From Christopher Boardman:
Christopher Boardman, Democrat, Candidate for Harford County Council President, attended “Maximize 2040,” an open house event hosted in Baltimore by the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board, to network with planners and others in the field to identify needs and plan solutions for the future, to the year 2040 and beyond.
“U.S. Route 40 and I-95 were adequate roads at one time, but they are not adequate now. We need to look at ways to reduce the traffic congestion on these routes,” said Boardman. ” My proposals would divert traffic from communities west of those two highways and connect central and western Harford County better with northern Baltimore County and the Baltimore metropolitan region.
“My first proposal would establish a light rail connection from the communities of Harford County such as Fallston, Bel Air, Forest Hill, Churchville and perhaps communities in Cecil County with the existing light rail system running from Hunt Valley into Baltimore City and currently terminating at Baltimore Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport. Such a connection between the Harford County spur could be made at Lutherville or Timonium. In this way, commuters going north and south on the light rail from Harford County could be accommodated. The existing light rail line connects with a number of important workplaces such as the state office complex, downtown Baltimore and also the Camden Yards and M & T stadiums,” said Boardman
“My second proposal would look at the feasibility of establishing a highway link from the same areas in Harford County to either I-695 or I-83. This would save a huge amount of traveling time and distance especially for those traveling west toward Towson, Reisterstown, west or downtown Baltimore or traveling north on I-83. At the same time, traffic flow along U.S. 40 and I-95 would be reduced accordingly.”
These proposals will be environmentally friendly. Light rail helps reduce carbon emissions in addition to relieving congestion on highways. Light rail also is generally less costly to construct and by reducing traffic on the highways, saves on new highway construction and maintenance costs.
The candidate noted that these solutions will not be achieved immediately. “In fact, funding will be hard to obtain. but the process needs to be started as soon as possible, because congestion along the existing routes is only going to worsen before the needed solutions are obtained. 2040 is already too far off for viable solutions. I do not look forward to worsening congestion and traffic jams in the interim.”
In talking with planners and administrators with the Maryland Department of Transportation and other agencies, Boardman learned that funding of such processes involves federal and state monies, amounting to as much as 90 percent, with the remaining 10 percent paid by the local jurisdiction.
“We can start thinking and planning our next moves now, without even any money committed,” said Boardman. “If I am elected county council president, we can initiate hearings that will feature key players in planning our transportation infrastructure, as well as soliciting the input of members of the public. Hearings can help foster the conversation. And once the county gives a sense of clear direction, state planners can do feasibility studies and site plans, again at minimal cost. This will be far less expensive to initiate sooner than later. I look forward to being an advocate in this process.”
WTF? says
Just what we need. Give the thugs from Baltimore city an express line to commit crimes here. Check the crime statistics since the light rail hit Hunt Valley.
Because says
I’m sure the criminals streaming from Baltimore will appreciate avoiding the congestion on I-95 and US40 just so they can come and steal from you guys.
MUFFMOUTHSKI says
Light rail ruined Owings Mills.
Keep your public transportation and the hood rats in the city, we don’t want them up here.
Jack says
WOW! Are you really that stupid?
Tea Bagging It says
Is this guy eating mushrooms? Light Rail = Heavy crime, that’s a fact jack. Bus service is already available for service to Baltimore.
Because says
I suppose light rail (with it’s limited stops and closed cars) will afford potential criminals coming from Baltimore to prey on the local hicks more so than driving here in a cab or a personal car. It’s sort of like worrying about a pickpocket on an airplane. But then that analogy will be lost on all you folks who are still wondering what color the Terror Alert level is today.
voter says
This is the same guy who believes people are not going to vote for someone because of the spelling of their name and their culture. Gotta love people who are running for office and are so smug as to say, “you can vote for whomever.” You ain’t got my vote! Just to let you know, not everyone needs a diversity class in Harford County…Maybe you need a class in how to talk to voters. Another point, you are running for Harford County Council President and are talking about suggesting extending light rail, I-83 and I-695. Did you forget that you are not running for state office and only a county office. No offence to anyone in Harford County, but I don’t see how you would have the clout or authority to even get these projects started. Have you thought about the businesses and homes that you would displace because of your roads/rail projects, that you don’t have authority to authorize. One person makes a good point about crime rising because of the easy access to roads in Harford County. I am sure you are going to add more police to the sheriff’s office. Oh wait, you will only be in charge of funding and not hiring new officer’s, but I am sure you are going to say that you can hire more police and train them. Maybe you should have gotten a catchy name to put on your signs. Do us a favor and try to keep to the issues that involve stuff that you can change and not propose plans for something that would not even be possible from your election hopes. Finally, I am still offended that you can make comments about a person’s name and culture and have no clue that not everyone in Harford County needs a diversity class.
Keith Gabel says
While I find the idea of the expansion of mass transit to the region interesting and worth investigating, I’m not sure Harford County is ready for any large scale attempt to ease traffic congestion on the I-95 corridor.
Judging from the comments so far, it appears that the fear of Baltimore is greater than the aggravation of sitting in traffic during rush hour.
It may be more worthwhile to focus on expanding the amount of MARC service the County receives.
Brian says
When I first read this I thought it was a joke, I really did.
Let’s leave all the comments about race and crime out of the discussion.
What could possible make this politician wanna be think that the people of these communities want the light rail through its neighborhoods. Why would people who choose to move to a semi-rural community want a light rail and highway running right through its streets? How could this possible benefit the ‘locals’ whose lives would be disrupted.
Look I am not going to go on, this is one of the dumbest ideas I have ever heard. I look forward to voting for anybody but this clueless fool.
I have to go and get on Google, some village has lost its idiot and I want to let the villagers know I found their idiot.
Voter says
Apparently he can make comments on other topics and think that those things will not follow him. It’s not a joke. I was offended by his comment because he said we are not going to vote for someone because of his name or culture. I take offense to people who make comments and then try to blow them off. Enough on that. He doesn’t have my vote and I am from one of those cultures that he thinks people won’t vote for. On the issue of light rail. Why doesn’t he want to say expand the MARC. How can someone who is running for council president think the other jurisdictions are going to go for it. I for one think he is trying to cloud the issue and make it seem that he is more important then he really is. What about raises for county employees and making sure we have a budget that is balanced and our taxes don’t keep going up. So if you think we need someone who is going to worry about where services are going to be provided and taxes and schools instead of an non issue because that would have to be at the state level. Last time I checked, this is the county level. Makes me want to vote for coach,……even though I am a republican. So my last word on this is…..if you don’t want people to comment on your comment…..then don’t comment. That was for the candidate.
Cdev says
Slutzky does not care about schools. That is evident based on his voting record
Voter says
i apologize…..you got me fired up by the first part of your comment and I agree with the second part. I don’t like when people make comments about race and think it’s ok to blow them off. I come from a diverse background and hate to see people assume someone will think a certain way because of your name or where your from. A lot of people come to this country to be free and raise a family.
ASK says
It should be noted that many years ago the Ma and Pa Railroad used to run between Bel Air and Baltimore, and made money on significant commuter traffic. It is not unreasonable or particularly radical to consider that such service could make sense again.
“At the peak of service, Bel Air had 16 trains a day providing commuter service and a late night return for theater goers.”
http://www.maandparailroad.com/mapahistory.php
Don't step in the cow pies says
Yeah, in a time where there was much less population, more rural, and less infrastructure, residential, and commercial buildings in the area. MA and PA also ran at a much slower track speed than modern day passenger rail transit trains.
See how windy the railroad tracks of the MA and PA was? I doubt a modern day transit railroad would subscribe to a similar track route.
Don't step in the cow pies says
Pardon, MD and PA that is.
Don't step in the cow pies says
And how many homes are going to be, and were “eminent domain” to make route 22 a little wider in a short stretch of length in Aberdeen? And you want railroad thrown in here through the entire length of the county?
Celebrating Maryland’s latest decriminalized funny smoke a little early?
Bright Oak says
I live in Bel Air and work in Hunt Valley. I take the back roads every day. These roads are only congested during rush hour. (I’m looking at you 152) And they are only congested because people drive slow as hell. There are numerous back roads that cut through Baltimore and Harford Counties that will take you where you want to go. They’re a lot better than the 95/695/83 route. A better use of time would be to hold classes at the libraries “Google Maps and You: How to Find a Better Way Home”
The light rail from Hunt Valley is slow. Can you imagine the trip from Churchville to Hunt Valley to the city? You’re better off taking the MARC. Also, with the topography, cutting a rail line to weave through valleys would be a nightmare. The Dems in Mont and PG counties may have folded for the ICC, a similar county connection project, but the country Republicans up here will take you to the gallows before they’d cede their land for a perceived crime train. I don’t get why it’s environmental to destroy rural forests and prime farm land for a rail line to reduce emissions. Rail lines should be built along established high density corridors.
A better plan would be to increase bus service to the MARC stations, increase MARC service, and upgrade the stations and surrounding areas. Also, add a few bus lines from the park-n-rides to the York Rd corridor. If there is money to be had for light rail expansion, it should go to the Baltimore city center to improve their abortion of a rail system.
Regarding the second option, a freeway will have the same property challenges as a light rail. And the concept that a new road will reduce congestion elsewhere will be a short term victory. Wait until the developers buy up the farm land and build housing and strip malls, clogging up the new highway. See Rt 24 for reference. Check out the Rt 43 extension to Middle River to see the problem in its infancy.
Instead of planning for 2040 for expansion of suburban transit, the goal should be to increase the quality of mass transit within Baltimore City and inside the beltway. This, along with improving other aspects of the city (crime, property quality, services, taxes) would draw people back and reduce the strain of the suburban transportation network.
ASSumption says
“Bright oak” as references to “Bright Oaks”?
Is that really Bel Air? Edgewood North more likely.
noble says
While I appreciate the perspective to look ahead and try to solve problems proactively, this light rail idea overlooks some really basic common sense.
During peak time, it takes the light rail about 50 minutes to go 15 miles from Hunt Valley to downtown Baltimore, Camden Yards. On the weekend it would take about 40.
If you were going to build a light rail track across north Balt and Harford Counties, it would be around another 15 miles, and would probably take at least another 20-30 minutes, if not 30-40. Which means it would essentially be about an hour and a half from Bel Air to Baltimore. Does anyone realistically think that enough people would choose that commute? Would enough sports fans take that long to go to a game? No way.
That’s not even to mention the near impossibility of getting a light rail right of way through those wealthy and politically connected areas. Not happening.
It’s minor, but I’m also surprised that the idea mentions Timonium, because in order to get to there from Bel Air you’d have to cross Loch Raven resevoir (expensive) and a very thick patch of residential east of York Road. Again, not happening. Hunt Valley would make a lot more sense.
Now all of this is coming from me, a person who’s known to say frequently that “we can’t pave our way out of this mess”. Another highway similar to 23 might get some traction, but ultimately I think that’s also dead in the water.
If you want transit in Harford, here is the plan I think may work:
Use the center median of Route 24 to construct a light rail line from Bel Air to the Edgewood Marc station, and expand Marc service. Granted this has all sorts of problems as well, but it seems much more realistic than the one offered above.
light rail is trouble ask hunt valley says
this is the dumbest Idea ever
harford county folks do not let this gain any ground or the life you live will change in a bad way for ever
MD sucks @$$ says
we live in harford county because we dont want the life of baltimore people
keep that crap down south and leave us be
Concerned Teacher says
Read the headline. Wondered what a “Light Right” was.
Chris says
As a long time mass transit commuter, the problem isn’t getting there, it’s how you get around once you’re there. I took the MARC train to DC for 4 years, it was great because you can get off the MARC and take either the metro or a bus to anywhere. I once took the MARC train to the Metro then grabbed a bus to a non descriptor office park in Northern Virginia for a job, you can get to about 2 blocks of anywhere.
Baltimore not so much. You take the MARC train to Baltimore, but that doesn’t connect to the subway in Baltimore. You have to take the light rail from Penn station to the subway. Everything in Baltimore is designed to drop you off from the suburbs in the middle of downtown and then you’re on your own from there. MARC takes you from the North East/South West, Light Rail to the North/South, Subway from the North West. They were poorly designed and disparate systems. Baltimore needs to fix it’s own problem of the internal mass transit problems before it’ll be a viable option for commuters from the suburbs.
Keith Gabel says
The bus and circulator system also connects Penn Station to other parts of the city.
Hedley Lamarr says
This is great, I hope they move forward with light rail to bel air with numerous stops. First stop Edgewood, second stop Abington, Third stop Fallston, Fourth stop Jarrettsville, Fifth stop, Rocks state park than off to Churchville, darlington, street etc., I’m for anything that brings that lousy county down. Bring on more wal-marts. Hell yea.
Concerned Citizen says
Typical Democrat thinking. Just what we need, another mass transit drain on the taxpayers of Maryland. The current Light Rail system only recovers about 20 cents on every dollar that the riders pay. The rest of us taxpayers are subsidizing the handful of people who actually ride. If the Mass Transit Authority was run like any other business, it would have been bankrupt years ago. But we keep on dumping money into an ineffective system that is funded by the majority of taxpayers who will never set foot on a rail car.
Steve Jacobs says
I lived in Lutherville my whole life until the light rail went through.
That’s why they basically flattened Hunt Valley Mall, because the criminals hung out in the mall ’cause it had a/c. They turned it into an ‘avenue’, so they would bake in the sun. It looks like a 3rd world country there now, check cashing places galore. The garden apts there are like the ghetto.
The light rail run down Liberty Rd, same thing happened…..nasty area.
So if guys are into liquor stores with bullet proof glass and check cashing stores….welcome the light rail.
I’m gonna get me a nice comfy apt in Glen Meadows next to the woods…and kick back.
WTF? says
Exactly. I’ll do all I can to stop this nonesense from happening. Starting with making sure this nitwit doesn’t make it to county council.
Another day, another toilet says
This guy should take a look at Harford Transit first, and what I mean is that for the most part ~ the busses run around with more empty seats versus passengers, yet, the busses keep getting bigger and bigger?
Everyone who works for the county needs a raise, and I would take a wild assed guess that in a few years some foamer sitting in a nice leather chair in their office is going to be putting in orders for Luxury 100 seat double decker coach busses for Harford Transit? Fvcking LOL
Christopher Boardman says
Okay guys, I get it that a lot of you don’t like the idea. There are a lot of places you can live in the U.S. where it is very isolated and you don’t have to live anywhere close to anyone who is different from you.. Unfortunately! you also live in a metropolitan area where a lot of other people live, and as the area continues to grow the congestion gets worse. What are your solutions and suggestions? Cursing or denigrating me will not find a solution. Incidentally, the amount of abuse heaped on elected officials or candidates is probably why the large number of politicians or wanna-be politicians don’t communicate via The Dagger. You do have freedom of speech but you don’t take any responsibility for the hateful things you write. Is this really the way you want to behave in your own community? Try being a candidate yourself.
Now as for what I have proposed, what about what I have said frightens you so much? Do a few ideas scare you that much? Ideas never hurt anybody, and as I explained, hearings about future and present transportation needs don’t cost anything and they don’t hurt anybody.
Or you can do nothing, try to keep anything from happening, hide your heads in the sand and kick the can down the road and let future generations deal with the problems you refuse to face when you really could have helped to make the situation better..
WTF? says
Well, we don’t live elsewhere, we live here. We chose to make Harford Co. our home. Get out of politics, move to Baltimore County if our way of life, speech, etc. offends you. This light rail? Follow the money; it’s more about lining the pockets of a few with no benefit to the majority.
“The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem.”
Milton Friedman
Bel Air Girl says
Because of your statement about the light rail, you will not get my vote. DO you have any idea the crime that will be brought into our county with a light rail system. Obviously you have not done your research to see what has happened to communities with light rail. Our current sheriffs office is already over burdened and underfunded and now you want to bring in more criminals on a daily basis? Why don’t you leave this county and burden somebody else. We don’t need people like you telling us what we need. That is pretty obvious with the above Dagger article.
Fart McNoogan says
Maybe the first Harford County Light Rail passenger station could be built on the property that was the Joppatowne Community Pool?
Keith Gabel says
I-95 could be made a toll road again. Not only would it ease congestion, it fits in well with the idea that if one cannot afford the toll, than one isn’t affluent enough to live in Harford County.
MUFFMOUTHSKI says
I propose we eliminate all mass transit from Harford County. If you can’t afford a car then move your broke ass back to Dundalk.
PissedOffRepublican says
Ohhh goodie, light rail, mmm , we need light rail like we need a Freekin Helecopter!. But then again, it could be used to pick up all the workers at the “Aberdeen Professional Building “, You know, the brand new building next to Target in Aberdeen??? The building with “0” occupants???? the Building costing us tax payer every single day?????? Or how about “Ripkin Stadium”???? yeah ,,,,bouy,,,,,