Commuters Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Bypass Project In Eastern Panhandle To Ease Traffic Flow For Part Of Morgan County, Bolster Region’s Economy

A heavily trafficked road in the Eastern Panhandle is going to expand to help drivers and commuters get to their destinations faster and safer.

The Berkeley Springs Bypass project will stretch a little more than three miles from south of Winchester Grade Road to Martinsburg Road in Morgan County.

This new road will allow vehicles to bypass US Route 522, which sees a current traffic volume of 13,400 vehicles per day. Approximately 30 percent of those vehicles are trucks, according to Gov. Jim Justice, who made the announcement over the weekend in Berkeley Springs.

“This project will alleviate traffic congestion, enhance safety, and increase roadway capacity along the US 522 corridor,” Justice said. “There’s a lot of people putting in a lot of good licks to make these things happen.”

The project is part of the governor’s Roads to Prosperity initiative, which is in its third year. The bond program has seen $1 billion in major infrastructure improvement projects to-date.

The contract for the new bypass project in Morgan County was awarded to the Trumbull Corp. with a bid of $59.8 million.

The project will create a four-lane highway with a diamond interchange at the intersection of West Virginia Route 9. It includes construction of three bridges – one mainline bridge and one overpass bridge – and three new at-grade intersections.

“This project is important for human safety,” said West Virginia Sen. Charlie Trump, R-Morgan, at the event. “It’s going to be a great project for Morgan County, and for the safety of the people of West Virginia and people from all over the United States who drive this highway.”

Another Morgan County lawmaker, West Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Pro Tempore Daryl Cowles, R-Morgan, was also at the event. Cowles said the new bypass will do more than make a safer highway.

“It’s great to have a safe highway, it’s great to have the trucks out of downtown [Berkley Springs] for the tourism industry, but let’s not forget that this will change people’s lives,” Cowles said. “It will lift and raise the boats of home budgets and the prosperity of regular citizens everyday.”

The eastern edge of the Eastern Panhandle, consisting of Morgan, Berkeley and Jefferson counties, has seen massive growth in population in the past decade. Berkeley County alone from 2010 to 2018 saw more than 1,500 new people each year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

But population growth also means heavier traffic and more upkeep of roads.

In an interview with West Virginia Public Broadcasting last year, the state Division of Highways said to adequately fund the state’s road needs, West Virginia would need at least $2.4 billion every year, which is twice what the state sees on average annually for road needs.

According to the state DOH, West Virginia has the sixth-largest transportation system in the country based on the number of miles of road in the state. The state has 36,000 miles of roadway largely maintained by the Division of Highways.

Only 14,000 miles of roadway in West Virginia are eligible for federal dollars, according to the DOH. The rest must come from state tax dollars like tolls, DMV fees and gasoline taxes.

In an emailed statement to West Virginia Public Broadcasting, Sandy Hamilton, the executive director of the development authority in Berkeley County – which is the county that neighbors Morgan and often feeds into Morgan’s traffic congestion – said the bypass project will benefit the entire Eastern Panhandle.

“The Berkeley Springs Bypass project benefits our entire region, and particularly from an economic development standpoint,” Hamilton said. “Infrastructure improvements of this magnitude enhance and encourage our ability to more effectively market our attributes.”

Gov. Justice Announces Agreement To Fund MARC Train In W.Va.'s Eastern Panhandle

Gov. Jim Justice has agreed to provide the remaining funding Maryland officials requested to keep the Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) in the Eastern Panhandle at its current service. The governor is also hopeful to expand the service to promote tourism in the region.

After months of uncertainty, Gov. Jim Justice, along with Eastern Panhandle municipalities, have pulled together the remaining $2.3 million to keep the MARC train running in West Virginia at six trains per weekday.

The announcement was made Thursday at a press conference at the Martinsburg Train Station.

The $2.3 million joins $1.1 million the West Virginia Legislature already provided during the 2019 session.

The governor said in a press release that he’s grateful to everyone who worked together to provide the funding needed to “keep this vital connection between our state and Washington D.C. alive.”

Gov. Justice and West Virginia leaders are in ongoing contract negotiations with the Maryland Transit Administration to reach a multi-year agreement.

The governor has also directed Tourism Commissioner Chelsea Ruby to research and pursue increasing tourism-related MARC train ridership in West Virginia.

MARC Funding Deadline Passes, Maryland Keeps Current Service In W.Va. For Now

Nov. 30 was the deadline for West Virginia to provide $2.3 million to the Maryland Department of Transportation to keep the Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) at its current service. Otherwise, the service in West Virginia would be reduced from six trains per weekday to two.

But it’s unclear if an agreement was reached.

In an emailed statement to West Virginia Public Broadcasting, the Maryland Transit Administration said that MARC is still operating normally in West Virginia, and they would not “implement any change in service without first issuing a 30-day notice.”

The MTA also stated that they remain open to discussions with the West Virginia Rail Authority on “any concerns regarding the proposed service change.”

During the 2019 state Legislative session, Maryland requested $3.4 million to keep the MARC service in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle, and the Legislature agreed to fund $1.1 million. In August, Maryland announced they would reduce service unless the remaining amount was paid.

In October, Gov. Jim Justice told local municipalities in Jefferson and Berkeley Counties that if they managed to come up with $300,000, his office would fund the remaining $2 million. But, only about $260,000 was pulled together before the Nov. 30 deadline.

The Governor’s office did not respond to requests for comment before this story was published.

In Morgan County, the Economic Development Authority approved a resolution last week asking Maryland to extend MARC service into Morgan County as a possible funding solution.

The Morgan County EDA cited increased ridership opportunities, increased revenues and increased job opportunities as a few of the benefits of expansion.

Executive Director Daryl Cowles, who’s also a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, said they haven’t received a response from Maryland or Gov. Justice on this proposal.

Currently, the MARC train only serves two counties in West Virginia: Berkeley and Jefferson.

Today, at least 250 West Virginians commute to work using the MARC train during the week, according to the Maryland Transit Administration. It’s been serving West Virginia commuters living in the Eastern Panhandle since the 1970s, but West Virginia has largely never paid for the service except through tickets and upkeep of its West Virginia stations.

Future Of MARC Commuter Train In Eastern Panhandle Still Uncertain

Local municipalities in the Eastern Panhandle have come together to provide some funding for the Maryland Area Regional Commuter, or MARC train, but it remains unclear if it will be enough to keep the service in West Virginia.

On Tuesday, the Shepherdstown Town Council approved $2,800 toward funding the MARC train service.

Shepherdstown’s contribution joins seven others made by local municipalities in the area. Those eight entities — Shepherdstown, Ranson, Charles Town, Harpers Ferry, Bolivar, Martinsburg, the Berkeley County Council, and the Jefferson County Commission — collectively agreed in October to pull together a one-time amount of $300,000 to put toward keeping MARC in the area through this fiscal year.

During the 2019 West Virginia Legislative session, Maryland requested $3.4 million to keep the MARC service in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle. The Legislature agreed to fund $1.1 million.

Maryland accepted that at the time, but then in August, announced there would be a reduction in MARC service in West Virginia if the entire amount was not paid by Nov. 4. Recently, that deadline was extended to the end of the month.

Shepherdstown, W.Va. Mayor Jim Auxer addresses attendees at the Shepherdstown Town Council’s Nov. 12, 2019 meeting. The council voted to approve $2,800 toward keeping the MARC train service.

At least 250 West Virginians ride the MARC train, daily throughout the work week, according to the Maryland Transit Authority. Eastern Panhandle state lawmakers argue, however, that number is between 300 and 400.

Finding A Funding Fix For MARC In W.Va.

The $300,000 contribution from local communities in the Eastern Panhandle is part of a larger funding fix.

According to Chief of Staff Mike Hall, the Justice administration agreed to fund the remaining $2 million Maryland is requesting if local entities came up with $300,000.

The plan is a short-term fix that will hopefully lead to a permanent funding solution, said Del. John Doyle, a Democrat from Jefferson County, who attended the Shepherdstown Town Council meeting this week

“If we’re gonna have a long-term plan, we have to save it in the short run,” he said. “And the only way to save it in the short run was to come up with enough money so that the governor said, yes we’ll do it.”

While the eight municipalities have raised most of the required $300,000, the Jefferson County Commission only provided $40,000, or half of its share, according to Doyle.

In an emailed statement from the Jefferson County Commission, Commission President Patricia Noland said the MARC train funding was an “unbudgeted expense.” She said funding came from a contingency fund, and their contribution was all the commission felt it could afford.

In a phone conversation with Del. Eric Householder, chairman of the House Finance Committee, he said he’s hopeful the governor will support the MARC service despite not having a total amount of $300,000 from local entities, and he said, going forward, a solution for MARC has to be found.

“I think it’s imperative that we increase the ridership,” Householder said. “That’s the number one goal, I believe, for the MARC train to be sustainable for us here in the Eastern Panhandle.”

Moving forward, Householder said having local municipalities take on some of the costs each year should be part of the overall budget for MARC in West Virginia. He argues, this will make it easier to secure funding from the Legislature if other lawmakers see Eastern Panhandle entities paying part of the bill.

Del. Doyle, however, disagrees and feels the cost should fall on the state. He argues many other major public transportation systems in other states are paid for completely by their state legislatures and not local municipalities.

West Virginia Public Broadcasting reached out to the governor’s office to ask if Gov. Justice would still be willing to fund the MARC train, despite the current shortfall. A spokesperson said they do not have a statement at this time.

West Virginia has until Nov. 30 to provide the remaining funding request to Maryland, otherwise, the service to West Virginia will be reduced from six trains per day to two.

Hundreds Attend Public Hearing On MARC Train, Ask To Give W.Va. More Time

A few hundred people attended a public hearing in Charles Town over the weekend regarding the future of the MARC train service, or Maryland Area Regional Commuter, in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle. Maryland is asking West Virginia to either foot the bill or see a reduction in service.

The MARC train, based in Maryland, has six trains that service West Virginia every weekday. It’s been serving West Virginia commuters living in the Eastern Panhandle since the 1970s, but West Virginia has largely never paid for the service. Ridership over the years has declined, but an estimated 250 West Virginians use the train daily, according to the Maryland Transit Administration, or MTA.

The MTA is requesting $3.4 million from West Virginia or it will cut four of those six trains starting on Nov. 4.

Del. John Doyle, D-Jefferson, said many at the hearing want the MTA to give West Virginia at least one more year to find the money and keep the service as it is.

“If it is cut back, some people would probably lose their jobs. Many people would in fact clog the highways with even more cars than there are now,” Doyle said.

Sen. Finance Chairman Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, said the MARC train is a positive for West Virginia, and he agrees that more time would be helpful to sort out the situation, however, he said he thinks it is unlikely the MTA will give that additional time.

Blair urges local municipalities and stakeholders to work together to find a local funding solution to keep the train service running.

“They need to actually help, too, and that’s where the money could potentially come from,” he said.

Blair also said he feels the West Virginia State Rail Authority should collect a “true” headcount of West Virginia riders. Blair and other officials argue there are more riders than the 250 claimed by the MTA.

Maryland Department of Transportation MTA will accept written comments through Oct. 7. Comments can be sent by mail emailed to HearingComments@mdot.maryland.gov.

During this public comment period, the agency said it is open to discussions with the West Virginia Rail Authority regarding the proposed changes.

MARC Train Service in W.Va. Chugs On, But an Uncertain Future Lies Ahead

The MARC Train, or Maryland Area Regional Commuter, serves about 250 West Virginians who live in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties.

The train has been serving the area for more than 30 years, but Maryland has always paid the bills. West Virginia was only responsible for upkeep of its three West Virginia stations.

Recently, that changed.

For the last two years, Maryland has requested a little more than $3 million in funding – otherwise, they’d end the service into West Virginia.

Below is an extended version of this interview:

In 2018, the West Virginia Legislature secured $1.5 million, and Maryland accepted it. This year, lawmakers successfully put $1.1 million in the budget, but it’s unclear if Maryland will accept the offer.

West Virginia Public Broadcasting spoke with Del. Paul Espinosa, R-Jefferson, the House Majority Whip and member of the House Finance Committee, to discuss the future of MARC in West Virginia.