Anonymous wrote:MD 200 is one of the legacy builds of the proposed Washington Outer Beltway aka The Techway. It would be more effective if it made it over to VA, but MOCO and rich folks in Great Falls will never let that happen

It was never going to connect to virginia and at the time it was created, it pushed the purple line by more than a decade and billions of dollars. It was a stupid "investment" so a GOP governor could serve his cronies.

They need to build more or widen existing east west roads. That's where the traffic congestion is.

Anonymous wrote:It has no bike lanes or sidewalks, and caters exclusively to vehicle users.


In what possible metric is this considered a “successful” road?

https://www.traillink.com/trail/intercounty-connector-trail/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It has no bike lanes or sidewalks, and caters exclusively to vehicle users.


In what possible metric is this considered a “successful” road?

Smh.

^It’s like complaining about the lack of a sidewalk or bike lane on 495.

Agree, but funny enough W & OD trail pretty much follows 66 (and 495) for a lot of stretches. The PP is just being ridiculous though.

It's fine. I drive almost every week for work. I would trade it in a heartbeat for extra lanes on the American Legion bridge or an outer beltway crossing but this is where we had the land, so here we are.

VA took a different path with its toll roads - lots more toll roads but really high prices.

I might live to ride the Purple Line but my great grandchildren will not be alive to see Rt 200 connect to Virginia. "Techway" that's a throwback.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Outer_Beltway

It’s a great road to drive on. Once you get off the mess on 270 and arrive on ICC, it’s plain sailing on the open road. Those who use it love it.

Anonymous wrote:I like 200, I can usually use cruise control there unlike 495.

Usually can only do 45 on 495 and other times a parking lot. 495 doesn't feel like a highway especially during rush hours

Saves me 15 mins driving home from Rockville to Burtonsville at 6pm. I consider that a success and worth the toll.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MD 200 is one of the legacy builds of the proposed Washington Outer Beltway aka The Techway. It would be more effective if it made it over to VA, but MOCO and rich folks in Great Falls will never let that happen

Was the plan to bring tech companies along that portion of 200?

It was named that way because it connected existing tech companies in MoCo and Nova

Which companies? And how does 200 actually connect to NoVa? Don't you still have to take 270 to get to and from NoVa?

PP’s point was that when the interstate system was first designed there was supposed to be another beltway outside of the current beltway, and 200 is a piece of it. If there was another whole outer beltway it would obviously connect to northern Virginia. But I’ve never ever heard this called “the Techway,” and my mom was on the planning board and the county council for the decades while all this was going on. It was always called the ICC - the inter county connector - until it was designated as MD-200.

Anonymous wrote:And to think they delayed the purple line by about a decade for this totally unncessary road.

Because Bob Ehrlich liked roads and not public transit. He was trying to turn the Purple Line into “bus rapid transit” on existing already jam packed roads instead of using the rail line Maryland had bought for that purpose decades before.

I like 200, I can usually use cruise control there unlike 495.

Anonymous wrote:It has no bike lanes or sidewalks, and caters exclusively to vehicle users.


In what possible metric is this considered a “successful” road?

Smh.

^It’s like complaining about the lack of a sidewalk or bike lane on 495.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MD 200 is one of the legacy builds of the proposed Washington Outer Beltway aka The Techway. It would be more effective if it made it over to VA, but MOCO and rich folks in Great Falls will never let that happen

Was the plan to bring tech companies along that portion of 200?

It was named that way because it connected existing tech companies in MoCo and Nova

Which companies? And how does 200 actually connect to NoVa? Don't you still have to take 270 to get to and from NoVa?

And to think they delayed the purple line by about a decade for this totally unncessary road.

Anonymous wrote:How busy is this road? What amount of taxpayer funds were used for this vs. private funding by the toll operator?

I never use it because it's a toll road. Usually GPS says it would save me about 7-8 minutes, so I just don't take it.

I would use it if it was free though!

It was funded through a combination of federal grants (about $750 million), Maryland Transportation Trust Fund, future toll assumptions ($668 million in toll bonds and future revenues), and some State general funds.

It's not a private toll operator. It's the State of Maryland. Hogan reduced the tolls under his term and they have not been increased. For better or for worse.

It has the second highest number of toll transactions in the state.
But its revenue is about the fourth highest. Behind the Bay Bridge and the two tunnels in Baltimore.

Through 2023, it has collected about $687 million in tolls, so it has paid back its future toll assumptions.


https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ipd/project_profiles/md_icc.aspx
https://mdta.maryland.gov/sites/default/files/Final%20MDTA%20FY%202024%20Traffic%20and%20Revenue%20Forecast%20Update%20Report.pdf