Adam Tuss, wtop.com
WASHINGTON — How do you solve the traffic mess that is Interstate 270? Day after day — from Frederick to the Beltway — the highway crawls.
Transportation planners recently approved a long-term plan to widen the highway from Shady Grove to Frederick, but there’s also agreement that better public transportation along the corridor is needed as well.
“We are trying to get more cars off the road. We are trying to put more park and ride lots in, and expand buses,” says Frederick City Alderwoman Carol Krimm.
A light rail or rapid bus system, known as the Corridor Cities Transitway, is also planned to run between Shady Grove and Clarksburg.
“We don’t want all these cars on the road. In fact, in Frederick County, most of our traffic comes from out of the county,” says Krimm.
The bad news: A large-scale road widening project combined with a new transit system comes with a price tag in the billions. In addition, the projects also have to go through lengthy federal processes to get critical funding.
Both projects are likely many years away from becoming a reality.
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