Highlights State’s Economic Turnaround, Priorities For Regional Leaders
Decrying “Soul Crushing Traffic,” Presses For Regional Traffic Relief Plan to Fix
American Legion Bridge and Capital Beltway
ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan today delivered the keynote address at the Greater Washington Board of Trade’s annual meeting to discuss Maryland’s economic turnaround and shared priorities for regional leaders—including advancing the state’s Traffic Relief Plan for the American Legion Bridge and the Capital Beltway.
Watch.
“When we took office in 2015, Maryland was simply not pulling its weight in the region and we immediately put Maryland on a new path with a new mission to be unabashedly pro-business, pro-jobs, and pro-innovation,” said Governor Hogan. “Making ‘Maryland Open for Business’ was not just a slogan we placed on road signs—it became our mission and it marked a sea of change in how the state operated and how it interacted with the business community.”
Economic Development Success Stories. The governor shared some major economic development success stories in the greater Washington region over the last eight years, including
- Expanding Marriott’s presence in Montgomery County, including a state-of-the-art headquarters in downtown Bethesda
- Historic investments in the Blue Line Corridor in Prince George’s County
- Keeping McCormick in Maryland, and expanding the company’s presence in the state—including its largest distribution site in the world
- Bringing Hitachi Rail to Hagerstown, where it will build the next generation of Metro cars
- Building a logistics and distribution powerhouse at Tradepoint Atlantic
- Diversifying the state’s economy with a focus on cyber, life sciences, and quantum technology
“The ongoing soul-crushing traffic and congestion is the single biggest threat to the economic competitiveness of the region,” said Governor Hogan. “With the board’s help, we are moving forward with an historic and transformative Traffic Relief Plan to deliver a new American Legion Bridge across the Potomac connecting Maryland and Virginia and making upgrades to the Capital Beltway, 495, and I-270 to break the back of the second-worst traffic congestion in America. I know that in the months to come, we can count on the Board of Trade to continue pushing for this generational and transformative project to get done once and for all.”
Long-Term Priorities. During his remarks, the governor discussed long-term priorities that require the ongoing attention of the region’s leaders:
- Addressing traffic congestion. Governor Hogan detailed the state’s record investments in roads and transit, including solutions to address the congestion in the Capital Region. He called on the Board of Trade to continue to press for the Traffic Relief Plan to fix the American Legion Bridge and the Capital Beltway, which has received final federal approval from the Biden administration—putting the region the closest it has ever been to addressing this generational challenge.
- Bringing more skilled workers into the workforce. Governor Hogan highlighted the state’s focus on workforce development, including becoming the first state to remove the four-year degree requirement for state jobs, and launching a program to provide incentives to hire and retain construction workers to meet the demands of federal and state infrastructure initiatives.
- Re-investing in public safety. Governor Hogan stressed the need for state and local governments to continue to invest in police and public safety, as Maryland did with its $500 million Re-Fund The Police Initiative.
Governor Hogan thanked the Board of Trade for its partnership and support of administration initiatives over the last eight years, presenting a citation to Jack McDougle, the organization’s president and CEO, and Keith Hennessey, outgoing chair of the board.
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