Joint House and Senate Priorities Hearing Testimony, November 20, 2006

My name is Dan Wallace, I live at 313 Burnt Mills Avenue, Silver Spring, and I represent the 4,000 members of the Montgomery Intercounty Connector Coalition, which has opposed an ICC since 1989. I'm here to ask you to defer all funding for an ICC indefinitely.

When I appeared in front of this August group a year ago, I questioned the State Highway Administration's contention that the construction cost for an ICC would be $2.4 billion, a figure originally quoted in 2004. This figure also came before the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and Rita forecast a precipitous hike in construction costs. I asked for a recalculation of ICC cost projections that would incorporate relevant increases, such as the 26% spike in the price of asphalt.

To date, SHA has yet to reassess the costs. But, by simply applying to an ICC the overall 20% increase in construction costs to date, the new figure comes in at $2.9 billion. The GARVEE bonds and other state bonds must be serviced, another $960 million. That brings the total cost to $3.86 billion. So, we're looking at an additional $1.46 billion, much of which is debt service that will put funds for other worthy projects out of reach. I might add that the outgoing governor proposed using general funds to help with the ICC, which means that schools, libraries, and the like would suffer.

Senators and delegates, your ability to find funding for the worthy projects that you support would be severely curtailed if this exorbitant toll-road is funded. This is too much money for a turnpike that SHA's own study shows won't reduce traffic, and in fact will add traffic on local roads.

Finally, allow me to return to an earlier phrase in these remarks: outgoing governor. Despite staging four ground-breakings for an ICC, our current governor did not win a second term. In the last election, the people chose smart growth candidates who promised to manage development better, including many new faces who oppose an ICC. And, since the last meaningful poll showed that 60% of voters wanted their representatives to consider transit and existing road improvements before an ICC, it would seem reasonable to withhold any funding of an ICC, to put off any requisition of homes in its path, and to consider the Purple Line and the Corridor Cities Transitway as priorities while the real cost of an ICC is recalculated. The results, I'm sure, will lead to its abandonment, a benefit to everyone.