Bike path next to new highway will damage environment

[shootingstar]

The problems, county planners say, started in 2004, when Maryland highway officials conducting a fast-tracked environmental study of the connector dropped plans for an off-road bike path. At the time, highway officials were facing a federal review of the connector proposal, which had been stymied for decades because of environmental concerns. Highway officials said they cut the bike trail because they needed to curb costs and reduce the project's environmental "footprint."

The state eventually agreed to build 11.4 miles of a trail in separate segments in Prince George's and Montgomery counties. That left county officials to link those new pieces along local roads by using existing bike lanes and sidewalks or building new ones.

............................Construction on the $2.4 billion highway began in November. It is scheduled to open in segments between 2010 and 2012.

I think I know someone who transferred from our construction project to this Maryland project.

The 'cost' issue says volumes to me..it is the TRUE red flag. Already the environment assessment impact study was done but it is not clear what the govn't asked in writing in the bid phase for how the different transportation systems are built and how to restore the environmentally sensitive areas or at least protect them. Looks like cycling needs is truly being kicked way down at the bottom.

One wonders if there was something in the project construction project documents that requires the winning engineering firm to install various mechanisms, ie plant certain plants, construct certain runoff channels. All of this must be in written directly into a contract that holds the firms to do the job to their quoted prices.

I would have to dig through our publicly released documents on what we have to do for environment compensation for building our highway approaches, bridges (main bridge plus several other smaller road bridges), and cycling /pedestrian ramps. But for certain, the contract stipulates we must do a number of things, restore with replanting of thousands of new plants, etc. It does mean committing hundreds of thousands of dollars. Includes safe salvage of endangered wildlife species in our area: snowy owl, water shrew, red-legged frog, red salmander (latter was found and brough to receptionist who immediately called one of our environmental coordinators), baldheaded eagle....etc. all from areas where we are building several smaller road bridges and ramps.

It's alot of effort...and it amazes some of our ex-pat employees from other countries where environmental protection law and compliance, is not as stringent.

WE must reduce construction activity in certain areas of river for several months because of the millions of salmon swimming upstream from Pacific. However this compliance was written in the contract

If it's not in the contract (and groups of vocal citizens could really help here), then the engineering firm will ask for more money...meaning thousands of dollars before they lift a finger to help.

So it can be done in Maryland the right way ..if there was alot of public pressure with strong support from funding bodies.

I hope there is, Kalidurga. But it does require a few dedicated cycling advocates and go over the technical details of the plan options with the govn't officials. So drag along some engineering-cycling advocate friends on board. Get what you want in writing..only this can begin the accountability process.

You would not believe it, but if there is no strong cycling voice, others just make the decision for you..