By Adam Pagnucco.
The Suburban Maryland Transportation Alliance has released questionnaires completed by County Executive and County Council At-Large candidates on transportation issues. While many answers are similar – who doesn’t favor transportation funding? – others illuminate real differences on specific issues. Drawing on the questionnaires, here are four key projects on which the candidates disagree. (Note: unlisted candidates did not complete the questionnaire.)
Question: Do you support funding and building the missing link of the Mid-County Highway (M-83) to better connect Clarksburg and other Upcounty communities?
Executive candidates who said yes
David Blair
Robin Ficker
Rose Krasnow
Executive candidates who said no
Roger Berliner
Marc Elrich
George Leventhal
Council At-Large candidates who said yes
Rosemary Arkoian
Marilyn Balcombe
Robert Dyer
Lorna Phillips Forde
Neil Greenberger
Ashwani Jain
Michele Riley
Council At-Large candidates who said no
Gabe Albornoz
Bill Conway
Hoan Dang
Evan Glass
Seth Grimes
Will Jawando
Jill Ortman-Fouse
Hans Riemer
Question: Do you support the Maryland Traffic Relief Plan to add new express toll lanes on I-270 while keeping the existing lanes free of charge? (Editor’s note: this question contains a link to Governor Hogan’s proposals for I-270 and I-495.)
Executive candidates who said yes
Roger Berliner
Robin Ficker
Rose Krasnow
George Leventhal
Executive candidates who said no
David Blair
Marc Elrich
Council At-Large candidates who said yes
Gabe Albornoz
Rosemary Arkoian
Marilyn Balcombe
Bill Conway
Hoan Dang
Robert Dyer
Lorna Phillips Forde
Neil Greenberger
Jill Ortman-Fouse
Michele Riley
Council At-Large candidates who said no
Seth Grimes
Ashwani Jain
Will Jawando
Other answers
Evan Glass did not answer yes or no. He said, “I am not convinced that toll lanes are the correct solution to this problem.”
Hans Riemer did not answer yes or no. He said, “I support the council’s adopted vision for 270.”
Question: Do you support the Maryland Traffic Relief Plan (see link above) to add new express toll lanes on I-495, keeping the existing lanes free of charge?
Executive candidates who said yes
Roger Berliner
Robin Ficker
Rose Krasnow
George Leventhal
Executive candidates who said no
David Blair
Marc Elrich
Council At-Large candidates who said yes
Gabe Albornoz
Rosemary Arkoian
Hoan Dang
Robert Dyer
Lorna Phillips Forde
Neil Greenberger
Michele Riley
Council At-Large candidates who said no
Bill Conway
Evan Glass
Seth Grimes
Ashwani Jain
Will Jawando
Jill Ortman-Fouse
Hans Riemer
Other answers
Marilyn Balcombe did not answer yes or no. She said, “I don’t think we know all the options for how to expand capacity on 495.”
Question: Do you support studying the concept of a second Potomac River crossing, north of the American Legion Bridge?
Executive candidates who said yes
Robin Ficker
Executive candidates who said no
Roger Berliner
David Blair
Marc Elrich
Rose Krasnow
George Leventhal
Council At-Large candidates who said yes
Gabe Albornoz
Rosemary Arkoian
Marilyn Balcombe
Robert Dyer
Lorna Phillips Forde
Neil Greenberger
Jill Ortman-Fouse
Council At-Large candidates who said no
Bill Conway
Hoan Dang
Evan Glass
Seth Grimes
Ashwani Jain
Will Jawando
Hans Riemer
Michele Riley
