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Maryland

The Rural Context For Transportation Consultations

Maryland is the 9th smallest state in the U.S. in land area, 19th largest in population, and 5th most densely populated. However, approximately 26 percent of Maryland's population and jobs, and 85 percent of the land, is non-urban. About 70 percent of Maryland's roads are rural. Federally owned lands amount to 8 percent of the state's land area.

Maryland is a slowly growing state, as measured by population, with a slowly growing rate of employment. The portion of the state's jobs in the uniquely rural agriculture and mining sectors is small (4 and less than one percent, respectively). Most jobs in Maryland's rural areas are in sectors also common in urban areas: construction, transportation & utilities (18 percent); manufacturing (13 percent); business & trade (26 percent); and services & government (40 percent).

Demographically, Maryland's non-urban population is predominately white (87 percent) and African American (11 percent). The proportion of Maryland's non-urban adult population who did not graduate from high school is in middle compared to other states, and the proportion who did graduate from college is relatively high (7th highest). The 7 percent of Maryland's non-urban population who are poor is the 6th lowest compared to all other states. About 38 percent of the state's non-urban population is in non-working age groups (27 percent 18 years or younger, and 11 percent 65 years or older).

Governmentally, Maryland has 23 counties, a fairly manageable number compared to many other states. The state also has 156 municipalities, but no towns or townships. This is the 10th lowest number of sub-county governments among all states. Maryland does not have any federally recognized Indian tribes.

In addition, the 1997 U.S. Census of Governments has identified five independent, special-purpose governments in Maryland that have transportation responsibilities. This number is lower than in many other states. These special-purpose governments are all for highways. Maryland also has 22 other public transit providers serving rural areas and at least an additional 47 organizations that provide specialized transit services to elderly and disabled populations in those same areas.

Maryland has 6 regional councils that cover 100 percent of the state, and 5 MPOs. These regional units help to coordinate the other local governments and play a role in rural transportation programs as described below.

Of Maryland's 29,172 miles of roads, approximately 19 percent are state-controlled, while less than 2 percent are federal. Of the total miles of non-federal rural roads, 22 percent are state, 73 percent are county, none are township, and 5 percent are municipal and other.

Processes For Consultation And Cooperation With Local Officials In Non-Metropolitan Areas

The Maryland Department of Transportation's (MDOT's) planning and programming process is multi-modal. MDOT develops a 20-year long-range plan, a six-year Comprehensive Transportation Program (CTP) and a three-year STIP.

Maryland's Smart Growth Policy, defined by the Governor and the State Legislature, relates transportation, land use, and economic development. This policy influences all aspects of transportation planning by guiding development to existing and planned communities. MDOT's consultative process, therefore, goes beyond the development of transportation plans and programs. It includes ongoing coordination between MDOT, the local planning agencies, and elected officials for transit and highway planning, as well as development planning.

In areas where planning or projects may impact National Parks, the U.S. Park Service is included in the consultative process. Additionally, the Governor has established the Maryland Coordinating Committee for Human Service Transportation, responsible for providing coordination among the many social service agencies and public sector transit providers. The Committee is directed by MDOT, which is a member, along with the Departments of Human Resources and of Health and Mental Hygiene, among others.

Maryland has 23 counties that are grouped into 7 State Highway Administration (SHA) construction and maintenance districts. Each district is managed by a District Engineer who maintains close contact with local elected officials and county planning and public works staffs. Within the Districts, a Resident Maintenance Engineer is also assigned to each county to assist the county with all their transportation planning and programming issues. The State Highway Administration also compiles and maintains a 20-year list of highway needs in each county. This Highway Needs Inventory of projects is developed in consultation with local elected officials and is updated every 2 years. The MDOT's Office of Planning and Capital Programming, in cooperation with the State Highway Administration, the Mass Transit Administration, the Maryland Transportation Authority, the Maryland Aviaition Administration, the Motor Vehicle Administration, and the Maryland Port Administration, provides multi-modal planning and coordination in both the metropolitan and rural areas of the state. Regional planners are assigned to these areas to provide technical assistance to local and county planning staffs.

Every year, MDOT works with local and state elected officials to identify priorities and projects to include in the draft CTP, which includes all the transportation projects proposed for all modes. Once the CTP is drafted, the Secretary of Transportation and MDOT's modal administrators conduct the Annual Consolidated Transportation Program Tour. They travel to all 23 counties in the state, plus Baltimore City, to present issues and proposals, and to solicit input on the draft from local officials, state legislators, and citizens. MDOT strives to achieve local consensus on priorities for the primary system. State and local elected officials also are encouraged to reach consensus on local priorities for the secondary highway program and to document these priorities in a Secondary Program Priority Letter to the Department of Transportation Secretary. These priorities become candidates for funding and inclusion in the CTP. The final CTP is presented to the General Assembly for approval. Elected officials in the legislature work with local elected officials to represent their constituencies.

Rural officials are represented in the transportation planning process in a variety of other ways. Rural officials are members of management committees and participate in study teams for different types of planning studies, such as feasibility studies and highway access control studies. MDOT also provides technical assistance to county and local staffs on a regular basis. Also, county and local officials participate in focus group meetings held while developing the statewide plan. In the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area, the rural counties adjacent to the MPO participate in MPO technical functions in a non-voting capacity.

Rural transportation is funded through the Consolidated Transportation Trust Fund, and all activities of the MDOT are supported by the Trust Fund. These activities include debt service, maintenance, operations, administration, and capital projects. All sources of funds (state, federal, local, corporate income taxes, operating revenues, and bond proceeds) are deposited in the Trust Fund, and disbursements for programs and projects are made from the Trust Fund. The allocation of funds to projects and programs is made in conjunction with state and local officials.

Certain Trust Fund revenues are shared with other state agencies and local governments, based on statutory requirements. For example, the funds in the Gasoline and Motor Vehicle Revenue Account are distributed 70 percent to MDOT and 30 percent to Baltimore City, the counties, and municipalities--based on motor vehicle registrations and road miles. MDOT, SHA, and related staff select recipients of competitive grants.

Maryland uses these practices:

State Consultation Tours: The Annual Consolidated Transportation Program Tour.
State Processes to Compile Transportation Needs: The State Highway Administration maintains a 20-year Highway Needs Inventory. A comprehensive Maryland Transit Plan has also been developed through a cooperative process that included officials from throughout the state, including rural areas.
Allocation of Transportation Funds and Responsibilities: Certain Trust Fund revenues are directly shared with Baltimore City, the counties, and municipalities.
Other Practices: SHA district engineers and planning staff and Mass Transit Administration planners maintain close contact with local elected officials and county planning and public works staffs. The most effective consultation practices tend to be the less formal, ongoing communications that take place on a frequent basis.

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