Safe and reliable transportation infrastructure is critical to economic growth, job creation, and quality of life. That is why Governor Hogan worked tirelessly from his first day in office to rebuild Maryland’s crumbling roads and bridges and to expand access to public transportation.
During the O’Malley administration, Maryland’s transportation infrastructure fell into disrepair, and important projects were stalled. A billion dollars were siphoned out of the Transportation Trust Fund and diverted to unrelated programs.
Upon taking office, Governor Hogan was determined to reverse this neglect. He announced a historic $2 billion investment to build and repair roads and bridges in every corner of our state - from Western Maryland to the Eastern Shore - including fixing all 69 of Maryland’s structurally deficient state-owned bridges.
Governor Hogan continues to focus on delivering much-needed transportation improvements by committing over $16 billion to the state’s Consolidated Transportation Program (CTP). This includes over $8 billion dedicated towards fixing roads and bridges. Additionally, more than half of the state’s highways - have been repaved. There are currently over 800 projects under construction across the state, totaling nearly $9 billion. To address a long-standing concern in Southern Maryland, the governor also announced a $765 million replacement plan for the Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge (US 301).
Maryland has the second-longest commuting times in the country, particularly in the Washington, D.C. region. Getting traffic moving again along these clogged highways requires bold and innovative solutions. To address this, the Hogan administration has outlined a statewide Traffic Relief Plan that includes major widening and targeted technological improvements to the Capital Beltway, I-270, the Baltimore/Washington Parkway, the Baltimore Beltway, and I-95 north of Baltimore, greatly reducing traffic congestion on these vital roadways.
Governor Hogan believes improving Maryland’s highway system goes hand-in-hand with mass transit solutions. In September, he became the first regional leader to put a substantive offer on the table to fix the Washington Metro system’s funding shortfall, and - with legislation recently passed in Maryland and Virginia - the region is poised to make an historic investment in Metro’s future.
In 2017, Governor Hogan broke ground on the multi-billion dollar Purple Line light rail project in Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties. In 2017, the governor joined the Maryland Transit Administration to launch the BaltimoreLink bus system in the Baltimore region, transforming and improving the local transit system for the first time in 50 years.
Under the Hogan administration, the Port of Baltimore and BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport experienced record-breaking success and continue to serve as important economic drivers for Maryland and the mid-Atlantic region. The port broke multiple cargo records. Likewise, BWI airport produced over $9 billion in economic activity during three consecutive years of record-setting passenger traffic, all while supporting more than 8,700 jobs. For the first time in 30 years, the Port of Baltimore will accommodate increased cargo and economic activity, while creating new job opportunities, because of the purchase of an additional 70 acres of land.
Transforming Maryland’s transportation infrastructure is yet another way that the Hogan administration is changing Maryland for the better.