NEW DEMOCRATS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY SUPPORTS INTERCOUNTY CONNECTOR

For Immediate Release

June 18, 1997

CONTACT: Steve Arabia

301-294-9157

New Democrats of Montgomery County (NDMC) today announced its support for the construction of an Intercounty Connector, a multi-modal transportation improvement to help address traffic needs between I-270 near Rockville and Gaithersburg and I-95/US 1 near Laurel.

"Our members believe that the need for an east-west transportation facility is clear," said Jerry Pasternak, President of NDMC. "Four federal agencies -- the Federal Highway Administration, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Environmental Protection Agency -- have all concurred in the need for an east-west transportation link. There is a need to relieve congestion on neighborhood roads that were never intended to handle the volume and type of traffic that they now carry. And we must be prepared for future growth in the eastern part of Montgomery County -- by 2020, this area will see an increase of 58,300 households and 158,000 employees."

The resolution passed by NDMC noted that an east-west transportation facility has been in various master plans since 1950. "The location and character of the planned facility have changed over the years, but all of the master plans have retained the notion of an east-west link in this area," Pasternak said. "We are courting disaster if we don't do something to relieve congestion and connect, in an environmentally responsible manner, the I-270 and I-95 corridors, as well as the existing and planned development areas between and within these corridors."

NDMC was formed to provide within the County's Democratic Party a voice for moderate Democrats and to help move the Party back to the mainstream. The group is based on the principles of the Democratic Leadership Council, a national organization formed in 1985. NDMC was officially chartered by the Montgomery County Democratic Party in December 1996.

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To see the full text of the NDMC resolution, click here.

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