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J.R. 15
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2002 JOINT RESOLUTIONS
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WHEREAS, Abandoning the DEIS has left many key questions unanswered,
including whether or not environmental impacts could be mitigated or avoided, and
has led to no resolution under NEPA of a critical public facility issue; and
WHEREAS, According to the 1997 DEIS, the ICC on the Master Plan Alignment
would provide a critical link between the I-270 and I-95 corridors, and "substantially
reduce congestion," diverting up to 15,000 cars per day from the Capital Beltway and
nearly 80,000 per day from congested neighborhood roads and arterial highways; and
WHEREAS, Alternative east-west routes on the Master Plan Alignment,
including alternatives to upgrade existing roads, were found in the DEIS to be less
effective than the ICC in meeting east-west transportation demands, cause equal or
greater environmental damage, and result in more disruptions to established
communities and more displacements of existing businesses and residences; and
WHEREAS, The DEIS study concluded that there are no practicable or feasible
transit alternatives to the ICC; and
WHEREAS, Using modern environmental design and mitigation techniques,
such as elevated "end-on" construction, limited tunneling in key sections,
community-oriented and aesthetically pleasing landscaping and design, and
advanced storm drainage filtration and collection systems would make the ICC a
national model for environmentally sensitive, community-oriented design and
mitigation techniques; and
WHEREAS, State and federal regulatory agencies have consistently approved
projects with similar environmental impacts because of these modern environmental
design and mitigation techniques, after a full and complete NEPA process; and
WHEREAS, The most recent study of the ICC performed in 2001 by the
Montgomery County Planning Board's 34-member Transportation Policy Report
(TPR) Task Force found that the ICC on the Master Plan Alignment is the single most
effective road or transit project for relieving traffic congestion and improving travel
times on areas roads; and
WHEREAS, A majority of the TPR Task Force voted to support construction of
the ICC; and
WHEREAS, The Transportation Solutions Group, the most recent
State-appointed study commission on this issue, recommended building the ICC
using advanced environmental mitigation and design, aesthetically pleasing
landscaping and pedestrian paths, and other parkway-style design elements; and
WHEREAS, The ICC would provide a capability for express bus service
conveniently linking major job and population centers in the I-270 corridor and
outlying communities to BWI Airport, downtown Baltimore, Prince George's County,
and elsewhere; and
WHEREAS, Alternative financing methods, including public-private
partnerships, could create alternative, non-tax, revenue sources to fund all or
substantially all ICC construction and maintenance costs; and
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- 4364 -
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