Two Kids, Mom Flown from Wreck
Gov. Ehrlich's Administration opposes commuter rail for Southern Maryland

WALDORF ---  Another crash shut down Rt. 5, the Southern Maryland region's single most traveled highway from Charles County to St. Mary's County, on Wednesday afternoon resulting in two children and their mother being flown to shock trauma units.
The Maryland State Police Med-Evac helicopter Trooper Two, based at Andrews Air Force Base, along with the United States Park Police Eagle One, arrived first at the crash site on Rt. 5 between Billingsly Road and Rt. 488 at about 5:30 pm.  Soon thereafter rescue personnel on the scene decided to call in Trooper Seven from St. Mary's County Airport.

Route 5 is closed almost weekly with crashes taking place at Hughesville, Charlotte Hall and Bryantown on an almost rotating basis.  The Ehrlich Administration recently announced a plan to go ahead with construction of a bypass of Hughesville instead of funnelling funds to commuter rail service. 

A railroad right of way which used to take freight and passenger cars to the Patuxent River Naval Air Station from the beginning of WWII and up until the 1950's is owned by the St. Mary's County Commissioners, a gift from the federal government as surplus property.

Sen. Roy Dyson (D. Charles, St. Mary's, Calvert) sponsored a bill which passed the General Assembly which mandated that the State Department of Transportation conduct a feasiblity study of preserving the railroad right of way for future commuter rail use.  The study concluded that the future growth in Southern Maryland was increasing at such a rate as to make commuter rail a vital part of the region's infrastructure and all efforts should be taken to preserve the railroad right of way for that purpose with strict limitations on any encroachments.

Ehrlich Administration Transportation Secretary Robert Flanagan opposes any commuter rail for the region and St. Mary's Commissioner President Tommy McKay (R. Hollywood) told ST. MARY'S TODAY that commuter rail just doesn't pay for itself, citing MARC service elsewhere in Maryland.  McKay's self-elevation as a transportation expert belies his known experience as a grocery story manager.

Dyson and Sen. Thomas "Mac" Middleton (D. Charles) sponsored a bill in the General Assembly last session calling for a blue ribbon transportation study group for the region but the bill died in the House.  Sen. Middleton told ST. MARYS TODAY in September that he will introduce the bill again in this coming session in January.