Public hearings scheduled for June 16 and 18, 2009          
          
          
BALTIMORE, MD (June 5, 2009) Today, the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) and State Highway Administration (SHA) announced the release of the I-270/US 15 Multi-Modal Corridor Study Alternatives Analysis/Environmental Assessment (AA/EA) document for public review. The I-270/US 15 Multi-Modal project involves evaluating several combinations of transit and highway strategies to address congestion, improve safety, and increase mobility along the I-270/US 15 Corridor from the Shady Grove Metrorail Station (Montgomery County) to north of Biggs Ford Road (Frederick County). This project includes the Corridor Cities Transitway (CCT) project from the Shady Grove Metrorail Station to the COMSAT facility just south of Clarksburg. The public is invited to attend either of two public hearings scheduled for June 16 and 18, 2009.           
          
Public Hearing Sites          
Tuesday, June 16, 2009          
Montgomery County          
Gaithersburg Middle School          
2 Teachers Way          
Gaithersburg, MD 20877           
          
Thursday, June 18, 2009          
Frederick County          
Monocacy Middle School          
8009 Opossumtown Pike          
Frederick, MD 21702          
          
Schedule for Both Locations          
5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Review Maps and Displays          
          
Q&A with Project Team          
          
Public Testimony Registration          
Starting at 7:00 p.m. Public Testimony           
(Limited to 3 minutes per person)          
          
Private testimony will be taken by a court reporter from 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm at each hearing. Those wishing to speak at either public hearing should contact Mr. Russell Anderson at 410-545-8839, toll-free at 1-800-548-5026, or via e-mail at randerson2@sha.state.md.us. Please provide your name, street address, contact information, and specify at which hearing you would like to speak. The public is advised that they can review and comment on the AA/EA online at http://www.i270multimodalstudy.com/environmental-studies/aaea/34 or view the printed document at several locations. The MTA and SHA will accept comments for the public record on the AA/EA through July 31, 2009.          
          
Background and Additional Information:          
The AA/EA document serves as a companion to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) that was issued in 2002. The DEIS included five alternatives for the highway improvements, and three alternatives for the CCT. The purpose of an AA document is to evaluate the costs and benefits of a range of transportation alternatives designed to address a specific transportation purpose and need for a specific transportation corridor. The information presented is intended to support decision-making on a preferred investment strategy to take into more detailed study and development.           
          
For general information on MTA service, visit the MTA website at www.mtamaryland.com. Customers can also call the MTA Transit Information Center Monday through Friday from 6 A.M. to 7 P.M. at 410-539-5000 (TTY 410-539-3497) or 866-RIDE-MTA. To sign-up to receive email about service modifications and delays, go to www.mtamaryland.com and click “Email Notification.”          
          
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