BALTIMORE REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP Newsletter
March 9, 2001

Land Use and Transportation Issues Around the Region
___________________________________

Welcome to the electronic newsletter on smart growth issues in the
Baltimore region.  See the end for more information about the Baltimore
Regional Partnership and this newsletter.

Website: www.balto-region-partners.org

I N   T H I S   I S S U E

1. IN THE REGION:
*Regional Transit Service at Stake in Governor's Initiative
*Long-Term Transportation Projects Unveiled at Meeting
*Feds Say Regional Transportation Board Must Do Better
*Calendar of Events

2. IN THE STATE HOUSE
*Governor's Transit Funding Under Pressure; Rally Set for March 12
*Hearings Held on Variable Pricing Transportation Study
*Calendar of Events

3. ACROSS THE NATION
*Supreme Court Upholds Key Clean Air Act Provisions

4. ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY
*Annapolis City Council Passes Transportation Plan Funding

5. BALTIMORE COUNTY
*Corrections to Article on Gunpowder Watershed Study

6. CARROLL COUNTY
*Commissioners Create Committee to Review Zoning Ordinance
    
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1.  I N  T H E  R E G I O N

REGIONAL TRANSIT SERVICE AT STAKE IN GOVERNOR'S INITIATIVE

As the Maryland General Assembly considers the state budget, and as local
transit advocates prepare to rally in Annapolis March 12 (see IN THE STATE
HOUSE, below), several aspects of Baltimore region transit service hang in
the balance.  At a CPHA-led Rally for the Region in October 2000, Governor
Glendening announced he would propose funding to run the Metro subway on
Sundays for the first time.  As he released his more detailed transit plan
in December, it included reducing crowding by adding service to popular
bus routes; boosted bus maintenance and reliability; adding service to
suburban destinations such as Harford County, Columbia, and Arundel Mills
Mall; and lowering bus, Metro, and light rail fares in Baltimore by 19%,
with a base one-way fare of $1.10 instead of $1.35.  As some state
legislators express concern about budgetary constraints, Baltimore region
transit advocates are preparing to join with like-minded citizens and
groups from around the state to push for the governor's full transit
package.

For more information on the March 12 rally and the General Assembly, see
IN THE STATE HOUSE below, or contact Jamie Kendrick, CPHA, at
JamieK@CPHAbaltimore.org, or Amy Menzer, CPHA, at AmyM@CPHAbaltimore.org. 


LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS UNVEILED AT MEETING

At a March 7 meeting, officials from the Baltimore Region Transportation
Board revealed the highway, transit, and bicycle projects that each county
in the region has submitted for inclusion in the region's 2001 long-range
transportation plan.  The Baltimore Regional Transportation Plan, as the
document is called, serves as a blueprint for transportation projects
looking at least 20 years into the future.  Because of air pollution
levels that violate federal health standards, the Baltimore region's plan
must be updated at least every three years. 

The Baltimore Regional Partnership sharply criticized the 1998 long-range
plan, pointing particularly to three road-widening projects totalling over
$600 million that the Partnership said would facilitate sprawl in rural
areas without solving traffic congestion problems.  In 2001, some of those
projects have been submitted and some have not.  Carroll County did not
submit the Westminster bypass, which had been rejected by Governor Parris
N. Glendening in January 1999.  Unlike in 1998, the Maryland
Transportation Authority, which operates toll roads in Maryland, did not
submit the addition of a fifth lane for high occupancy vehicles (HOV) in
each direction to I-95 north of Baltimore.  The Authority wants to wait
for completion of a Master Plan process it is leading for the corridor.
Adding a fifth lane, for HOV, was included for I-95 south of Baltimore as
a "regional priority."  In addition, Howard County submitted the widening
of Maryland Route 32 through its rural west, despite its new General Plan
that discourages widening of such roads and a Land Use Expert Panel that
is currently studying options for the project.

Candidate transit projects include extending the Metro subway from Johns
Hopkins Hospital to Hopkins Bayview and three light rail projects: a
downtown loop, a western line to the Social Security Administration area,
and a northeast line from Hopkins to Whitemarsh.  Also under consideration
are packages of "transportation demand management" (TDM) measures being
studied by the transportation board's Emissions Mitigation Strategies
Subcommittee.  The transportation board will now evaluate each of the
candidate projects and hold meetings in each of the region's jurisdictions
over the summer.  After composing a plan that conforms with the region's
budget and air quality plans, the panel hopes to approve a final plan in
the fall of this year.

For more information, contact Dan Pontious, Baltimore Regional
Partnership, at danp@balto-region-partners.org, or Regina Aris, Baltimore
Metropolitan Council, at raris@baltometro.org.


FEDS SAY REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION BOARD MUST DO BETTER

Speaking for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal
Transit Administration (FTA), Steve Rapley of FHWA had critical words for
the region's elected chief executives when they met February 20 as the
Baltimore Regional Transportation Board.  As part of the federal agencies'
triennial recertification process under federal transportation law, Rapley
noted citizen concerns presented at two public meetings FHWA and FTA held
in January and stated that the transportation board must be more
responsive.  The Baltimore Regional Partnership, the transportation
board's Citizens Advisory Committee, and several civic leaders had
testified at those public meetings on federal recertification, urging the
federal agencies to require the regional board to make good on its
commitments from the previous federal review. 

At the February 20 meeting Rapley urged the board to follow through this
spring on its 1999 commitment to hold a regional meeting as part of the
region's preparations for the Consolidated Transportation Program (CTP)
process.  He also noted that the transportation board did not meet citizen
expectations in holding only three meetings that included elected
officials in 2000, rather than the four meetings they had promised in late
1999.  Rapley stated that it is important for the board to meet citizen
expectations.  He also encouraged senior transit staff from both the state
and county transit operators to participate in the board's work.  Finally,
Rapley stated that the federal transportation agencies would withhold
their recertification until after the transportation board approves its
long-awaited Public Involvement Plan, currently in draft form.  The
Baltimore Regional Partnership has urged the board to be more specific and
proactive in its plans for outreach to civic leaders around the region as
it develops transportation plans for the region.  The transportation board
is expected to approve a final Public Involvement Plan at its monthly
meeting on March 27 at 9:00 AM.

For more information, contact Dan Pontious, Baltimore Regional
Partnership, at danp@balto-region-partners.org.


CALENDAR OF EVENTS

March 10
*Regionwide Community Conversation on Drug Treatment Issues, Part II.  For
more information, contact Matthew Weinstein, CPHA, at
MatthewW@CPHABaltimore.org.

March 12
*Rally for More and Better Transit, Annapolis.  For details see IN THE
STATE HOUSE below.

March 13
*The Regional City: Planning for the End of Sprawl.  Bill Fulton talks
about the book he co-authored with Peter Calthorpe, published by Island
Press. 7:00 PM, Bibelot at The Can Company, Boston Street, Canton. Event
sponsored by CPHA. You can read more about the book at
www.islandpress.org. For more information, contact Heidi Paremske, CPHA,
at heidip@cphabaltimore.org.

March 14
*Developing a Big City Transportation Plan.  12:00 noon, Johns Hopkins
Berman Auditorium (corner of Charles and Fayette Streets in downtown
Baltimore).  Discussion will feature Denise Goren, former Deputy Mayor for
Transportation in Philadelphia; Ralph Moore, CPHA Transportation Committee
Co-Chair; and Paul Wiedefeld, Vice President of Parsons Brinckerhoff.
Sponsored by the Baltimore Architecture Foundation and the CPHA
Transportation Committee.  For more information contact Joe Clarke at
(410) 962-0241.

March 15
*The Natural Step -- A Framework for Sustainability Workshop, at Ten Oaks,
Howard County.  A workshop on sustainable development for business,
government, and community leaders, as well as architects,
designers, and planners.  The Natural Step is a science-based approach
designed to enhance strategic planning and bottom-line benefits. For more
information contact Mare Cromwell, Cirque Sustainability, at
mcromwell@toad.net.

March 20
*MD 32 Land Use Expert Panel meeting.  4:00 PM - 6:00 PM.  Offices of LDR
International, in Columbia.  Panel members will discuss together for the
first time their individual predictions of the impact of three road
scenarios for Maryland Rt. 32 between Rt. 108 and I-70 in western Howard
County on household and employment growth in the surrounding area.
Panelists have been working separately on their own analyses since the
panel's last meeting on February 5.  For more information, contact Adam
Gordon, Baltimore Regional Partnership, at adam@balto-region-partners.org,
or Amy Hribar, State Highway Administration, at ahribar@sha.state.md.us.

March 27
*Baltimore Regional Transportation Board monthly meeting. 9:00 AM,
Baltimore Metropolitan Council offices, 2700 Lighthouse Point East, Suite
310, Baltimore (on Boston St. near O'Donnell St., in Canton).  The Board
anticipates approving its Public Involvement Plan at this meeting.  For
more information, contact Joan Gorsuch, BMC, at jgorsuch@baltometro.org.

April 5
*Emissions Mitigation Strategies Subcommittee.  10:00 AM, BMC offices.
For more information, contact Dan Pontious, Baltimore Regional Partnership
and chair of the subcommittee, at danp@balto-region-partners.org, or Earl
Long, BMC, at elong@baltometro.org.

April 7
*Irvine Nature Center's "Project Clean Stream." 9:00 AM-12:00 noon. A
regional stream and watershed clean up effort covering 50+ sites in
Baltimore City, Baltimore County and beyond. Irvine is seeking help with
site recommendations, site captains, cleanup volunteers (individuals and
groups), and volunteers with pick-up trucks to help haul trash. For more
information contact Roseanne Glick, Project Clean Stream Coordinator, at
roeglick@bcpl.net or 410-542-2807, or Irvine Nature Center at 410-484-2413
or via their website at www.explorenature.org.

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2.  I N  T H E  S T A T E  H O U S E


GOVERNOR'S TRANSIT FUNDING UNDER PRESSURE; RALLY SET FOR MARCH 12

With state legislators weighing possibly dramatic cuts to Governor Parris
N. Glendening's $750 million Transit Initiative, the Citizens Planning and
Housing Association (CPHA), the Transit Riders League of Metropolitan
Baltimore, and many other transit advocates from across the state will
come to Annapolis March 12 to rally support for the measure.  The historic
six-year initiative includes $322 million for the Baltimore region,
funding to provide subway service on the Baltimore Metro subway on Sunday,
new buses, and lower transit fares. The March 12 rally will ask
legislators to keep full funding for the Initiative in this year's budget.
Rally participants will seek to convey their support to key legislators
like Senators Robert Neall (Anne Arundel County), Edward Kasemeyer (Howard
and Baltimore Counties), Martin Madden (Howard and Prince George's
Counties), Thomas Bromwell (Baltimore County), James Degrange (Anne
Arundel County), and Delegates John Leopold (Anne Arundel County) and Jim
Ports (Baltimore County).

The rally will take place at Lawyers Mall, in front of the State House (a
recent change from the Asbury United Methodist Church) in Annapolis at
7:00 PM.  Buses will be departing for the rally from the following
locations in the Baltimore region:

Bon Secours Hospital -- 5:45 PM
Camden Yards Transit Center -- 6:00 PM
Charles Village (Ctr. for Poverty Solutions, 2521 N. Charles)-5:30 PM
Johns Hopkins Hospital (call for exact location) -- 5:45 PM
Mondawmin Transit Center -- 5:30 PM
Morgan State University (Engineering Building) -- 5:30 PM
Aberdeen MARC Station -- 5:15 PM
Columbia Mall (near Hecht's entrance) -- 5:30 PM

To reserve a spot on a bus or carpool, or for more information, e-mail
Jamie Kendrick, CPHA, at JamieK@CPHAbaltimore.org or Amy Menzer, CPHA, at
AmyM@CPHAbaltimore.org, or call CPHA at 410-539-1369.  March 9 Baltimore
Sun story available at
www.sunspot.net/news/nationworld/bal-te.md.transit09mar09.story?coll=bal%2Dhome%2Dheadlines.


HEARINGS HELD ON VARIABLE PRICING TRANSPORTATION STUDY

With some Washington-area state legislators questioning the value of a
Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) study of "variable pricing,"
two key budget subcommittees held hearings on the subject February 27.
Before the House of Delegates Appropriations Subcommittee on
Transportation and the Environment, Takoma Park mayor Kathy Porter,
immediate past chair of the Washington region's Transportation Planning
Board, encouraged the General Assembly to continue exploring ways to
manage Washington's growing traffic congestion and to fund new
transportation initiatives.  "Variable pricing" refers a strategy of
setting aside lanes for carpools and transit -- similar to high occupancy
vehicle (HOV) lanes,  but also allowing single-occupant vehicles to pay to
use them, most commonly through electronic tolling, which is varied by
time of day to keep the lanes free-flowing.  Environmental Defense
transportation director Michael Replogle noted that variable pricing can
improve a road's overall efficiency and that the funds raised can be used
to expand transit along the same congested corridors.  He noted that this
strategy has been successful along I-15 in San Diego, with surveys of
motorists who drive alone and pay to use the free-flowing lanes showing no
socio-economic skew toward the wealthy.

The corresponding budget subcommittee in the state Senate held a similar
hearing that day also.  Representatives of the Baltimore Regional
Partnership, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Baltimore Urban League, and
Friends of Harford also traveled to Annapolis to express their support for
continuing MDOT's study.  Next steps in the study include pilot projects
on existing and imminent HOV lanes on I-270 and U.S. 50 in the Washington
area.  Baltimore area facilities in the study include I-95, all three
harbor crossings, and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

For more information, contact Dan Pontious, Baltimore Regional
Partnership, at danp@balto-region-partners.org, or Scot Spencer,
Environmental Defense, at sspencer@environmentaldefense.org. 


CALENDAR OF EVENTS

March 12
*Rally for More and Better Transit. 7:00 PM, Lawyers Mall, in front of the
State House, Annapolis. For more information, see above article, contact
Jamie Kendrick, CPHA, at jamiek@cphabaltimore.org, or Amy Menzer, CPHA, at
amym@cphabaltimore.org.

March 13
*Washington Regional Network for Sustainable Communities Forum: "Pricing
Highway Lanes - Who Benefits?" with Michael Replogle and Scot Spencer,
Environmental Defense. 7:00 PM, Prince George's Plaza Metro Building,
6525 Belcrest Road, 11th Floor.  For more information, contact Scot
Spencer, Environmental Defense, at sspencer@environmentaldefense.org.

March 20
*Committee Reporting Courtesy Date.  Each Chamber's committees to report
their own bills by this date.

March 26
*Opposite Chamber Bill Crossover Date.  Each Chamber to send to other
Chamber those bills it intends to see passed.

April 2
*Budget bill to be passed by both Chambers of the General Assembly.

April 9
*General Assembly adjourns at midnight.

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3.  A C R O S S  T H E  N A T I O N

SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS KEY CLEAN AIR ACT PROVISIONS

On February 27, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the Clean Air Act
does not permit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to use cost as a
factor in setting clean air standards and that the EPA was within its
authority to issue revised air quality standards in 1997.  Perhaps most
importantly for the Baltimore region, the Court threw out an
implementation plan for enforcing provisions of the Clean Air Act
regulating ground-level ozone, which causes smog, and fine airborne
particles, issued by the EPA in 1997. The decision in Whitman v. American
Trucking Associations overturned a ruling by the United States Court of
Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit which had ruled that the EPA
had overstepped its boundaries in writing the new rules.  American
Trucking Associations and the United States Chamber of Commerce, who had
initiated the lawsuit, expressed dismay with the ruling and vowed to seek
legislative remedies. Environmental groups, and new Environmental
Protection Agency administrator Christine Todd Whitman, who had been
involved in the lawsuit in her prior role as Governor of New Jersey,
applauded the decision. Partnership member organization Environmental
Defense filed a brief in support of the state governments appealing the
lower court decision.

The Baltimore region, as a nonattainment area for ground-level ozone
pollution standards, is likely to be strongly affected by the Court's
action on smog regulations. The Court ordered EPA to come up with a new
implementation plan reconciling two provisions of the Clean Air Act, one
general provision and one dealing specifically with ground-level ozone.
Transportation projects in the Baltimore region must achieve "conformity"
through modeling processes showing that vehicle emissions resulting from
transportation projects will "conform" to the region's plans to meet
federal health standards for air pollution.  Partnership member
organization 1000 Friends of Maryland is currently involved in a lawsuit
against the EPA claiming that the modeling used for transportation
projects in the Baltimore region to determine conformity was flawed.

For more information, contact Brad Rogers, 1000 Friends of Maryland, at
brogers@friendsofmd.org or Adam Gordon, Baltimore Regional Partnership, at
adam@balto-region-partners.org.

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4.  A N N E  A R U N D E L  C O U N T Y

ANNAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY PASSES TRANSPORTATION PLAN FUNDING

On Monday, February 12, the Annapolis City Council unanimously voted to
allocate $150,000 towards a comprehensive regional transportation master
plan. This funding allocation is designed to identify strategies to
implement the goals identified by the Annapolis Transportation Board's
"Draft Goals and Vision for Transportation" plan, which was developed over
the past year with broad public input from a wide range of community
groups in Annapolis. These goals set performance-based targets for
Annapolis' transportation system, based on the differening needs of
residents, workers, shoppers, and tourists in the city. The unanimous vote
followed testimony from a number of groups and individuals all in support
of the plan. The Baltimore Regional Partnership was among those supporting
the plan, calling the plan "a well reasoned and workable long-term
solution to transportation issues in Annapolis" and asking the state and
Anne Arundel County governments to supplement Annapolis' funding for the
study with their own funding in recognition of Annapolis' position as a
county-wide and state-wide hub.

For more information, contact Andy Chase, Chair, Annapolis Transportation
Board at achase@m-c-inc.com or Adam Gordon, Baltimore Regional
Partnership, at adam@balto-region-partners.org.

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5.  B A L T I M O R E  C O U N T Y

CORRECTIONS TO ARTICLE ON GUNPOWDER WATERSHED STUDY

Two points in the February 2 Baltimore Regional Partnership newsletter
article "Gunpowder Study Finds Sprawling Land Uses Harming Watershed,
Reservoirs" require correction.  The 250% increase in nitrates observed
was likely due in part to a change in measurement techniques, and not
entirely due to sprawl.  Also, the the rezonings of agricultural land to
industrial land proposed in Carroll County to date are in the Liberty
watershed, not the Gunpowder watershed. The Baltimore Regional Partnership
regrets the errors.

For more information, contact Adam Gordon, Baltimore Regional Partnership,
at adam@balto-region-partners.org.

_____________________________________

6.  C A R R O L L  C O U N T Y

COMMISSIONERS CREATE COMMITTEE TO REVIEW ZONING ORDINANCE

The Carroll County Board of Commissioners has created a committee to
conduct a review of the county's zoning ordinance, and make
recommendations on possible changes. A county press release says the
committee will look for "unnecessary embellishments of requirements,
possible deletions of unnecessary verbiage, overkill by regulation,
property rights intrusion, and wherever possible, limit governmental
intervention." The committee, in addition to looking for ways to pare the
zoning ordinance down, will also address the Commissioners' desire to lure
more tax base-enhancing industrial properties to the county. One item of
the committee's charge asks the committee to add "new language to reflect
current trends, especially in the areas of Business and Industrial Zones."
Another item asks for a review of conditional uses, though one which still
maintains "adequate land use flexibility in each of the zoning
classifications." Many Carroll County citizens point to current
conditional use policy as a key factor in the lack of available industrial
space in the county. Many prime industrial sites have been taken up by big
box retail centers due to a liberal provision in the current zoning
ordinance allowing these stores as conditional uses in industrial zones.

The Committee of ten includes two land use attorneys who frequently
represent Carroll County developers, the President of a county property
rights group, the CEO of Maryland Midland Railway in Union Bridge, the
owner of the Jiffy Mart chain, a local realtor, and four other county
citizens. The committee is asked to submit its report for review by the
Board of Commissioners by November 15, 2001.

For more information, contact Neil Ridgely, Finksburg Area Planning
Council, at brooksbend@erols.com, or Adam Gordon, Baltimore Regional
Partnership, at adam@balto-region-partners.org.

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ABOUT THE BALTIMORE REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP AND NEWSLETTER

The Baltimore Regional Partnership is an alliance of five civic,
environmental, and anti-sprawl groups: 1000 Friends of Maryland
(www.friendsofmd.org), Baltimore Urban League (www.bul.org), Chesapeake
Bay Foundation (www.savethebay.cbf.org), Citizens Planning and Housing
Association (www.CPHARegionalCampaign.org), and Environmental Defense
(www.environmentaldefense.org).

This newsletter explores current issues, recent and upcoming events, and
ongoing deliberations that affect the region's quality of life through
transportation, economic development, and land use policy and planning.

We hope to link citizens in the region who are working to fight sprawl,
promote clean and efficient transportation, protect valuable farm and
forest lands, and revitalize urban areas, older suburbs, and historic
towns.

Has this newsletter been forwarded to you, and you would like to receive
it yourself?  Visit our web site at
www.balto-region-partners.org/news.htm to sign up and to view past issues.