Report Calls I-270 Expansion an Expensive Mistake

Maryland earns the dubious accolade of topping U.S. PIRG's list of Highway Boondoggles. The project, which is slated to cost $9 billion, comes at a time when Baltimore's transit system has had to close for repairs.

The report points out how the forces of induced demand will quickly eliminate any gains in traffic alleviation from the project and will create a bigger maintenance liability than Maryland already has. States around the country continue to accrue highway debt, with monies owed doubling since 2008. Beyond that, the state faces a backlog of maintenance projects it could be undertaking to maintain existing roads and bridges.

"Amelia Chasse, a spokeswoman for the governor, said Hogan’s plan to expand I-270 and the Beltway is in keeping with a balanced approach to transportation that includes robust spending on transit in addition to highway funding," Fredrick Kunkle reports for the Washington Post.