If lawmakers in Maryland get their way, major highway projects will be put on hold until they figure out how much they'll increase vehicle travel and greenhouse gas emissions.
The Maryland Transportation and Climate Alignment Act, which was introduced last week, would require the state's Department of Transportation and regional transportation planning agencies to assess any proposed highway expansion projects over $10 million to make sure they don't worsen climate pollution and give people options to travel more affordably and sustainably, reports the Baltimore Sun.
The act would also require mitigation measures such as expanding public transit, creating protected bike infrastructure, and locating jobs and amenities near where people live and near transit, reports the Coalition for Smarter Growth, which applauded the act.
Colorado and Minnesota have also adopted legislation tied investments to climate goals, but transportation is a "three-legged stool" that doesn't meet climate goals and doesn't address issues like the lack of more affordable and safer alternatives to get around, reports the Sun.
Maryland's plan would be the third leg of a three-legged stool: Last year, the state's Department of Transportation set a goal to reduce per capita vehicle travel by 20% by 2050. Read the Entire Article
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