Cross County Connector Decision Delayed Again

Once Again, the decision on the fate of the Cross County Connector has been put on hold.  I've been following the progress (or lack thereof) on this project since July, 2008, and it's no big surprise that the decision of the road has been pushed back once again.

Essentially the dispute is between the County Commissioners, who want to see this project happen, and environmentalists who claim the risk of damage to the Mattawoman Creek Watershed is too great.

The importance of this road cannot be understated.  Charles County is in a state of growth due to it's proximity to Washington, D.C..  As Charles County grows, roadways become more congested, and alternative routes of transportation are necessary to support the residents of the county.  Adding the connector will also reduce traffic across Billingsley Road, which is quite possibly the deadliest road in the area!  From a safety standpoint, I find the road to be very important, but there's much more than just road safety along a back road in Charles County.

Population will Continue to Grow

In addition, complaints have been made that the road is not "necessary" as congestion along Rt. 228 is not particularly heavy during rush hour.  The concern is that regardless of the final decision on the connector, long term plans in Charles County clearly show plans for further development that will go through whether this road is approved or not.  If the connector is denied, population will continue to grow, and accessibility to D.C. from Charles County will suffer.

Light Rail Isn't Realistic

The common rebuttal to this is the option putting in some sort of light rail or commuter trains in from here to D.C.  Unfortunately, what nobody mentions when this idea is brought up is that Light Rail averaged $70 million PER MILE as of 2000.  Figure 18 miles of rail from DC to Waldorf, and you're looking at $1.26 billion, for a total county population of less than 150,000 people.  I would dare anyone to prove that light rail to Southern Maryland would be at all economical.  It's not, period.  

Protecting The Watershed

Detractors also decry the future growth and development that would happen along the road if it were to be put in.  The fact is, much of the area surrounding the proposed path of this road is in a critical watershed area. Why in pete's name would the county allow people to build homes in the watershed.  The solution sounds simple to me. Take the state maps of the Mattawoman Creek critical area, and prevent residential building permits from being approved there.  Oh, wait, that's already happening!

Why This NEEDS To Be Built!

In my opinion, the County has no option in order to keep D.C. accessable to it's residents.  Mass transit cannot be supported by the current population.  Roads are needed in order to ensure people can continue to make it to work on time.

The County has bent over backwards to minimize watershed impact, to the point where the traverse over the creek itself would actually REPLACE that section of Billingsley Road, and other green building methods have been discussed and agreed to in order to reduce impact on the watershed.  At what point are people finally going to accept that this project CAN be done in a way that is financially AND ecologically sound?

~Jonathan Benya- Realtor
Century 21 New Millennium
9405-A Chesapeake St
La Plata, MD 20646
301-609-9000 – office
301-653-8116 – cell

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