The Baltimore Sun Editorial Board finds numerous faults with the state of Maryland's preliminary investigation of an idea to add another bridge across the Chesapeake Bay near Annapolis.
"Maryland’s $5 million study of how best to relieve congestion at the William Preston Lane Jr. Bridge, more commonly known as the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, has winnowed down the potential options regarding an additional bay crossing, and they are, with one exception, pretty ugly," according to an editorial written by the Baltimore Sun a few days after news broke about the state settling on three potential options for a new bridge.
The editorial helpfully clarifies specifics about the status of the plans, noting the preliminary and speculative nature of plans so far. When the plan encounters real world considerations like how to pay for the new bridge, the editorial suggests another alternative: not building anything at all.
Other real world considerations that would suggest a no-build option as the most prudent course include environmental and habitat protection. While the wetlands in the area have been shrinking as development spreads, the region is also vulnerable to sea-level rise.
The editorial's kicker is a scathing indictment of car-oriented transportation planning—a status quo Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has shown a preference for in multiple instances during his tenure.
FULL STORY: The best place for a new Bay Bridge? Nowhere.
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