2021 SPECIAL PUBLIC MEETINGS

MDTA POLICE TO PARTICIPATE IN REACCREDITATION ASSESSMENTS
Public Comment Sessions to be Held December 13 & 14

As part of the process for reaccreditation through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. (CALEA), the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) Police will undergo inspections of its law enforcement services and Training and Communications Units December 13-16. A team of CALEA assessors will perform a comprehensive examination of MDTA Police policies, procedures, management, operations and support services.

As part of the virtual on-site assessment, members of the public are invited to provide comments regarding the MDTA Police, the Training Unit and/or the Communications Unit to the assessment team via public comment sessions, telephone, U.S. mail, or the Internet:

• The public information session will be held via Microsoft Teams at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 14. Call 443-409-5228 to join this session (Conference ID: 234948548#).
• The telephone session for the Training Unit will be held 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, December 13. Assessors can be reached by calling 410-537-7709.

• The telephone session for Law Enforcement and the Communications Unit will be held 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, December 14. Assessors can be reached by calling 410-537-7709.
• Written comments may be sent to CALEA at 13575 Heathcote Blvd., Suite 320, Gainesville, Va., 20155, or submitted at www.calea.org.

Public comments and telephone calls are limited to 10 minutes and must address the MDTA Police’s ability to comply with CALEA standards. A copy of CALEA standards can be obtained by contacting MDTA Police Accreditation Manager, Lieutenant Eric Wilson, at 410-537-7715.

The MDTA Police first achieved CALEA law enforcement accreditation in 2001. In 2012, the MDTA Police earned the Tri-Arc Award after obtaining concurrent CALEA accreditations for its law enforcement services and Training and Communications Units. The MDTA Police was the first law enforcement agency in Maryland to earn the Tri-Arc Award and is one of only 26 law enforcement agencies in the world to earn this prestigious honor.

The Maryland Transportation Authority Police, a nationally accredited force, is the eighth-largest law enforcement agency in the State with more than 500 sworn and civilian law enforcement professionals. MDTA Police Officers provide law enforcement services at the MDTA’s highways, bridges and tunnels, at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, and at the Port of Baltimore.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Press Release

 

Phase 1 South: American Legion Bridge I-270 to I-370 Toll Rate Range Setting Process

PUBLIC HEARINGS

The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) has scheduled public hearings as part of the toll rate range setting process public comment period for proposed High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes in Phase 1 South: American Legion Bridge I-270 to I-370. The public comment period opened May 20 and continues through August 12. Written and voicemail comments are now being accepted, and the hearings will provide additional opportunity to comment on the proposed toll rate ranges for the record through public or one-on-one testimony.

Two in-person testimony hearing sessions will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, July 12, at the Hilton Washington D.C./Rockville Hotel & Executive Meeting Center in Rockville, and two call-in testimony hearing sessions will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 14. During the hearings there will be no formal presentation and no responses to questions can be given. The public can listen live to the hearings via telephone or livestream at mdta.maryland.gov/ALB270TollSetting.

Registration is now open for those wishing to provide testimony during a public hearing. Registration is available at mdta.maryland.gov/ALB270TollSetting or by calling 888-725-0174. Members of the public will be allotted three minutes, and elected officials will be allotted five minutes, per person, for testimony. Prior to attending a public hearing, the MDTA encourages review of all public hearing materials available in the Virtual Information Room.

MDTA’s toll rate range proposal is limited in focus to solely Phase 1 South: American Legion Bridge I-270 to I-370. The elements of the MDTA staff tolling proposal for public comment are Minimum and Maximum Toll Rate Ranges, Soft Rate Caps, Escalation Factors, and Discounts that are detailed in the public hearing materials at mdta.maryland.gov/ALB270TollSetting.

The in-person testimony public hearing sessions on July 12 in Rockville will provide opportunities for verbal public testimony for the record and will be livestreamed. For those who wish, one-on-one testimony can be presented via court reporter in a separate area. Limited printed copies of the informational boards presented in the Virtual Information Room will be available. All MDTA staff and participants at the in-person hearing will be required to follow current CDC guidance regarding COVID-19 precautions. During the sessions, a limited number of registrants may be allowed, socially distanced, in the testimony room. Observers and others in the queue to present testimony will be required to wait in a designated space to allow social distancing within the building.

The July 14 call-in testimony public hearing sessions will allow an opportunity for verbal public testimony via telephone (advanced registration required to be admitted to the phone queue). To provide one-on-one testimony during the call-in hearing sessions, call 855-701-1977 and leave a single voicemail message limited to three minutes.

In addition to the hearings, written comments and call-in testimony through voicemail will be accepted for the official record through 5 p.m. Thursday, August 12. Those interested may: ·

• submit an electronic comment form at mdta.maryland.gov/ALB270TollSetting;
• download and email a completed comment form to ALB270TollSetting@mdta.maryland.gov;
• print and mail a completed comment form to Phase 1 South: American Legion Bridge I-270 to I-370 Toll Rate Range Public Comment, Maryland Transportation Authority, 2310 Broening Highway, Baltimore, MD 21224; or
• provide call-in testimony at 855-701-1977 and leave a single voicemail that is limited to three minutes.

ALL COMMENTS received, whether at the hearing or through other methods, will be given EQUAL CONSIDERATION.

If you are unable to access the hearing materials online, or if you require special accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act or require language translation services (free of charge), please contact the MDTA’s Title VI Officer at mdtaeeo@mdta.maryland.gov or at 410-537-6720 at least ten days prior to the first hearing.

Public Hearing Livestream Archive

 

Listen to the public hearing livestreams here (mp4):

• In-Person Public Hearing – Testimony Session 1 (July 12, 2021 from 2-4 PM)
• In-Person Public Hearing – Testimony Session 2 (July 12, 2021 from 6-8 PM)
• Call-In Public Hearing – Testimony Session 1 (July 14, 2021 from 2-4 PM)
• Call-In Public Hearing – Testimony Session 2 (July 14, 2021 from 6-8 PM)

View the public hearing testimony transcripts here (PDF):

• In-Person Public Hearing – Testimony Session 1 (July 12, 2021 from 2-4 PM)
• In-Person Public Hearing – Testimony Session 2 (July 12, 2021 from 6-8 PM)
• Call-In Public Hearing – Testimony Session 1 (July 14, 2021 from 2-4 PM)
• Call-In Public Hearing – Testimony Session 2 (July 14, 2021 from 6-8 PM)
• One-on-One Public Hearing – Testimony Session 1 (July 12, 2021 from 2-4 PM)

Additional Information:

1. MDTA NEWS RELEASE – TOLL RATE RANGE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD OPENS FOR PHASE 1 SOUTH: AMERICAN LEGION BRIDGE I-270 TO I-370
2. MDTA NEWS RELEASE – PUBLIC HEARINGS SET FOR PROPOSED HOT LANE TOLL RATE RANGES FOR PHASE 1 SOUTH: AMERICAN LEGION BRIDGE I-270 TO I-370
3. MDTA NEWS RELEASE – ** REMINDER ** PUBLIC HEARINGS SET FOR PROPOSED HOT LANE TOLL RATE RANGES FOR PHASE 1 SOUTH: AMERICAN LEGION BRIDGE I-270 TO I-370

BAY BRIDGE CROSSING STUDY TIER 1 NEPA
TIER 1 DEIS PUBLIC HEARINGS

The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) invite all interested parties to join us at our Tier 1 Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) Bay Crossing Study Public Hearings. Originally scheduled for December, release of the DEIS was delayed due to concerns with rising state COVID-19 rates and associated restrictions. In following public health guidance and to ensure adequate opportunity for the public to comment, MDTA and its federal partners at the FHWA updated the roll-out schedule. The purpose of the Bay Crossing Study is to consider corridors for providing additional capacity and access across the Chesapeake Bay in order to improve mobility, travel reliability, and safety at the existing Bay Bridge. The Public Hearings will be made up of two components - a Public Hearing Virtual Information Room (VIR) and Live Testimony Sessions. The live testimony will consist of four call-in sessions, with two in-person opportunities also available. Each testimony session will include the opportunity to provide public and one-on-one testimony. There will be no formal presentation during the testimony sessions, and no responses to questions will be given. Due to the current COVID-19 health crisis and MDTA’s commitment to protect the public and agency members, the public is encouraged to provide public testimony through the call-in sessions.

Those who wish to provide testimony will need to pre-register in advance via baycrossingstudy.com or via telephone at 877-249-8370.Members of the public will have three minutes per person to give testimony. Please sign up only once to provide oral testimony. Each testimony session will follow the same format and will be broadcast on-line at baycrossingstudy.com or via telephone at 855-640-0504. Those who wish to listen live and/or leave your testimony by voicemail during the testimony session, call 855-640-0504

Public Hearing Virtual Information Room (VIR) Begins February 23, 2021

Beginning February 23, 2021 the DEIS and public hearing materials will be available for review in the VIR at baycrossingstudy.com.

The public is encouraged to review these materials and provide comment. If you are unable to access the DEIS via the website or if additional assistance is required, please call 877-249-8370 or email the project team at info@baycrossingstudy.com.In the VIR, attendees will have the opportunity to:

• review information on the Tier 1 DEIS and the MDTA-Recommended Preferred Corridor Alternative
• register to give public or one-on-one testimony
• learn how to submit and provide written comments

Live Testimony Sessions Begin April 14, 2021

CALL-IN TESTIMONY SESSIONS

Wednesday, April 14, 2021
1 to 3 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m.
Call-in sessions

Thursday, April 15, 2021
1 to 3 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m.
Call-in sessions 

LIVE TESTIMONY SESSIONS

Wednesday, April 21, 2021
6:00 - 8:00 PM
Double Tree Hotel
210 Holiday Court
Annapolis, MD 21401

Thursday, April 22, 2021
6:00 - 8:00 PM
Kent Island American Legion Hall
800 Romancoke Road
Stevensville, MD 21666

To encourage social distancing, display boards will be available online only. Social distancing protocols will be strictly enforced, including required face coverings, hand sanitizing stations, and limiting capacity in the hearing room to only those that are providing testimony.

Comments may be submitted during the comment period through May 10, 2021 via mail, email, project website, public testimony, and one-on-one testimony. All comments received, whether at the hearing through oral testimony or through other methods (project website, email, and mail), will be given equal consideration.

Individuals who require special accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act or who require translation services (free of charge) should contact
the MDTA at 410-537-1000 (711 for MD Relay) no later than ten business days before the live testimony session, if they wish to participate.

Additional Information:

1. MDTA NEWS RELEASE - BAY CROSSING STUDY TIER 1 DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW & COMMENT

MD 24 Northbound Auxiliary Lane Virtual Public Meeting:

Join Us for  an I-95 ETL Northbound Extension
MD 24 Northbound Auxiliary Lane Virtual Public Meeting
Thursday, February 4, 7p.m. – 8:30p.m.

Access via Microsoft Teams here
For the audio-only version of the meeting, call 443-409-5228 and when prompted for the Conference ID, dial 392 690 160#.

Due to the COVID-19 state of emergency and the Maryland Transportation Authority’s (MDTA) commitment to the protection of our customers and team members, we are practicing social distancing by holding a virtual public meeting for the MD 24 Northbound Auxiliary Lane.

The MDTA will be providing an opportunity to learn more about the MD 24 Northbound Auxiliary Lane as part of the I-95 ETL Northbound Extension through a virtual meeting using Microsoft Teams.

At the virtual update you will:

• Learn about improvements on northbound MD 24 from MD 924 to north of Singer Road
• Learn about major project elements, including transportation improvements and noise walls
• Participate in a question & answer session with the project team. The MDTA encourages you to submit your questions in advance by 3:00pm on Tuesday, February 2, 2021 to the project email at I95ETLNB@mdta.maryland.gov. Time permitting, live questions may be answered.

If you are unable to join us, please visit the project website at mdta.maryland.gov/I95ETLNB/home.html to view all virtual public meeting materials and submit feedback by February 18, 2021.

Please submit questions and comments regarding the MD 24 Northbound Auxiliary Lane through the project email address I95ETLNB@mdta.maryland.gov or via US mail to the address, below.

Maryland Transportation Authority
Attn: Brian Wolfe, PE
Director of Project Development
Office of Engineering and Construction
8019 Corporate Drive, Suite F
Nottingham, MD 21236

Individuals who require special accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act or who require translation services (free of charge) should contact the project team at I95ETLNB@mdta.maryland.gov.

Meeting Materials:

• Announcment Flyer (PDF Download)
• Comment Card
• Meeting Materials (PDF Download)