On the matter of a transportation projects scoring law

I find rather curious the ongoing political theater roiling the state over Maryland’s newly enacted transportation projects scoring law. You see, several years ago, I chaired the Maryland Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation Funding. Ordered by the General Assembly and the governor, the commission comprised 28 members, including members of the General Assembly, governor’s Cabinet, urban and rural interests, business and labor leaders, transportation industry and smart growth advocates, Maryland Association of Counties, and Maryland Municipal League.

Ours was as broad-ranging as such a group could be. We conducted 14 meetings and public forums over 14 months. We heard from numerous regional and national experts. We held many discussions from every viewpoint imaginable.

On Nov. 1, 2011, the blue ribbon commission issued our report to the governor and General Assembly, as well as to the people of Maryland. It received widespread coverage. The report contains 23 detailed recommendations in its 30 pages on how best to reform and enhance the transportation funding system for needed projects statewide. A number of our recommendations have been followed (e.g., the constitutional amendment to obstruct raids on the Transportation Trust Fund). None were criticized. All deserve attention.

Interestingly, in all those months of meetings and forums, in all those discussions of potential ideas, policies, laws, and processes, no one from any quarter ever raised a need for a transportation projects scoring law.

Clearly, despite all our due diligence, despite having every player at the table, despite laying out some two dozen recommended actions in a comprehensive fashion, all of which met with generous praise five years ago, the Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation Funding somehow, in some way, still missed the boat.

Clearly, neither the General Assembly nor the governor nor I realized it way back then. And so, I, for one, as chairman, now apologize to the people of Maryland for such abject carelessness. After all, I can only offer in some pale defense that we were merely human.

Gus Bauman

Silver Spring