At an annual meeting on transportation issues in Salisbury with Maryland Secretary of Transportation Pete Rahn, Sen. Jim Mathias (D-38) unearthed a decades-old debate about adding more crossings between eastern and western shores.
It was a continuation of a discussion between Mathias and Rahn started months before, as Mathias, an appointee to the Executive Nominations Committee, interviewed Rahn before his appointment.
“At a minimum, all cabinet secretary [nominees] come and tell you their plans and qualifications to see if we can support them,” Mathias said. During his meeting with Rahn, Mathias said he was “emphatic about the needs of the rural areas.”
These needs include the Routes 113 and 90 dualizations and overall better access to the Eastern Shore from the rest of the state, up to an including better bridge access.
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23 comments:
We definitely need a new bridge across the bay. Safer with more lanes. The first bridge is barley holding up. And head on traffic has to be eliminated.
Mathias and his ilk brought us the jail, whick whilenproviding some few jobs, has increased crime and drugs exponentially. Now he is courting a few wealthy landowners to support him because he knows if elected school board fails he will be Conwayed out of existence.
A complete waste of time and money. This is a NON issue! The Bay Bridge is backed up a matter of a few hours a year. That's it.
Worry about something important!
This past season has shown that Ocean City's in routes cannot handle any addional traffic on routes 50, 90, and 54. Unless there is some new venue built, it's a waste of time to talk about a new bay bridge.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
We definitely need a new bridge across the bay. Safer with more lanes. The first bridge is barley holding up. And head on traffic has to be eliminated.
September 25, 2015 at 9:36 AM
Why didn't you say that when EJ Pipkin was pushing for a 3rd span?
Why didn't Mathias support a third span then??
And how the hell do you know the first bridge is barely holding up?? LMAO at this person's stupidity!
Anonymous Anonymous said...
A complete waste of time and money. This is a NON issue! The Bay Bridge is backed up a matter of a few hours a year. That's it.
Worry about something important!
September 25, 2015 at 9:45 AM
A few hours a year? You are also another moron! Just because you don't use it then don't show your stupidity. Try a couple of hours a day and worse every Friday and Sunday!!
I'd like to see a high-speed train between DC and OC
We do NOT want another bridge. I want one less prison and send the baby mommas back to Bal'more
A third span would not reduce any backups coming to OC from the western shore. It would just move the backup from the bridge to a longer backup at the 301-50 split. It would only help with backups going to the western shore.
10:20 I use the Bay Bridge 2 or 3 times a week and have been for the past 10 or more years. I have family members who use it just about every day. It is backed up a matter of several hours a year and this is NOT debatable. Do you understand? Friday and Saturday during peak beach season is all. On a few holidays like the Friday after Thanksgiving the toll booths are back up.
One thing YOU can be assured and that is that I have forgotten more about just about everything then you could ever hope to know so don't even try matching wits with me-do you understand.
The bridge is backed up a very small percentage of the time. End of story!
"A few hours a year? You are also another moron! Just because you don't use it then don't show your stupidity. Try a couple of hours a day and worse every Friday and Sunday!!
September 25, 2015 at 10:20 AM"
Mathias wants to run for Governor. This is his first salvo....stand by.
You folks should worry more about the thousands of Syrian Muslims that are about to invade the Eastern Shore. And don't forget your tax dollars that will give them free housing, food, and 2000 a month spending money. And if one of them builds a homemade coffee pot they will get an invitation to to the White House.
Unless they add another bridge right where the current 2 are located it will be a lost cause. There are alternate routes already and the fact happens to be if people have to drive more than about 10miles out of their way, they won't use an alternative.
I agree, when you look at the big picture, it is just a matter of hours that it's backed up and that tends to be only in the summer months or if there is a crash and if you don't believe this all you have to do is look back on the MTA twitter for the bridge traffic advisories.
"Anonymous said...
Mathias wants to run for Governor. This is his first salvo....stand by.
September 25, 2015 at 11:19 AM"
LOL-Just like 1 percenter o'mally wants to run for President. A word of wisdom-he needs to save himself the embarrassment.
Right. I know people north of Baltimore and in southern PA who won't drive what amounts to less than 20mi extra to avoid the back up at the bridge. Traffic tie ups don't seem to bother people on the western shore as much as it does us down here. They are used to it.
Build the ferry from Crisfield across the Bay. You'll see that town reborn.
What has Mathias done for us so far??? Before he begins to beat his chest let look back at his accomplishments (cough ) during his long tenure.
Come to Fells Point and the Inner Harbor in Baltimore. Businesses in these places have been decimated since April 27th! `Do something about Baltimore City. It is sucking the rest of the state dry including the Eastern Shore. Too much money thrown at that city with absolutely no results. Demand results or no more money! It's OUR money being wasted!
10:18 from where though? St Marys in Southern MD. I don't think it would work. Most beach goers are coming from Baltimore/PA and that would take them 50 or more miles out of their way. Even those coming from Annapolis and points around DC like Northern VA would be going nearly 50 miles out of their way.
10:52AM, et. al.
DelMarVa needs another southern route off of the peninsula and onto mainland U.S.A., period.
10:18's suggestion has far, far more probable benefits for this peninsula then any amount of bridges at Kent Narrows. You might say, "Well it would never pay." Well, to hell with that BS mentality., the people deserve it! And, it might just be the spark that economic growth needs here on DelMarVa.
BTW, Crisfield to Reedville, VA makes the most sense to me. But there's also federal gov't land [in MD] at St. Idigoes with good access to RT#5 & 235 north.
Pardon the typo/fat finger.., St. Idigoes should be St. Inigoes.
2:26PM
Why don't they build a monorail type train system to bring people from over there...and stop in various towns..there is existing rail tracks and you could elevate it in places..no car traffic and more tourist dollars for people wanting to visit Easton or Cambridge who cannot drive or are afraid to drive over the bridge in traffic...
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