local project eligibility
Summary
Maryland DOT officials told the Calvert County Board of Commissioners that a slower economy and lower motor‑fuel tax receipts have forced reductions to the draft six‑year Consolidated Transportation Program, while some local projects remain eligible for federal funding.
Maryland Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary Samantha Biddle told the Calvert County Board of Commissioners that the agency’s draft six‑year Consolidated Transportation Program for fiscal years 2025–2030 reflects “tough decisions and reductions to live within our means.” She said declines in motor fuel tax receipts and rising costs required program cuts but that safety remains the department’s top priority.
Biddle said state one‑time rainy‑day funding and recently passed revenues helped reduce planned cuts, but the department still faces budgetary pressure: “our motor fuel tax revenues… have come in lower than projected by about $350,000,000,” she said, and operating costs have risen. The briefing included mode‑specific updates from the State Highway Administration, Maryland Transportation Authority, Maryland Transit Administration, Motor Vehicle Administration and the Maryland Aviation Administration.
State Highway Administration District Engineer Kimberly Tran reviewed local projects on the Md. 231 corridor, improvements at Skipjack Road and signal‑timing work in Prince Frederick, noting the projects are eligible for federal funding but may be deferred if required state matches are not available. “We are currently finalizing the engineering design and the right‑of‑way acquisition process will be underway,” Tran said. She stressed SHA will continue to monitor and report on funding availability as designs advance.
Travis Johnson of the Maryland Transit Administration said a new MTA allocation formula increases Calvert County’s operating funds by nearly $200,000 for FY25 and supports service maintenance, passenger counters and three new small buses. MDTA planning director Melissa Williams and MVA deputy administrator Nikki Charleston also briefed the board on customer services, the Key Bridge rebuild funding outlook and recent highway safety grants announced for Calvert County.
Board members pressed officials about timelines for federal funding, the role of state match dollars and local signal timing. Officials said they will continue to update the county as federal and state funding decisions, design milestones and right‑of‑way work progress.
