Carroll County Open House & Public Comment - Transportation System

Westminster, MD, Thursday, May 25, 2023 –The Baltimore Regional Transportation Board (BRTB) is drafting plans for $74 billion of long-term investments in the region’s transportation system. A public comment period on the draft Resilience 2050 long-range transportation plan, 2024-2027 Transportation Improvement Program and Air Quality Conformity Determination will close on June 20, and include opportunities online and in-person to learn more and weigh in.

“I support this coordination with the Baltimore Metropolitan Council and believe this is a great opportunity for our community members to provide input on transportation plans for the region which includes Carroll County,” said President of the County Commissioners Ed Rothstein. “By providing feedback, we can strategically work together with multiple jurisdictions in the Baltimore region to improve the overall regional transportation system.”

The plans include about $972 million in anticipated federal and state funding for projects impacting Carroll County. Top-priority initiatives include expanding MD 32 from Sykesville to Eldersburg, widening MD 26 from MD 32 to Liberty Reservoir and improving MD 97 in Westminster for all users – including motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.

To learn more about planned projects, ask questions and give feedback, you are invited to join a public open house meeting on Wednesday, May 31st, 6-8 p.m. in Reagan Room 003 at the Carroll County Government Building, 225 North Center Street, Westminster MD 21157. You can also dig deeper and weigh in online at publicinput.com/Resilience2050.

Mike Kelly, executive director of Baltimore Metropolitan Council, a planning organization that supports and staffs the BRTB, thanked the local and state partners who manage the region’s transportation system. Through the BRTB, these agencies collaborated to shape the goals and priorities of the Resilience 2050 plans and programs.

“This is a very exciting moment,” Kelly says. “These plans can help shape our region for decades, and we’re grateful to work with people who are dedicated to supporting the health and resilience of our communities.”

With a projected population growth of 12.6 percent by 2050, the region’s transportation system – including roads and bridges, transit, sidewalks, bicycle and shared-use paths – will face factors such as increased demand, changing user needs and climate impacts. The investments detailed in the Resilience 2050 long-range plan would help us meet those challenges within the limits of anticipated funding. The projects in the 2024-2027 Transportation Improvement Program are closer to being implemented, with committed funding and ongoing or imminent design and development. Both plans are now available for public review and comment.

BRTB Chair Sam Snead, the director of the Anne Arundel County Office of Transportation, noted that the BRTB will review public feedback from the comment period and vote on the draft plan at its July 25th meeting.

“On behalf of the BRTB, thank you so much for engaging in this step of the planning process,” Snead says. “We really look forward to reviewing your thoughts and feedback.”

Other ways to comment include:

• Online at publicinput.com/Resilience2050
• Email Resilience2050@publicinput.com
• Call 855-925-2801x1874 toll free and leave a voicemail
• Text keyword ‘resilience2050’ to 73224
• Reach @BaltoMetroCo or @BmoreInvolved on social media with #BRTBListens

Comments must be received by June 20, 2023.