State transportation brass notes budget challenges

The big wheel in the state transportation’s annual road show was missing Tuesday in Prince Frederick. However, other highway and transit officials briefed the Calvert commissioners on what the county can expect funding-wise from Maryland’s revised, six-year consolidated transportation program.

Samantha Biddle, the department’s deputy secretary, led the team as secretary Paul Wiedefeld was absent. Biddle said the department “continues to face significant budgetary challenges because of the state’s slow economic growth, the rising costs labor and materials, and revenues coming in lower than projected.”

The deputy secretary did note that some of the $3.3 billion cut from last fiscal year’s transportation program was restored through Gov. Wes Moore’s decision to allocate some of Maryland’s rainy day funds and $1.8 billion in revenues realized by legislation passed earlier this year by the General Assembly to the department.

The slash in state funds could delay long-promised intersection projects on Route 231 in Calvert.

Kimberly Tran, state highway administration engineer, said there could be federal funding available for the projects at Skipjack Road, the Sixes Road/Adelina Road intersection and Toy Lane to Prince Frederick Boulevard. A state match for the federal funds would be required.

“It just depends on the percentage,” Tran said.

The engineer said there is some funding currently available for the initial two phases of the work planned for the Route 231/Skipjack Road intersection.

Tran added that fiscal 2027 is when funding for the local road projects “becomes tight.”

In answer to a question from Commissioner Mark C. Cox Sr. (R) about how state highway officials decide whether to use slurry sealing or asphalt paving for a road project, Tran said engineers determine the material choice by “what we can get the most bang for our buck.”

Cox noted that recently Route 264 (Broomes Island Road) was “black-topped,” while a slurry mix was used for work on Route 402 (Dares Beach Road).

“We did complain about the quality of work on Route 264,” Commissioner President Earl F. “Buddy” Hance (R) said.

Tran said the work on that road was “a full repaving,” adding that “if a road was in really bad shape than slurry isn’t going to do any good for it.”

Commissioner Mike Hart (R), as usual, mentioned the Gov. Thomas Johnson Bridge, conceding that a long clamored-for replacement wasn’t in the transportation plan. However, Hart asked if the department is considering any modifications to deter people from jumping off the bridge.

“That bridge is getting a lot of attention for the wrong reason,” Hart said.

Biddle said right now transportation officials are not moving forward with “infrastructure changes” to address the issue but instead will “see where we can be a partner with those in the mental health field.”

Hance said the county’s traffic flow problem is the result of not local residents, but more out-of-county motorists passing through Calvert to get over the bridge, which is crossed by over 30,000 vehicles daily, many going to Naval Air Station Patuxent River.

“It doesn’t matter if we never build another house, traffic is going to get worse on Route 4,” Hance said.

The board president noted there will be one more traffic light to be added on Route 2/4 in Prince Frederick when Armory Square is ready to open, bringing the total traffic signals in the area to eight.

He requested action from highway officials “to make that traffic flow.”

Travis Johnson, the department’s transit support director, said that thanks to “a new funding allocation formula” Calvert is receiving an increase of nearly $200,000 for its local bus service.

Hance noted that since July 1, when the county made the local service fare-free, local bus ridership is up 30%.

Biddle told the commissioners that department staff would be following up on a request from Commissioner Todd Ireland (R) to obtain more traffic safety data and a request from Commissioner Catherine M. Grasso (R) for more information on the ongoing Route 4/Suitland Parkway intersection project.