Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
MACo: state funding squeeze likely to delay new transportation projects
Summary
MACo warned Howard County council that state transportation funds are strained, that new projects are unlikely to be added to the 6‑year plan, and that existing projects may be pushed farther into the schedule.
During a special Howard County Council briefing, Michael Sanderson, executive director of the Maryland Association of Counties, said jurisdictions have been told there is "no room for new projects" in the state's 6‑year transportation plan and that projects already underway may be reprioritized later in the schedule.
"If you had a project that you were hoping was gonna make it into the plan this year, almost every jurisdiction has been told there's just no room for new projects," Sanderson said, warning local officials that timelines could slip "from year 2 to year 4" or later. He said counties manage the vast majority of non‑numbered road miles and are therefore particularly exposed when transportation revenues fall.
Council members asked whether the state will provide new capital funds or delay projects. Sanderson cautioned that high interest rates make current bond financing more expensive and that large state capital programs may be deferred until market conditions improve. He and MACo president Johnny Olszewski urged coordination with legislators to protect locally critical projects.
