MAGLEV Train Project Public Meeting
on April 5th Additional Information

   
Dear Friends,  
    
     I have received several requests for additional information in response to my notice on the public meeting to collect citizens' input on the MAGLEV train project. The public meeting is being held at the Bowie Community Center on
3209 Stonybrook Drive Bowie, MD 20715 one week from today on Wednesday, April 5th from 5:30 to 7:30pm.     

     The notice below contains the links to more information regarding the project. Specifically, you can find the proposed study area here. The specific routes will not be finalized and made public until Monday, April 3rd.
 
     Please let me know if you have additional questions. Feel free to call me at 301-858-3101 or email me at Geraldine.Valentino@house.state.md.us. It remains my privilege to represent you.    

  
Sincerely,  
Geraldine 
Geraldine Valentino-Smith
Delegate, Maryland House of Delegates, District 23A
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Dear Delegate Valentino-Smith,

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), in coordination with the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT)'s Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the potential impacts of constructing and operating a high-speed superconducting magnetic levitation (SCMAGLEV) system between Washington, DC and Baltimore, Maryland with an intermediate stop at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.

The goal of the EIS is to provide FRA with information to assess alternatives that will meet the proposed action's Purpose and Need; evaluate potential environmental impacts that could result from the alternatives; identify avoidance/mitigation measures associated with potential environmental impacts; and select a Preferred Alternative.

The purpose of this email is to:
  1. Provide a brief update on the status of the SCMAGLEV project; and to
  2. Inform you of the second round of Open Houses being held between April 3, 2017 and April 8, 2017.
In November 2016, FRA published a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare the EIS in the Federal Register. Following the NOI publication, a 45-day public scoping period included five Public Scoping Open House meetings held between December 10, 2016 and December 15, 2016. At the meetings, the public had the opportunity to review introductory materials, discuss the project with team members and provide formal comments. In addition, the study team held two meetings in January 2017 with key federal, state, and local government agencies to discuss project scoping and to receive their initial feedback.

Recently, the project team has compiled the results of the public and agency scoping meetings and comments received into a Project Scoping Report; refined the Draft Purpose and Need; and defined the preliminary alternatives and screening criteria to be considered in the EIS.

As part of our continuing efforts to keep stakeholders informed and to gather input throughout the planning process, we will provide this new information at the second round of Open Houses scheduled for the following dates/locations:
  • Monday, April 3, 2017 from 5:30  - 7:30 p.m. - Baltimore War Memorial located at 101 North Gay Street in Baltimore, Maryland
  • Tuesday, April 4, 2017 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. - Lindale Middle School located at 415 Andover Road in Linthicum, Maryland
  • Wednesday, April 5, 2017 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. - Bowie Community Center located at 3209 Stonybrook Drive, Bowie, Maryland
  • Thursday, April 6, 2017 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. - Cheverly Town Hall located at 6401 Forest Road in Cheverly, Maryland
  • Saturday, April 8, 2017 from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon - Courtyard Marriott Washington, DC/U.S. Capitol, located at 1325 2nd Street NE, Washington, DC
I encourage you to share project information and invite your constituents to attend one of these Open Houses. Each meeting affords the public the same opportunity to view informational displays with project team members who will be available to answer questions or concerns. You can find additional information and next steps on the project website: baltimorewashingtonscmaglevproject.com.

We are accepting public comments via the website, by e-mail to info@BaltimoreWashingtonSCMaglevProject.com and by mail to SCMaglev Project c/o John Trueschler, Maryland Transit Administration, 6 St. Paul Street, Baltimore, Maryland, 21202.

If you have questions or would like to submit your comments, please don't hesitate to contact me at USDOT Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, MS-20, Washington, DC 20590 or brandon.bratcher@dot.gov.

Sincerely,

Brandon Bratcher
FRA, Environmental Protection Specialist


By Authority of Friends For Geraldine Valentino-Smith, Elizabeth Ryan, Treasurer