The Baltimore-DC Building Trades unions released a poll by the Democratic research and strategy firm GBAO finding widespread support (57%-36%) among Montgomery County voters along the route included in the I-270/I-495/American Legion Bridge traffic relief proposal supported by Governor Larry Hogan and other elected officials.
Additionally, two-thirds of voters (66%-33%) cited the project’s economic impact as a convincing reason to support the plan when read the statement: “This project alone would provide an estimated $3.7 billion boost to the Maryland economy and 7,500 new, well-paying jobs in construction and other industries – including union jobs with benefits.”
“As President Joe Biden pushes ahead with his bipartisan plan to create millions of new middle-class jobs by rebuilding America’s infrastructure, this project in Montgomery County offers our best hope in Maryland to quickly put thousands of Building Trades members to work,” said Baltimore-DC Building Trades President Stephen Courtien. “Our members and most families in the Capital region waste too many hours stuck in traffic. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to address that problem and put men and women back to work after a very tough year.”
Even after more than a year in which the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily reduced congestion, 70% of Montgomery County voters along the route consider traffic on I-495 a serious problem and 69% say the same about traffic on I-270.
In asking 600 adults the question below, GBAO found that 57% support this proposal while only 36% oppose.
“There is currently a proposal to create a public-private partnership with a private company to rebuild and widen the American Legion Bridge with new toll lanes and add toll lanes on the Beltway from the bridge to I-270. The project would be at no net cost to taxpayers, and the new toll lanes would be in addition to the current free lanes. Carpoolers and transit buses could use the new toll lanes for free. Do you support or oppose this proposed plan for the American Legion Bridge and I-270?”
The Baltimore-D.C. Building Trades is the Local Affiliate of North America’s Building Trades Unions that supports the 28 local unions in the greater Baltimore/Washington, DC/Northern Virginia region – which represent thousands of skilled craft professionals in the building and construction industry.
