The Maryland State Department of Transportation and the Federal Railroad Administration have extended the public comment period for a high-speed rail project that would connect Washington, D.C., to Baltimore.
The Baltimore-Washington Superconducting Maglev Project’s public comment period will now run through May 24. This comes after the release of the environmental impact statement in late January.
Originally, the public comment period was scheduled to end April 22, giving concerned citizens 90 days. The agencies cited the coronavirus pandemic as the reason to extend the comment period by 32 days.
“MDOT thanks the Federal Railroad Administration for extending the time for public review of the SCMAGLEV DEIS,” said MDOT Secretary Greg Slater in a news release. “Maryland is continuing to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and this extension, combined with the schedule of three virtual public hearings, will ensure residents and other interested parties have additional opportunities to participate and offer input on this important proposal.”
The three public hearings are scheduled for Tuesday, April 6; Thursday, April 8; and Saturday, April 10.
Residents can sign up to provide live public testimony at one of the virtual hearings.
Concerned citizens can also offer comment by email or on the project’s website.