The loss of a key route to the Port of Baltimore is causing major delays and long detours on alternate routes.

Baltimore-area residents are still feeling the impacts of the March collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which, when open, carried more than 34,000 vehicles including over 3,000 commercial trucks per day.
In a piece for The Baltimore Banner, April Quevedo writes, “Trucks carrying hazardous materials that used the bridge to cross the harbor are now forced to go around the Beltway in the opposite direction (a 35-mile detour) due to cargo restrictions through Baltimore City traffic tunnels — though not all hazmat vehicle operators adhere to commodity restrictions.”
An analysis of traffic accident and congestion data reveals that “Baltimore-area traffic congestion along certain corridors of major highways has increased by at least 25% since the collapse of the Key Bridge,” with tunnels bearing the brunt of the impact. Northbound travel times in the Baltimore Harbor and Fort McHenry tunnels are up by 100 percent and 200 percent.
A representative from the MDTA told Capital News Service the agency “continues to ‘monitor commute times along the alternative routes, adjust signal timing when appropriate, and clear crashes from travel lanes as quickly as possible to mitigate congestion.’”
FULL STORY: Gridlock: Baltimore-area drivers continue to feel the impact of the Key Bridge collapse

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

North Texas Transit Leaders Tout Benefits of TOD for Growing Region
At a summit focused on transit-oriented development, policymakers discussed how North Texas’ expanded light rail system can serve as a tool for economic growth.

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Opinion: DC Encampment Sweeps Hide, but Don’t Solve, Homelessness
President Trump recently ordered the clearing of encampments built by unhoused people on federal land in Washington, D.C.

Santa Barbara Could Build Housing on County Land
County supervisors moved forward a proposal to build workforce housing on two county-owned parcels.

San Mateo Formally Opposes Freeway Project
The city council will send a letter to Caltrans urging the agency to reconsider a plan to expand the 101 through the city of San Mateo.
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