Maryland HB 9: Equity in Transportation Sector - Guidelines and Analyses

Bill Text

WES MOORE, Governor Ch. 583

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Chapter 583
(House Bill 9)

AN ACT concerning

Equity in Transportation Sector – Guidelines and Analyses

FOR the purpose of requiring that equity be considered when certain State transportation
plans, reports, and goals are developed; altering the membership of the advisory
committee on State transportation goals, benchmarks, and indicators; requiring the
Department of Transportation, in collaboration with the Maryland Transit
Administration, to conduct certain analyses and consult with certain communities
before announcing or proposing certain service changes; requiring the
Administration to take certain actions to avoid or minimize certain disparate
impacts or disproportionate burdens; requiring the Administration to compile a
report on the impacts of a proposed service change after holding a public hearing on
the proposed service change; requiring the Department, in collaboration with the
Administration, to conduct certain analyses and consult with certain communities
before announcing any reduction or cancellation of a capital expansion project in the
construction program of the Consolidated Transportation Program; requiring the
Administration to compile a report on the impacts of a proposed reduction or
cancellation of a capital expansion project in the construction program of the
Consolidated Transportation Program; and generally relating to equity in
transportation.

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Article – Transportation
Section 2–103.1(d), (h), and (j) and 7–101
Annotated Code of Maryland
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement)

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments,
Article – Transportation
Section 2–103.1(g) and (i)
Annotated Code of Maryland
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement)

BY adding to
Article – Transportation
Section 7–714 through 7–716
Annotated Code of Maryland
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND,
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

Ch. 583 2023 LAWS OF MARYLAND

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Article – Transportation

2–103.1.

(d) (1) The Maryland Transportation Plan shall:

[(1)] (I) Except as otherwise provided, be revised every 5 years through
an inclusive public participation process;

[(2)] (II) Include a 20–year forecast of State transportation needs, based
on the financial resources anticipated to be available to the Department during that
20–year period;

[(3)] (III) Be expressed in terms of the State transportation goals and
measures; and

[(4)] (IV) Include a summary of the types of projects and programs that are
proposed to accomplish the State transportation goals and measures, using a multi–modal
approach when feasible.

(2) BEGINNING WITH THE 2045 MARYLAND TRANSPORTATION PLAN,
THE DEPARTMENT SHALL CONSIDER WAYS TO ACHIEVE EQUITY IN THE
TRANSPORTATION SECTOR WHEN DEVELOPING THE STATE TRANSPORTATION
GOALS.

(g) Beginning with the year 2002 State Report on Transportation and continuing
thereafter, before the General Assembly considers the proposed Maryland Transportation
Plan and the proposed Consolidated Transportation Program, the Department shall submit
an annual report on the attainment of State transportation goals and benchmarks for the
approved and proposed Maryland Transportation Plan and the approved and proposed
Consolidated Transportation Program to the Governor and, subject to § 2–1257 of the State
Government Article, to the General Assembly.

(h) (1) The report required under subsection (g) of this section shall include:

(i) The establishment of certain measurable performance indicators
or benchmarks, in priority funding areas at a minimum, designed to quantify the State
transportation goals and measures specified in the Maryland Transportation Plan and §
2–103.7 of this subtitle; and

(ii) The degree to which the projects and programs contained in the
approved Maryland Transportation Plan and Consolidated Transportation Program attain
those goals and benchmarks as measured by the performance indicators or benchmarks.

WES MOORE, Governor Ch. 583

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(2) The Department shall include in its report measurable long–term goals,
and intermediate benchmarks of progress toward the attainment of the long–term goals,
for the following measurable transportation indicators:

(i) An increase in the share of total person trips for each of transit,
high occupancy auto, pedestrian, and bicycle modes of travel;

(ii) A decrease in indicators of traffic congestion as determined by
the Department; and

(iii) Any other performance goals established by the Department for
reducing automobile traffic and increasing the use of nonautomobile traffic.

(3) (I) BEGINNING WITH THE 2024 ATTAINMENT REPORT ON
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM PERFORMANCE, THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ADVISING
THE DEPARTMENT ON STATE TRANSPORTATION GOALS, BENCHMARKS, AND
INDICATORS SHALL RECOMMEND MEASURABLE TRANSPORTATION INDICATORS
THAT CAN BE EVALUATED FOR:

1. RACIAL AND ETHNIC DISPARITIES