Sample Letter

March 1, 2004

Joan Q. Public
10000 Longmead Crossing Dr.
Silver Spring, MD 20906

Del. FROM YOUR DISTRICT
84 College Ave.
Annapolis, MD 21401

Dear Del. FROM YOUR DISTRICT,

I am writing to you to express my concern about the proposed Intercounty Connector. As a resident of Longmead Crossing in Silver Spring, I am particularly concerned about the effect the highway would have on our community, because Corridor 1 (the Master Plan route) would literally bisect my neighborhood. In order to get to the playing field, swimming pool, and clubhouse, half of the residents would have to cross a bridge over the highway. If the ICC were constructed here, it would undoubtedly cause increased air and noise pollution and would decrease the quality of life for all of us who live here.

I am also opposed to construction of the highway on any other alignment, because the effects would be the same on any community through which it would be built. The highway would also cause serious damage to parkland and wetlands, destroying habitats for animal and plant life. There is no way such a highway could be built in an environmentally friendly way, because storm water running off the road would contain pollutants that would devastate wetlands below.

All of this would be bad enough, but the whole story is even more disturbing. The cost of the highway will likely be close to $3 billion, at a time when budgets are tight and funds are limited for such priorities as schools and public transit. The financing plan would require the state to pay back the debt from the ICC with money from the federal government that is intended for transportation projects. This would mean that less money would be available for traffic solutions that work. And previous studies have shown that the ICC will not work! It will not substantially relieve traffic on I-270, I-95, or the Beltway, and people will be driving more miles than they would without the highway. How can we hope to solve our air pollution problem if we are encouraging people to drive more?

For all these reasons, I strongly urge you to oppose the Intercounty Connector and vote against its construction. We could then focus our efforts on modern solutions to the sprawl and traffic that we currently experience, such as improving transit, upgrading existing roads, and doing everything we can to encourage the development of sensible communities, where people won't have to drive long distances to get to work.

Thank you for your consideration of this important issue.

Sincerely,

Joan Q. Public