Officials Eye ‘New Playbook’ To Decide State Funding For Local Transportation Priorities

Growing strains on the state’s ability to pay for transportation projects across Maryland could result in changes to how local projects are prioritized.

The Maryland Department of Transportation lays out funding for projects around the state in a rolling six-year plan that is updated annually. A new commission tasked with reimagining how the state prioritizes and pays for projects could recommend changes to a system that is both familiar and not always transparent.

“One of the unique aspects of transportation, unlike many other things, is it takes long-term thinking and planning,” said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball (D). “It takes not just months, but years and decades to have a transportation infrastructure and so we need to be much more thoughtful, intentional and innovative and, I think, toss out the decades old playbook and write a new one.”

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