The Maryland Board of Public Works (BPW) today approved more than $448 million for 113 initiatives and projects across Maryland. During the BPW’s last regularly scheduled meeting of 2023, Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman emphasized the need for ongoing maintenance of transit infrastructure in Maryland.
The BPW voted unanimously to approve a request to extend an existing contract and increase funding for repairs, maintenance, and construction for the Maryland Transit Administration’s (MTA) bus, metro, light rail, freight rail, and MARC facilities across Maryland.
Comptroller Lierman commended MTA Administrator Holly Arnold and the agency for their efforts to address state of good repair needs via its Capital Needs Inventory, including a nearly 2% reduction in pending repair projects between July 2019 and July 2022. Comptroller Lierman also inquired about current state of good repair projects undertaken by the agency, highlighting the more than $5.1 billion needed simply to maintain our transit assets in a state of good repair, as reported in the Capital Needs Inventory.
In January, MTA will submit to the Maryland General Assembly an update on capital investments and ongoing needs over the next two decades.
Comptroller Lierman also sought verification that the Light Rail’s closure was not the result of negligence on repair needs. Director Arnold explained that the shutdown is a result of work to ensure the Light Rail system is maintained in a state of good repair for the life of the vehicles. Comptroller Lierman expressed her support for MTA applying for federal grant dollars to replace the aging light rail vehicles.
Following the MTA’s explanation of the current light rail shutdown being a result of proactive work to ensure the system maintained a state of good repair for the life of vehicles, Comptroller Lierman expressed her support for MTA applying for federal grant dollars to replace light rail vehicles as needed.
“Maintaining our capital assets in a state of good repair and doing the necessary work to keep them operable is vital to ensuring passenger safety and providing Marylanders with 21st-century transportation systems that will get them where they want to go,” said Comptroller Lierman after Wednesday’s meeting.“Continued investment in items that matter will pay dividends for Maryland and the strength of its economy in the years to come.”
During the 2021 legislative session, Comptroller Lierman, then representing District 46 as a state delegate, sponsored the Transit Safety and Investment Act, which mandated an average annual increase of $90 million over six years to address MTA’s backlog of state of good repair needs, such as maintaining light rail and subway tracks.
A report from MDOT MTA identified $5.1 billion in State of Good Repair needs through 2031, including $1.8 billion in deferred capital maintenance.
Comptroller Lierman also highlighted the importance of pursuing renewable energy generation in Maryland, in an agenda item from the Department of Natural Resources that will help position Maryland to reach its objectives of 100 percent Renewable Portfolio Standard and a 100 percent Clean Energy Standard by 2040.
“The work we are approving is ensuring that the state appropriately considers all socioeconomic impacts in our energy infrastructure decisions. This is essential as we move forward with the 2030 GGRA plan, which shows clean and renewable energy provides an increase in jobs, GDP, and personal income,” Comptroller Lierman shared. "This is the kind of study, work, and technical assistance required to make sure we get it right.”
The most recent state report, Maryland’s Climate Pathway, which will inform the newest state climate plan, shows that Maryland can meet its climate goals while providing economic, social, and environmental benefits to Marylanders.
