Baltimore-Washington Parkway Widening Feasibility Study

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Baltimore-Washington Parkway Widening Feasibility StudyPublic InvolvementPreservation of the aesthetic, historic, and natural values of the B-W Parkway.Community and environmental impacts of a potential widening.Direct connectivity needed between Washington, DC, and Baltimore.Congestion clogs the corridor today.Maintain the two-lanes to preserve the B-W Parkway’s character.Alternative mobility options should be considered along the corridor.The B-W Parkway is viewed as a barrier to the environment and community connectivity alongthe corridor.4.3.1.2PublicMeeting#2November17,2011Public Meeting #2 was held on November 17, 2011,at the Greenbelt Community Center in Greenbelt,Maryland. The purpose of the meeting was to affirmthat the team understood the comments receivedduring and after Public Meeting #1, and todemonstrate how their comments informed theapproach of the study. In addition, this publicmeeting was used to present the four potentialparkway widening options that were going to beevaluated. Breakout sessions were organized toreceive comments and feedback on each of theoptions. Major themes from the second publicmeeting included:Widening the B-W Parkway, regardless of the use of the additional lane, does not provide along-term solution to congestion.The addition of an extra lane will only increase demand and promote greater environmentalimpacts.Alternative mobility options along the corridor (e.g. extend the Metrorail Green Line alignment)need consideration.Widening may have negative safety implications (e.g. possible degradation in safety due to extralane and limited gap/clearance between opposite lanes).Widening will have negative community impacts (e.g. noise, aggravate barrier within dividedcommunities).The aesthetic, historic, and natural values of the B-W Parkway need to be preserved.Concern for natural and environmental impacts caused by widening (e.g. impacts on wildlife,trees, air quality, light pollution, heat island effect).40 November 2012
Baltimore-Washington Parkway Widening Feasibility StudyPublic Involvement4.3.1.3PublicMeeting#3February16,2012Public Meeting #3 was held on February 16, 2012, at the Greenbelt Community Center in Greenbelt,Maryland. The purpose of this third public meeting was to present and discuss the final findings of thestudy, including conceptual cost estimates, the draft Report to Congress, and answer any questions orconcerns related to the report prior to finalizing it.In addition, the meeting informed the public on when and how they will have access to the final reportof the feasibility study and provided recommendations on the requirements that will need to be furtherevaluated if the study is to move forward.Over 30 participants were present in the meeting providing comments and concerns that reflected thesame themes of those inputs received in the past Public Meetings and throughout the study.4.4StakeholderInterviewsIn order to engage the political leaders that could be affected by a potential widening of the B-WParkway, the team arranged a series of stakeholder interviews between May 2011 and September 2011.These interviews involved local- and State-level elected officials, as well as business and communityleaders. The following themes were extracted from the comments and inputs received during theseinterviews:Economic development and growth could further constrain the corridor.Further congestion could constrain economic development opportunities.Safety implications of existing traffic.North/south alternatives are limited and should be evaluated for implications.The environment is an important component but should not be an overriding element.Multimodal options and a wider study are needed.Park (tree) buffer for communities is an important quality-of-life element.An open mind to the study is needed by all.4.5PublicAccesstoStudyInformationThe public was informed of the study through several means including a mailing list, newsletters, and aWebpage on the FHWA Web site.4.5.1MailingListandEmailContactsA mailing list of over 45,000 residents, employers, governmental agencies and political leaders in thestudy area was developed and maintained throughout the study. This list was used for invitations to thepublic meetings and for distributing newsletters. Meeting reminder blasts were also sent through emailto those on the mailing list.41 November 2012
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Baltimore-Washington Parkway Widening Feasibility Study

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