Transportation Issues Traffic is a vital concern to the quality of life in Montgomery County. Indeed, congestion is now having strong, adverse effects on the quality of life in our area. Like so many of us, I experience the problems caused by congestion on a regular basis. I live in Olney, near the intersection of Norbeck Road and Georgia Avenue. At times, the back-up of cars on Georgia Avenue trying to get through the intersection stretches over a mile long! Of course, there are back-ups on Norbeck as well, and there are plenty of other intersections in the County that are overloaded. The only way we can solve our congestion problems is with a combination of road and intersection improvements and additional mass transit. With regard to the Norbeck Road/Georgia Avenue intersection, we have needed a solution where Norbeck Road passes under Georgia Avenue for years now. I also experience Metro's problems on a daily basis. I take the Red Line to work every day, and there can be no doubt that the quality of Metro's service has declined significantly over the past few years. One day recently I was on a Metro train that was offloaded at the Catholic University stop due to mechanical problems. According to the announcement on the loudspeaker, there were also two or three other trains out of service at that time on the Red Line! Between 1991 and 2007, I can only recall one time being on a train with mechanical problems. Now, it is a regular occurrence. Metro has simply not maintained its system at an acceptable level. In addition to fixing the mass transit system we have, it is clear that additional mass transit is needed for our area. I support the Purple Line, though I am concerned about its affordability in the present budgetary environment. The highways (I-270, I-95) and Metro's Red Line run north-south. It is simply too difficult to travel east-west in our area. The Purple Line will help with this, as will the eventual completion of the ICC, and hopefully these two projects will permit the Beltway to serve more like a highway than a parking lot. For more on the Purple Line click here ... Purple Line, intersection upgrades, properly maintaining Metro's infrastructure - all of this will cost money, at a time when Maryland's transportation funds have been raided to pay for other things. As discussed at length elsewhere on this website, the evidence is that Maryland is not competitive with other states, especially with regard to its income, corporate, and estate tax structures, and this fact can only have one result - a decline in Maryland's tax base over time. This problem needs to be addressed urgently by the next General Assembly. Nevertheless, we must fund transportation improvements for our area. Infrastructure projects do not build themselves. I would prefer to build these projects out of existing revenue streams. If Montgomery County received a reasonable portion of its state taxes back to support local needs, there would be sufficient funds to improve our transportation infrastructure. I pledge to work to increase the share of our state taxes that returns to us. The Democrats running for office support increasing the gas tax. I would prefer not to increase the tax burden on Maryland families. In addition, I am concerned that increased gas tax revenues would be used to fund transportation infrastructure improvements in other parts of the state. Montgomery County taxpayers are treated like an ATM funding the entire state, and our current Delegation to the General Assembly supports this. I will work to be sure that any funds raised by such a tax increase be used to support transportation infrastructure improvements in the area where the gas tax funds were raised. Any additional gas tax revenues raised from Montgomery County must support infrastructure improvements that enhance the quality of life in Montgomery County - 100%, no exceptions.