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I-95, SMART GROWTH, AND VARIABLE PRICING

1. Do Nothing. This will discourage auto commuting in the corridor and serve as an incentive to enhance rail services but will tie up carpools and buses in the same traffic single-occupancy vehicles are fighting. It will spur growing pressures for road widening, especially as freight traffic that must travel by truck faces growing delays
   
   
2. Add High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes. New HOV lanes on I-95 are likely to spur more sprawl, traffic, air pollution, and increased cancer risk for nearby residents. Successful HOV lanes carry lots of buses, but the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is not planning Shirley Highway levels of bus service on I-95, so it is unlikely buses will carry a majority of the people on the HOV lane. Most HOV lanes are severely underused by commuters. On I-95, HOV lanes are likely to be most used by leisure travelers who will often fill the lanes, leaving no incentive for people to carpool or take transit, since all would be stuck in the same traffic. But a family outing is not a carpool. HOV lanes in Baltimore have a record of failure, with the last lanes to be added to I-95 north of Baltimore planned as HOV lanes, but now used as regular lanes. This simply induced more traffic and led to a call for yet more road widening to fuel yet more sprawl and pollution.
   
   
3. Add general-purpose lanes. Widening I-95 would boost pollution, hampering Maryland’s timely attainment of healthful air quality. It would subject those living close to I-95 to increased cancer risk from added exposure to air toxics from increased traffic, especially trucks. And it would undermine transit and Smart Growth. One MdTA scenario under consideration envisions adding 50-100% more capacity from MD 543 in Harford County down to the northern end of I-895. This would draw new residents and commuters to the rural areas of Harford County and draw transit riders onto the roads and rail freight traffic into trucks.
   
   
4. Use variable pricing. We believe this is the option that will best curb sprawl and promote smart growth and equity, as explained in section II of this attachment.
   

For more information contact Dan Pontious, Baltimore Regional Partnership, at (410) 385-2910, or Michael Replogle, Environmental Defense, at (202) 387-3500.

I-95, SMART GROWTH, AND VARIABLE PRICING

Variable pricing refers to the application, in some or all lanes, of an electronic toll that can be varied depending on the demand. The toll would be highest during peak commuting hours in the peak direction. At other times the toll would be lower or zero. Variable pricing is consistent with Smart Growth and with promoting equity and quality in our transportation system for the following reasons:

1. Transit gets priority. Travel by express bus will be more attractive, since transit vehicles can travel in the express lanes. An agreement between MdTA and MTA can ensure that those vehicles travel for free or with deep discounts.
   
   
2. Transit can be subsidized by toll revenue. MdTA covenants can be modified as new bonds are issued. In New York/New Jersey and southern California revenue from variable pricing pays for more frequent and affordable transit service in the corridor, enhancing equity of access to jobs for those without cars.
   
   
3. Carpools save. Commuter tolls at peak hours may be expensive on a regular basis, but carpools could use express lanes regularly for much less and can be more easily arranged in dense Priority Funding Areas (PFAs) than in rural areas.
   
   
4. Variable pricing expands transportation choices, especially within PFAs. The benefits of better transit service and carpooling accrue to everyone, but especially those living in PFAs, who enjoy better access to these choices. Those contemplating a move to rural Harford County and commuting alone to Baltimore during rush hours would have to weigh enduring more congestion or paying for a quicker commute.
   
   
5. Variable pricing will ensure a quick trip when needed. Regardless of income, if someone can afford to travel by car, there are times when that person needs to be somewhere quickly and would likely be willing and able to pay for it. Whether that person is facing child-care center late fines or simply a family emergency, variable pricing will ensure that just about any traveler who has to travel quickly can do so.
   

Baltimore Regional Partnership · 512 Orchard Street  · Baltimore, MD 21201-1947
 phone: (410) 523-8150  x249 · fax: (410) 523-4022