Annapolis light rail bill gets chilly reception

By ANDREW CHILDERS, Staff Writer

Published 02/27/08

Lawmakers wary of dictating transportation planning will likely derail a pair of bills designed to explore connecting Annapolis to neighboring cities by train, despite a local lawmaker's attempts to make them more feasible.

Del. Ron George, R-Annapolis, is pushing for a study of connecting Annapolis to Baltimore and Washington, D.C., with light rail, as well as exploring the feasibility of running train service in the city itself.

Mr. George's legislation mirrors a bill submitted by Sen. John Astle, D-Annapolis, at the city's request.

But the legislation received a chilly reception from the House Environmental Matters Committee yesterday. House Minority Leader Anthony O'Donnell, R-St. Mary's, worried about "political transportation planning" interfering with the Department of Transportation.

Officials with the Department of Transportation also opposed the studies, saying the legal mandates usurped its authority and could open the floodgate for politicians looking to circumvent the state planning process.

"We may have 50 more next year for projects people think are important," Maryland Transit Administration Director of External Affairs James Knighton said.

Mr. George and Mr. Astle are not the only ones who have attempted an end run around Maryland's five-year transit planning process. Last year, Del. David Rudolph, D-Cecil, submitted a bill requesting a feasibility study to extend the MARC train service to Elkton. The matter was resolved administratively through negotiations with planners, which committee Vice Chairman James Malone, D-Baltimore County, called a better solution.

"I think the administration has been clear they're going to do everything they can," he said.

The request for the studies comes at a time when the Maryland Transit Administration's coffers are unusually bountiful. For fiscal 2009, the Maryland Transit Administration will have a $358.7 million capital budget, compared with $323.5 million this year.

Projects include $27 million to improve the Camden, Brunswick and Penn MARC commuter rails and $4 million to start developing the 16-mile Purple Line from Bethesda to New Carrollton.

An early Department of Legislative Services analysis of the two bills estimated they would cost the state more than $800,000 over the next two fiscal years. After meeting with the Department of Transportation, Mr. George said he already is proposing a longer window for the study, allowing the state to conduct it in-house rather than hire a contractor, which should reduce the price tag and make it more palatable to lawmakers.

Even if the bills fail to pass, Mr. George said he expects to have the leverage to get the rail studies into the state planning pipeline.

"I think MDOT knows if we come back next year and it's not in the study, this will give us some strength to get it done," he said.

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Free Market Approach? - 2008-07-16 17:55:17

It is a surprise to read James Knighton's comments. Who would have thought that he would sound like a civil servant living off the taxpayers' backs. No free market approach to getting rail service to link Annapolis with Washington, Baltimore or BWI? He sounds like a lifelong government employee who hasn't discovered life in the private sector.

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D. Nicole - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Bad

Light Rail good idea? - 2008-03-03 08:46:45

I am not so sure introducing light rail into Annapolis is a good idea or not. Granted, traffic is a serious problem but how exactly are they going to go about building this rail system without seriously hindering travel as it is? Even minor street repairs can cause massive backups in the area and I can only imagine what rail construction would do. Also having lived in the areas that were supposed to get a traffic reprieve from the existing light rail I can say they did little to almost nothing to ease traffic. Sure it's a nice way to get to work or town if you happen to actually use it but that?s just it, for how many need to use it that actually do is rather low. The only traffic I saw the light real ease was the traffic it created in construction. I am sure Annapolis would see the same thing. So years of rail construction clogging traffic all that much more to receive almost no benefit. Of course you can say anything is a help considering the massive influx of people into Annapolis.

Eventually something will have to be done and it will be drastic whatever that something is but I don't think a light rail system is going to prevent that ultimate need. Perhapes a differnt kind of rail system but one like Baltimore light rail is a wast in my opinion.

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K. Overman - arnold, MD - Karma: Bad

What Else Is New? - 2008-03-01 21:22:30

As long as MDOT digs its heels in on alternative forms of transportation (light rail etc.), we will continue to watch traffic get worse and worse. As I have stated before, I will be retired from the government by the time the powers that be decide that having light rail, etc. is a good idea.

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J. Jovkovich - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Neutral

Rail service to Annapolis - 2008-03-01 08:17:07

So James Knighton doesn't want the legislature to force the MDOT to look at rail service into Annapolis. What a shock.

The Department of Highways has fought rail service to Annapolis tooth and nail since James Lighthizer proposed "The Arundel Connection" in 1979 and Eugene McNulty presented his "Rehabilitation of the Baltimore and Annapolis Railroad -Plan and Budget" in 1980.

At that time, ANY attempt to expand or resurrect rail service
to Annapolis was derided by the MDOT as foolish and unnecessary, with the authoritative claim that people would never go back to trains.

Mr. Lighthizer's plan was dismissed out-of-hand because it was presented at the time the MDOT was dead set on building I-97, and by God NO one was going to interfere with the MDOT's plan to build more highways.

Mr. McNulty's plan, which envisioned a rail system that reached BWI and Camden Station, was dismissed by the MDOT because of budget constraints which precluded further study of the idea (but they had plenty of money to plan and build more ROADS!) and by Robert Pascal, who said that the county had already planned to convert the old rail line into a bike path.

While I am wholeheartedly in favor of returning rail service to Annapolis, until MDOT is FORCED to seriously consider the subject spells doom no matter how one looks at it.

THAT, Mr. Knighton, is why the legislature is trying to force you to look at rail service to Annapolis: your agency has a pathetic history with regard to the matter, and it would appear that until you ARE forced to look into it, you simply won't.

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Michael Calo - Glen Burnie, MD - Karma: Neutral

Light Rail - 2008-02-29 16:56:21

I guess it's too bad that Annapolis destroyed the old rail service. Are Annapolitans ready yo give up their trails?

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Robin S. - Churchton, MD - Karma: Neutral

Annapolis light rail bill - 2008-02-28 16:25:00

So this project got caught in a turf battle and has nothing to do with the merits of this project. It is too bad that politics wins again over merit.

Can we take a new look at this based on its cost Vs value and its ability to get some cars off the road reduce our dependence on foreign oil and the convenience to its users?

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Alan Fishel - Long Beach, CA - Karma: Bad