Senate Committee Hearing on Environment and Public Works

Maryland Senator Ben Cardin: Transit and bikeways "get people where they need to be, help us with our energy policy, and save us money."

Maryland Senator Benjamin Cardin was the committee’s most vocal supporter of multi-modal transportation, asking what panelists thought about Highway Trust Fund money being used for non-highway and non-motorized projects, like multi-use trails and bikeways. Every panelist said federal funding should be transportation-specific but flexible, which would leave the question of which mode to spend on up the local agency spending the money.

Some panelists clearly don’t need mandates to invest in bike and pedestrian projects. “A bike path project is important in encouraging people to bike or walk to work,” said Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett. “You are taking cars off the road and it enhances the ability of people to get where they are going.”