Dana Beyer, MD, for Maryland State Delegate 2010

Few problems touch all the residents of our district quite like transportation problems. Our community is united in ranking our transportation infrastructure as a most serious challenge. And since transportation is intimately tied into the environment and the availability of clean energy, it becomes an even greater focus for the community as a whole.

Our current financial and economic crisis is close to shutting down all transportation projects. I am still waiting for the Obama administration to inject hundreds of billions into infrastructure, both to rebuild America and propel us out of the severe downturn. Our state’s current fiscal crisis has led to a virtual drying up of state aid to the counties for road repairs. An infusion of federal money will allow many projects to move forward.

We've known for decades that we must have a two-pronged approach - public transport (the Purple Line and Corridor Cities Transitway), and road repair and interchange upgrades to deal with safety concerns, such as the intersection at Georgia and Forest Glen. It's time that we place greater effort into the public system -- to help clear the air, reduce greenhouse emissions, protect the public health, unclog the roads, and provide reliable, efficient transportation for all who choose not to drive to work and play.

My plan:

• Create a dedicated source of consistent, reliable revenue for Metro train and bus services, by working with the other players in the region, including the federal government. Use the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey as a model. We still cannot seem to make this work, and Metro continues to deteriorate, resulting in the loss of nine lives last year on the Red Line.
• Build the Purple Line from Bethesda to New Carrollton, ultimately creating a “Circle Line” to ring the city. As a marathon runner who trains on the trail, I greatly appreciate the trail’s value, but I believe construction can be done in an environmentally-friendly manner and light rail will serve the need for better public transportation.
• Work with our neighboring states to build a state-of-the-art high speed rail line connecting Washington to Boston, cutting down on I-95 traffic as well as short-haul air travel.
• Improve the quality of our roads and decrease construction time and costs by using higher quality road materials. Do it right the first time.
• Replace incandescent traffic lights with longer-lasting, low maintenance, energy efficient LEDs, which have the added benefit of being more visible during hazardous driving conditions. Study the alternatives available to minimize light pollution while improving visibility on the streets.
• Study the implementation of a European-style traffic signaling system to alert drivers that the signal is changing (flashing red to yellow to green), similar to the countdown-style pedestrian time signals now being deployed throughout the region. Improve signage, and add more frequent and helpful dynamic messaging on the Beltway, markings directly on the roads as well as overhead, congestion detection and protection sensors on major thoroughfares, and the expansion of variable lane signals as are currently in use on Georgia Ave. and Colesville Rd.
• Encourage the use of car-sharing programs such as Zipcar, currently available in DC.
• Implement a “feebate” system, where a fee on the sale of energy-inefficient vehicles such as SUVs is used to rebate the purchase price of hybrid vehicles.
• Encourage mass transit use by providing free broadband wireless access.