A new taxation authority specific for transit in DC's MD Suburbs

[Tritransit Area]

http://www.masstransitmag.com/publication/article.jsp?siteSection=3&id=13982

Maryland's leading Republican senator is urging lawmakers to saddle Marylands Washington suburbs with the billion-dollar cost of the regions planned Purple Line rail, while letting rural counties off the hook.

[This bill] comes out of the frustration of representing a rural area and watching highway user revenues draw down to the point where we cant repair our roads, said Senate Minority Whip E.J. Pipkin, of the Eastern Shore. And yet were watching news conferences where the governor says were moving forward with the Red Line and Purple Line.

Gov. Martin OMalley has cut state funding for local roads and bridges called highway user revenues by more than 95 percent in the last three years, and his fiscal 2012 budget includes additional cuts.

The planned 16-mile Purple Line, a light rail connecting New Carrollton to Bethesda, would cost the state roughly $1.6 billion. A $1.8 billion high-speed rail the Red Line is planned for Baltimore.

Pipkins legislation would create an independent taxing authority to collect revenues for the rails from Montgomery, Prince Georges and Baltimore counties, as well as Baltimore City.

If they want it, let them pay for it, Pipkin told the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, which is considering his bill.

This may not be such a bad idea.  It may help to reduce the conflict that MD has in terms of getting funding for Metro.