According to data from Maryland transportation officials, traffic on roads and highways in the state is beginning to reach and surpass pre-pandemic levels — and the governor is pointing to this as a reason to enact his Traffic Relief Plan.
“Holiday travel during the Fourth of July Weekend exceeding 2019 levels is an important milestone signaling our state’s strong recovery from the pandemic,” said Gov. Larry Hogan. “Traffic volumes are exceeding pre-pandemic levels across the state, including at the American Legion Bridge, making the need for our Traffic Relief Plan more urgent than ever.”
Hogan’s plan to add toll-funded express lanes to Interstate 270 and the Capital Beltway recently had a setback when a regional transportation panel voted to remove it from a federally mandated environmental study.
According to MDOT State Highway Administration, traffic on state highways increased 0.4% in the first week of July compared with the same period in July 2019.
Traffic on the Beltway across the Legion Bridge surpassed pre-pandemic levels, with average daily traffic of 226,851 this year, a 0.26% increase compared with the same week in 2019.
Also, according to the state, volume at state bridges and tolls have exceeded 2019 figures for the first time since March 2020.
This comes after statewide highway travel dropped by more than 50% and passenger travel at BWI Marshall Airport fell by more than 90% at the height of the pandemic, according to the state.