ANNAPOLIS, MD—As part of his Fiscal Year 2025 budget proposal, Governor Wes Moore this week announced the one-year restoration of $150 million in funding to address transportation needs across the state.
The proposed funding will enable restoration of previously planned reductions to the Maryland Department of Transportation’s budget for one year and will continue to drive the Moore-Miller Administration’s commitment to building more equitable and sustainable prospects for economic growth and mobility forward.
“This is a season of discipline, and our choices must reflect our priorities. Our budget helps grow our economy and our transportation budget is essential to that mission,” said Gov. Moore. “By providing a critical funding bridge, we’re helping Maryland’s working families continue to have access to places where they work, places where they learn, and other essential destinations. We appreciate the partnership and leadership shown by so many on the local level who worked with us to make their concerns heard.”
After releasing its draft capital program in September 2023 that revealed a $2.1 billion deficit, the department visited Baltimore City and each county to discuss transportation priorities. In December 2023, the department published an Overview of the Final Fiscal Year 2024 – 2029 capital program, which showed the deficit had grown to $3.3 billion. The December Overview previewed the reductions necessary to close the shortfall in the department’s six-year capital program, as required by law.
The Moore-Miller Administration continued to engage with stakeholders across the state to learn more about the impact of potential transportation budget reductions, hearing directly from the community about concerns related to disruption in critical services. As a result, Governor Moore determined to commit $150 million in general funds on a one-time basis to help relieve pressure in Fiscal Year 2025 on the state’s Transportation Trust Fund.
With this infusion of $150 million, MDOT commits to funding:
- $52 million to fully restore Highway User Revenue funding;
- $26 million to fully restore Locally Operated Transit System operating grants;
- $28 million in Maryland Transit Administration commuter bus funding to maintain service on the highest ridership routes;
- $15 million for critical state of good repair needs at the Maryland Transit Administration to meet the required funding levels under the Transit Safety and Investment Act;
- $10 million in State Highway Administration highway mowing and litter removal funding to maintain our roadways and our communities;
- $8 million in MARC Brunswick Line operating resources to maintain service frequencies to West Virginia and to launch a new mid-day service pilot;
- $5 million in MDOT-wide information technology and cybersecurity upgrades;
- $4 million in Motor Vehicle Administration operating dollars to maintain branch hours and keep open limited-service branches; and
- $2 million in Maryland Aviation Administration priority contractual services to retain key operations at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport.
“Thanks to Governor Moore’s leadership, we will be able to restore funding for next year to some of our most vital transportation services,” said Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld. “These resources will benefit Marylanders in rural, urban, and suburban areas, making sure that MDOT is able to provide for the residents who depend on these programs the most.”
