Officials Outline Six-Year Draft Budget and provide Key Project Updates
HANOVER, MD (October 25, 2024) – Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld met today with officials in Harford County to discuss the Department’s Draft Consolidated Transportation Program for Fiscal Years 2025 to 2030. The $18.9 billion, six-year spending plan invests in projects and programs that help advance Maryland’s goals to be a safer, more affordable, more competitive and more sustainable State that leaves no one behind.
“We are making strategic investments to further enhance the safety of our system and maintain operations," said Secretary Wiedefeld. “This draft budget is balanced but we had to make tough decisions and reductions to live within our means. We will continue to follow the data and make investments that support Maryland families in a fiscally responsible manner.”
The safety of all Marylanders is the top priority of the Department, and that is reflected in the Draft CTP, with projects that prioritize maintaining the current system and seek to reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries on Maryland’s roads. To view the full Draft FY 2025-2030 Consolidated Transportation Program, go to
www.ctp.maryland.gov.
At Friday’s meeting, transportation officials offered details and updates on several projects and programs affecting Harford County. In addition to Secretary Wiedefeld, officials attending included State Highway Administrator William Pines; Motor Vehicle Administrator Chrissy Nizer; Maryland Transportation Authority Executive Director Bruce Gartner; Maryland Transit Administration Local Transit Support Director Travis Johnston; Maryland Aviation Administration Regional Aviation Director Ashish Solanki; and Maryland Port Administration Deputy Executive Director of Operations Brian Miller.
Administrator Pines highlighted the agency’s commitment to move forward with multimodal projects that improve safety, accessibility and mobility in Harford County. He also noted that State Highway has worked in the past year to streamline its process to grant highway access permits, which supports commercial, industrial and residential development.
He noted the agency’s work on Maryland’s new Complete Streets policy, which focuses on making roadways safer for all users. In Harford County, State Highway partnered over the summer with the Town of Bel Air and Smart Growth America on a Complete Streets demonstration project at the intersection of MD 924 and Gordon Street. The project includes speed cushions, upgraded crosswalks and new signage, and will be in place through November as data is collected.
Among other important local investments in the Draft Consolidated Transportation Program:
- Construction is continuing on a $3.9 million project on US 1 Business in the Bel Air area that includes resurfacing, reflective pavement markings and repairs to concrete sidewalks, ramps and curbs.
- Work also is continuing on a $9 million project on MD 24 near Rocks State Park to stabilize the embankment and protect the roadway against erosion. The project includes resurfacing, landscaping and installation of a new guardrail on the northbound side.
- The City of Havre de Grace was awarded a $120,000 grant from the Transportation Alternatives Program to study potential bicycle and pedestrian routes from subdivisions west of US 40 to Havre de Grace elementary, middle and high schools.
- The Maryland Transit Administration is making investments of $5.6 million in operating and capital grants to support local transit operations in Harford County.
The meeting is part of the Maryland Department of Transportation’s engagement process in all 23 Maryland counties and Baltimore City to discuss the funding plan and receive input from local officials and the public. The tour concludes today.
The six-year Draft CTP outlines capital investments in each mode funded by the Transportation Trust Fund: Maryland Aviation Administration, Maryland Port Administration, Maryland Transit Administration, Motor Vehicle Administration, State Highway Administration and The Secretary's Office, as well as Maryland's investment in the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. The Maryland Transportation Authority's toll facilities are financed, constructed, operated and maintained with toll revenues paid by customers using those facilities.
Following the tour, the Maryland Department of Transportation will finalize the Draft CTP and submit the Final Fiscal Year 2025-2030 CTP to the Legislature in January for consideration during the 2025 General Assembly session.