As the House Environment and Transportation heard debate on HB 102, MACo urged the Committee to avoid upending a tenuous law regarding bay crossings.

While MACo did not take a position either in favor of or in opposition to the bill (which seeks to grant a county “approval” for new toll facilities), MACo did submit a letter suggesting that any new law should be placed alongside, rather than in place of, the current privilege afforded to the nine Eastern Shore counties. From MACo’s letter:

MACo would suggest that were any proposal to advance from the Committee, its best path would be to leave the current Transportation Section 4-407 completely intact, and enshrine any new policy regarding projects other than a Bay crossing in a new, stand-alone section of law (perhaps a new Section 4-408) with provisions designed to effect that goal with no potential for interference with the current law.

The February 7 hearing on the bill included extensive lists of supporters and opponents, with most of its attention focused on the pending toll-access proposal to address congestion on Interstate 270.