Transportation Planning Blinders

The National Capital Transportation Planning Board (TPB) Long Range Plan Task Force is charged with identifying currently unfunded transportation projects of great regional significance.

The Task Force has produced a DRAFT MAP of the Regionally Significant Transportation Network of the National Capital Transportation Planning Board Map. To see the map click here.

It’s a DRAFT, but the most obvious deficiency is the lack of connectivity along a 35 mile gap north of the American Legion Bridge between Maryland’s Montgomery County (1,020,000 residents) and Virginia’s Fairfax (1,160,000 residents) and Loudoun (368,000 residents) Counties.

Fifty years ago the TPB’s regional map showed two new bridges within this gap. Today it shows none and none have even been discussed by the TPB for decades.

Regional planners recognize the need for one or more bridges in this gap.

The region’s residents on both sides of the Potomac support construction of a new bridge.  Click here to see the survey results supporting a new crossing.

To see the entire Greater Washington Regional Survey results click here

It’s Time for the Transportation Planning Board To Remove Its Blinders and Restore a new Northern Potomac River Crossing To Its Regionally Significant Long Range Transportation Network