north-south highway – Jay's Real Estate Blog

Garrett commissioners praise effort for North/South highway funding

Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News

OAKLAND — The Garrett County commissioners thanked and recognized The Greater Cumberland Committee executive director Brenda Smith and Dave Moe, coordinator of the North/South Appalachian Highway Coalition, during their public meeting Tuesday for helping to push the federal Surface Transportation Bill through.

“I wanted to thank you on behalf of the citizens of Garrett County,” said commission chairman Jim Raley. “Part of what made sense to me was Brenda and Dave’s efforts and the regional approach you took to this thing. When I look at the construction jobs and the kind of jobs that are going to be available, I think it’s phenomenal.”

Raley also thanked Chris Uhl, the Western Maryland coordinator for Gov. Martin O’Malley’s Office; Robin Summerfield representing Sen. Ben Cardin; Julianna Albowicz representing Sen. Barbara Mikulski, all of whom were at the meeting, for their efforts on furthering the North/South Appalachian Highway project.

“It’s just another piece of the puzzle that helps benefit Garrett County and the region down the road,” added Commissioner Robert Gatto.

The $10-million plus bill, which was recently passed by the House of Representatives, allows for the completion of the Somerset-Meyersdale stretch of U.S. Route 219. The measure included much sought-after repeal of language preventing Pennsylvania from using toll credits it has accumulated as its $35 million share of the $350 million cost of completing the link.

Summerfield, who has been involved with the project since the beginning, noted that TGCC and Cardin and Mikulski accomplished something that, “was a really, really big deal and that was not an easy lift at all.”

“Not one lobbyist was involved,” said Summerfield. “This was truly a grassroots community effort to get the support of three governors, representatives and senators from three states to believe in this idea enough to support what seemed like a tiny policy in a very big bill, which is going to get the 219 portion of this highway done. That happened through all-out persistence.”

Moe said that the bill couldn’t have been passed without the assistance of O’Malley, both senators and the commissioners from Mineral, Somerset and Cambria counties.

“As a result, the legislation surprisingly did much more than we asked for,” said Moe. “… it allowed the states to fund those roadways with 100 percent federal funds.”

Smith thanked the Garrett County commissioners for their support of the project.

“I know that anytime we had come to you and asked for assistance you offered it to us without delay and in a positive manner,” said Smith, who also thanked her predecessor, Coleen Peterson, and Jim Hinebaugh of TGCC. “This has really redefined regional relevance.”

Hinebaugh said the North/South Highway project should serve as a model for other TGCC projects, including education.

Albowicz thanked everyone for their drive, vision and persistence, stating, “I think it proves that if you really believe in what you feel and think is right it comes to fruition.”

Summerfield said Moe and Peterson worked really hard and traveled a lot to get people to support the project.

“It just really speaks to the value of community efforts of all us,” said Summerfield. “I think this should really be encouraging to those of us who can grow cynical about the way the government operates. Citizens made this happen and we can do a whole lot more through that kind of effort.”

Uhl also thanked Peterson and Moe for their hard work, stating, “It’s exciting to see what’s next.”

Raley indicated that he was ready for the four-mile Maryland portion to kick in once it reaches the Maryland/Pennsylvania line.

Nicole Christian, president and CEO of the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce, also thanked the TGCC for its leadership in the project, noting that it was beyond the scope of what both the Allegany and Garrett county chambers could do.

Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com.

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Commissioners Sign North South Hwy. Resolution

Mar. 8, 2012

The Garrett County commissioners signed a resolution on Tuesday pledging to work in partnership with the North South Appalachian Highway Coalition to advocate for the North South Appalachian Highway. Local resident David Moe, a member of the coalition, requested the resolution.

Garrett County’s portion of the multi-state project involves the reconstruction/relocation of U.S. Rt. 219 from I-68 to the Pennsylvania state line (2.54 miles).

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“We’ve designated it as our No. 1 state highway project,” Commission chair Jim Raley noted.

The previous Board of Garrett County Commissioners’ No.1 priority was the Rt. 219 Oakland bypass.

The coalition’s mission is to advance the project, ensuring its completion as the connection transportation corridor from I-68 in Maryland to the Pennsylvania Turnpike and Corridor H in West Virginia. Lack of funding has stalled the project for several years. The coalition is calling upon the U.S. Congress to support the completion of the project with continued funding.

The commissioners’ resolution notes that the highway is a critical infrastructure project intended to increase mobility and regional economic development throughout the Appalachian regions of Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

“The lack of progress on the highway has seriously hindered the region’s growth,” the resolution states. “U.S. Route 220 South from I-68 to Corridor H and U.S. Route 219 North from I-68 to I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike would provide the greatest potential for benefiting our Appalachian region and rejuvenating the economy with commercial activity. Improvements in the north-south travel would serve to link the area’s two most east-west transportation facilities, I-68 and Corridor H.”

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North-south corridor gets Continental 1 support

Buffalo, N.Y.-based group trying to connect roads from Canada to Florida

Kevin Spradlin Cumberland Times-News

— CUMBERLAND — The head of a local agency garnered support from a key stakeholder in the efforts to move along the expansion of U.S. routes 219 and 220.

Colleen Peterson, executive director of The Greater Cumberland Committee, traveled Friday with officials representing Somerset County, Pa., to Ridgway, about 85 miles north of Altoona. Peterson made the case for the north-south thoroughfares to Continental 1, formerly the Pennsylvania 219 Association that has lobbied for the project since the 1960s.

The trip, made with Somerset County Commission Chair John Vatavuk and Ron Aldom, executive director of the Somerset County Chamber of Commerce, was an apparent success.

Peterson made her presentation during Continental 1’s regular board meeting. She said forming a working relationship between the two entities — and supporting one another — simply makes sense.

“It just seemed we could help each other,” Peterson said of the transportation project, which she labeled an economic development project that could put thousands to work. “We can leverage each other’s resources.”

Peterson said Continental 1’s support for the local agency’s effort was unanimous, “which is great. I think they understand they need to do more to reaching out to organizations like ours. I think we did very well.”

Vatavuk agreed, and seconded a goal was to have Somerset and Cambria counties included in Continental 1’s transportation corridor.

“There wasn’t one objection to changing the route,” Vatavuk said. “That’s the first change they made to the route in the past 10 years. This was kind of a monumental effort.”

Vatavuk said Somerset County’s “main focus” is linking U.S. Route 219 North to Interstate 68 in Maryland.

While not entirely one-sided, the budding TGCC and its dedicated but recent effort to lobby for the 219 project is dwarfed by Continental 1. The Buffalo, N.Y.-based group has a larger “big picture” view – members envision a four-lane highway from Toronto, Canada to Miami, Fla. — and, having been around longer, have a larger pool of funds dedicated to advocate for the expansion.

Locally, The Greater Cumberland Committee already appears to have the support of the congressional delegations from Maryland and West Virginia. Pennsylvania lawmakers, however, have voted not to extend the use of toll credits to offset the required state match of 20 percent in order to access the federal government’s 80 percent share.

Toll credits include revenue from toll receipts, concession sales, right of way leases or interest and borrowed funds supported by the revenue stream. The federal transportation bill expired in 2009 but has been extended to the end of 2010. Vatavuk said the earliest lawmakers are expected to propose a new bill is spring 2011.

Clearly, Peterson said, there’s a connection between the two entities.

“I think the committee saw the synergy,” Peterson said. “I think we made a very good case statement.”

Peterson said the next steps include ensuring federal lawmakers from the surrounding states continue to support the project and instructing staff to put the expansion on each state’s consolidated transportation program, a long-term plan by each jurisdiction that identifies and prioritizes transportation projects.

That’s a key step, Peterson said, because even if the federal government identifies funding for the next phases, each state has final say on where that money is directed.

“The states still have to commit to prioritize the projects,” she said. “We have to constantly feed (lawmakers) and tell them where we are.”

If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350

U.S. Rt. 219 North Project Is Now Garrett Co.'s Top Highway Priority

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May. 6, 2010

The U.S. Rt. 219 North project is now listed as number one on Garrett County’s list of highway priorities, at least on paper. For several years, it was in second place, with the Oakland bypass in the number one spot. The southern project is now number two.

The switch in positions, however, does not mean the bypass is less important, county officials stressed during a nearly one-hour impromptu meeting at the county commissioners’ office Tuesday afternoon.

“I’m not saying that the bypass isn’t important; I’m not saying I don’t support it; I’m not suggesting it get killed or be slipped through to the bottom,” said Director Jim Hinebaugh, Garrett County Department of Economic Development. “The reality is we’re being asked to move this section of road (219 North) as our top priority, on paper, for the time being, to show that it is important to us.”

In addition to him and Commissioners Fred Holliday and Ernie Gregg, those in attendance included Sen. George Edwards; Del. Wendell Beitzel; Oakland mayor Peggy Jamison and councilman Jay Moyer; Director John Nelson, Garrett County Department of Planning and Zoning; and local resident David Moe. Hinebaugh and Moe are members of the Greater Cumberland Committee (TGCC).

Hinebaugh requested the meeting and the change in priorities. He noted the TGCC has made the U.S. Rt. 219 North/South Corridor its top priority in terms of projects.

“When I’m talking about the North/South Corridor, I’m talking about 219 North of Interstate-68, Interstate-68, and east of Cumberland, 220 South,” the director said.

He indicated that it was a perfect project for the TGCC to take on, as it represents the three counties directly affected by the project: Garrett, Allegany, and Mineral (W.Va.). Garrett County’s portion of the corridor project involves 2.54 miles of Rt. 219 North, from I-68 in Grantsville to the Pennsylvania line.

“To the Greater Cumberland Committee’s credit, they’ve made a lot of progress in elevating the awareness of this project on the federal level and even getting some pretty good support,” Hinebaugh said about the group’s lobbying efforts.

During a TGCC North/South Corridor Workgroup meeting, however, it was noted that those efforts would be more effective if the project were the top priority for all three counties, as well as Somerset County, Pa.

Hinebaugh said Allegany County has already made the Rt. 220 leg its top priority in the state’s Consolidated Transportation Program (CTP).

“I think our top priority in the CTP is the Oakland bypass,” the director said.

The TGCC, therefore, asked Hinebaugh and Moe to talk to the commissioners about changing that ranking.

“The rationale being that it’s kind of hard to lobby Congress for funds to build the North/South Corridor if it isn’t our top priority, particularly at the state level,” Hinebaugh said.

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If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350

Bypass bumped as Garrett County’s top priority

County now giving favor to North-South connector

Megan Miller Cumberland Times-News

OAKLAND — Garrett County has joined Allegany in naming the North-South highway corridor as its top priority for transportation project funding.

Specifically, the Garrett County Commission Tuesday moved the upgrade of U.S. Route 219 to No. 1 on the county’s short list of projects in the Maryland Consolidated Transportation Program, bumping the only other project, the construction of the Oakland bypass, to No. 2.

Jim Hinebaugh, representing the Greater Cumberland Committee, advocated the change before the commission.

“We came to the conclusion that it’s a little bit awkward for the Greater Cumberland Committee to be lobbying for this as the top project for the three states if this isn’t the top project individually for the three states,” he said.

The proposed North-South highway corridor would connect U.S. Route 219 in Pennsylvania with Interstate 68 in Maryland, extending down U.S. Route 220 through West Virginia to connect with the Corridor H highway project.

Garrett’s portion is the area of U.S. 219 between I-68 and the Pennsylvania state line.

Hinebaugh, who also serves as director of the Garrett County Department of Economic Development, said leaving the project at No. 2 on Garrett’s list could give the state “an out” to say the project isn’t a funding priority.

But the move wasn’t without opposition. Jay Moyer, superintendent of the Garrett County Roads Department, said he thinks the Oakland bypass would be a greater benefit to area residents, and he fears a change of status would harm the project.

“I’ve argued many times for the bypass to stay the top priority and seen projects that weren’t even on the list get funded and move forward,” Moyer said. “My position is that we’ve worked too hard for too long to get to where we are. If this would give Gov. O’Malley or the legislature the excuse they need to ditch this project … my fear is that we’d fall right back down to where we were.”

The Oakland bypass would run from about the intersection of U.S. Route 219 and state Route 135 on the east edge of town to reconnect with U.S. 219 north of the Walmart store.

Hinebaugh said the Oakland bypass has received little support at the state level, while the North-South highway corridor has received state and federal attention and is supported by a tri-state lobby effort.

“The difference is that there’s no support to build the bypass anytime soon,” he said. “I’m not suggesting that we ditch the bypass or don’t support the bypass. I’m just suggesting that we support this project that does have state support, tri-state support.”

John Nelson, director of the Department of Planning and Land Development, pointed out that the Oakland bypass is further along in the planning process, and is nearly construction-ready. But there are no state funds on the horizon to get construction under way, probably for several years, and the project would rely almost entirely on state money.

The North-South highway project, on the other hand, would be funded almost entirely by federal dollars, with a 20 percent state match.

State Sen. George Edwards, who attended the meeting along with Delegate Wendell Beitzel, said the climate in Annapolis could mean no funding anytime soon for major highway projects in Garrett County.

“The thrust now … is for mass transit, so other areas are fighting for more money for mass transit systems, and we’re going to see even less,” Edwards said. “With this 219 project you’re working with other states, which doesn’t happen very often on major projects. You ought to use it while you have it.”

Only two of the three commissioners were present for Tuesday’s meeting. Commissioner Denny Glotfelty, who is battling cancer, was absent for medical reasons.

If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350

North/South highway earns support of Cardin

Kevin Spradlin
Cumberland Times-News

CUMBERLAND — A meeting cancellation in Washington of local officials advocating for the North/South Appalachian Highway project didn’t stop the effort from getting a progressive bump forward.

During a Senate committee hearing Tuesday on President Barack Obama’s nomination of Earl Gohl Jr. as Appalachian Regional Commission co-chair, Sen. Ben Cardin called upon Gohl to make the project a priority.

Cardin also asked Gohl to support removing the prohibition on the state’s use of toll credits as matching funds for the Appalachian Highway project, which includes U.S. Route 219 from Interstate 68 to Meyersdale, Pa., and U.S. Route 220 from Bedford, Pa., to Corridor H in West Virginia.

The ARC is a federal-state partnership that helps fund sustainable community and economic development projects in a 13-state area from New York to Mississippi, including all of West Virginia and parts of Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Forty-two percent of the region’s population is rural compared with 20 percent of the national population. Eighty-two of the region’s 420 counties are designated as economically distressed jurisdictions.

The goal of the ARC, established by an act of Congress in 1965, is to help the region achieve economic parity with the nation. Cardin’s words, said local stakeholder David Moe of the Garrett County Development Corp., are a major step in the right direction.

“It’s great stuff,” said Moe, also a member of The Greater Cumberland Committee, a multistate organization that has recently served as lead advocate for the highway projects. “Mr. Cardin is a great asset for Western Maryland. We’ve been privileged to work with him on this project and other items for Mountain Maryland. Without him, none of this would have been possible.

“It’s recognition at the top level of the problems with the toll credits issue, which can be resolved when the federal transportation reauthorization gets considered in the Senate,” Moe said. “The momentum is building.”

That could happen this year. The bill, which expired Sept. 30, has received short-term extensions. But within Obama’s jobs creation bill is the reauthorization — and with it could come resolution of the toll credits issue.

“If it is removed, Pennsylvania will be able to continue the construction of the (U.S.) 219 section from Somerset, Pa., to Meyersdale,” Moe said, “in addition to picking up the environmental studies on the 219 section from I-68 near Grantsville to the Meyersdale, Pa., bypass.”

Moe called both projects “integral to the development of the entire north-south Appalachian Corridor.”

Moe said Gohl, who has more than 20 years’ experience as an elected and appointed official in Pennsylvania, should be familiar with the struggles faced.

The meeting scheduled for Wednesday with members of the House of Representatives will be rescheduled, Moe said. Meanwhile, several congressional representatives have indicated their support for the project and for the removal of the toll credits prohibition. Already on board are Pennsylvania Congressmen Bill Shuster and Christopher Carney, U.S. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett in Maryland and U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore-Capito in West Virginia.

If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Long & Foster Real Estate for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350

Category: north-south highway

Garrett commissioners praise effort for North/South highway funding

Commissioners Sign North South Hwy. Resolution

North-south corridor gets Continental 1 support

U.S. Rt. 219 North Project Is Now Garrett Co.'s Top Highway Priority

Bypass bumped as Garrett County’s top priority

North/South highway earns support of Cardin

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