This afternoon will mark one of the last major public hearings in Montgomery County on the hotly debated InterCounty Connector.
Planning Board spokeswoman Nancy C. Lineman said the board will give its official opinion of the multimillion-dollar road project to state authorities later this month, so this is one of the final opportunities to speak out.
“What the planning board will do is listen to their statements and incorporate that into their communication with the state,” Lineman said. “We’re giving members of the public another chance to come forward and talk about how the ICC will impact them.”
On the books for 50 years, the connector would link existing and proposed development areas along I-270 and I-95 with an 18-mile toll highway running through Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.
Proponents of the plan say it will do wonders to lessen traffic on the heavily congested Beltway.
Meanwhile, ICC objectors say that not only will traffic congestion not be mitigated by the new toll highway, but it might get worse at a cost of billions of public dollars.
One such opponent, Montgomery resident Greg Smith, will testify at this afternoon’s hearing.
Smith says countless studies have shown that the ICC fails in terms of cost, environmental protection and congestion alleviation. Instead, he supports alternatives to expand transit to ease vehicle load on the Beltway.
Approval for the project was officially granted by the Federal Highway Administration on May 29.
Public hearing
To participate: Call the Planning Board at 301-495-4605
When and where: 1:30 p.m. at 8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring
