The future of the state’s ambitious bike, pedestrian, and transit plans could be in jeopardy, with reduced funding from both state and federal sources.
Funding cuts in the proposed state budget issued by Maryland Governor Wes Moore have safe streets advocates worried about the future of the state’s ambitious transportation projects, including an 11 percent cut to Complete Streets programs for bike and pedestrian improvements.
“A number of transit and bike projects have seen reductions during Moore’s gubernatorial tenure and this year Moore has proposed $670 million in cuts to the Maryland Transit Administration capital budget,” according to an article by Ethan Goffman in Greater Greater Washington. “Since bike and pedestrian access to public transportation is critical to creating a useful network, ongoing cuts to transit also threaten the network and may increase dependence on cars.” This could lead to more cuts in the state’s “already neglected transit infrastructure,” Goffman adds.
The state DOT is required to implement Complete Streets guidelines on new and existing roads starting January 1, 2025. The state’s General Assembly will vote on a Consolidated Transportation Program for 2025-2030 next spring.
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