LAST CHANCE to Comment on Bay Bridge Crossing Study

Today’s Bay Bridge backup made it back to the Severn River Bridge. And you can also find a letter to the editor in today’s (5/8/21) Capital. This issue will effect our community for the foreseeable future. The deadline for submitting comments about the Bay Bridge Crossing Study is nearly here. Send your comments and concerns by May 10, 9pm.

Deliver your comments and join the campaign to voice your concerns about the Government’s NEPA Transportation Tier 1 study of alternative sites for the location of a 3rd Chesapeake Bay span. The Tier 1 Study alternative #7 selection has been announced as the preferred location, on the Broadneck Peninsula Rte #50/301 corridor. There were 13 other alternative locations on the Bay that were considered but the recommended selection was made for the Broadneck corridor where there are two older Bridges. MD Department of Transportation has stated in their “Purpose and Need” declaration, the intent to improve mobility to the E. Shore at this crossing. There are many other factors that should be considered to determine the best option for the long term needs of Maryland, but they were not even included in the Tier 1 study. The justification for this Tier 1 study is a brief, less costly and a faster way to make a site selection decision. This was done by omitting many of the important aspects that should be factored into the final selection — such as effects on related bridges, development sprawl, redundancy in emergency bridge situations, and approach roads. These were not a properly considered part of the study.

The current move to finalize the selection of the Broadneck corridor should be stopped. This decision must be made with additional factors included in the study to come to a final decision on the smart/correct alternative site. Additional data must be provided and analyzed before a valid decision is rendered.

Please submit comments to the Study’s comment page (see below) ask them to stop the study until a thorough “Purpose and Needs” evaluation is conducted to determine the best option for long term benefits to Maryland. We believe another site must be selected that will draw traffic away to the Northern and/or Southern parts Chesapeake Bay. A new crossing must be constructed to offer an alternative to the Rt.97 / Rt.50 corridor that is already overloaded on weekends with commuter, business and vacation travelers. Traffic issues threaten to expand throughout the year. Government forecasts project increasing volume at (est) 1-2%/year. Putting more traffic into this corridor will put all our eggs in one basket and push a cycle of sprawl.

The Broadneck Peninsula cannot sustain the additional load of traffic projected for the next 20-50 years and the MDTA should find another location to keep traffic away from the Annapolis/Broadneck to Kent Island geography.

TAKE ACTION: You can find more talking points here:
https://protectbroadneck.blogspot.com/2021/05/bay-bridge-concerned-use-info-below-to.html

COMMENT to the Study Commission:
Send your comments to the Bay Crossing Study site form so it is an official part of the record:
https://baycrossingstudy.com/public-involvement/deis-submit-comments

ALSO you can urge your elected officials to take action:
Email list (Copy and Paste):
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Contact Forms:
US Senator Benjamin Cardin: https://www.cardin.senate.gov/contact
US Senator Christopher Van Hollen: https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/contact/email
US Representative Anthony Brown: https://anthonybrown.house.gov/contact
US Representative John Sarbanes: https://sarbanes.house.gov/contact
Governor Larry Hogan: https://governor.maryland.gov/contact-the-governor

Pat Lynch, President
Broadneck Council of Communities, Inc.