Greater Baltimore Committee makes BRAC a priority

The Greater Baltimore Committee announced in a press release today that it is making BRAC issues a priority for 2007:

"Setting up streamlined budgeting and planning processes to address looming growth in central Maryland related to federal base realignment and closure (BRAC) are among the Greater Baltimore Committee's top priorities for the 2007 General Assembly session."

"To prepare for BRAC growth, the GBC is urging that the state budget include a line item for BRAC-related projects and that state agencies implement an expedited planning and approval process for such projects. The GBC also proposes updating and funding the state's Consolidated Transportation Plan to "fully integrate the road and transit projects that are needed for BRAC," according to a priorities list issued today by the GBC."

The Greater Baltimore Committee is a group of business and civic leaders who work to help shape policy in the region.

Anticipated BRAC traffic woes came up today as well in the local Aegis BRAC "report." The Aegis asked a collection of local folks whether they knew what BRAC was. County Executive David Craig had a good handle on it. Local residents, not so much. What was a bit enlightening was the across-the-board concern people are expressing about traffic issues. In just a few years, tens of thousands of workers are going to be hitting the highways on their way to Aberdeen Proving Ground, Fort Meade and all the other contracting and other businesses that will support these bases. While we may not have hard numbers on which to base housing needs or school needs we can bet that we're all likely to be tied up in traffic.