Latest news with #MarylandTransportationAuthority
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maryland signs on to two more lawsuits against Trump administration
Cars pass under a toll-collecting gantry on the Intercounty Connector, one of the toll facilities operated by the Maryland Transportation Authority. (Photo courtesy the Maryland Transportation Authority) Maryland went back to court against the Trump administration again Tuesday, saying an administration plan to withhold funds from states that do not comply with White House immigration policy amounts to a 'grant-funding hostage scheme.' Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown was one of 20 Democratic attorneys general who filed the lawsuits in U.S. District Court for Rhode Island against the departments of Transportation and Homeland Security. Both suits say the administration does not have authority to withhold funds and that the lawsuits aim 'to prevent the Trump Administration from trying to strong-arm them [states] into participating in federal immigration enforcement by threatening to cut off billions of dollars' in funding. One suit names the U.S. Department of Transportation and Secretary Sean Duffy, and the other names the Coast Guard, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S Department of Homeland Security and Secretary Kristi Noem. Brown has already led or joined more than two dozen suits and amicus briefs since President Donald Trump was sworn into office Jan. 20. His office joined three last week along, including one that said the administration illegally withheld about $3 billion in previously approved funds for electric-vehicle infrastructure. Trump orders list of 'sanctuary cities' to target for funding freeze The suits filed Tuesday said Maryland received more than $42 million in federal money from FEMA last year, and that the state typically receives more than $1 billion a year in federal funding for transportation infrastructure, the state annually receives at least $1 billion. 'Our message on these lawsuits is straightforward: Maryland law, as passed by the General Assembly in 2021, clearly recognizes the federal government's primary role in immigration enforcement while setting limits on state and local cooperation,' Brown said in a statement. 'The Attorney General joined this action because the federal government is attempting to force Maryland to act against its own laws.' On his first day in office Jan. 20, President Donald Trump (R) signed an executive order to direct the Homeland Security secretary go after so-called 'sanctuary' cities and states that allegedly protect immigrants. Administration officials were not backing down from those positions in the face of Tuesday's lawsuits. 'The President has been clear on that,' Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs with Homeland Security, said in an emailed statement Tuesday. 'Under Secretary Noem's leadership, DHS is working to end violations of federal immigration law and remove criminal illegal aliens from American communities.' McLaughlin continued: 'Radical sanctuary politicians need to put the safety of the American people first—not criminal illegal aliens. The Trump Administration is committed to restoring the rule of law. No lawsuit, not this one or any other, is going to stop us from doing that.' Duffy, in a prepared statement released by his office Tuesday, said the '20 states are challenging the terms of their grant agreements because their officials want to continue breaking Federal law and putting the needs of illegal aliens above their own citizens.' 'No funding has been withheld,' his statement said. 'What my Department has done is remind grant recipients that by accepting federal funds, they are required to adhere to federal laws. But Gov. Wes Moore (D) backed Brown on the lawsuits, and said the state will continue to defend itself against 'any threat.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE 'By forcing states to divert limited resources from protecting local communities, we stand to compromise the significant progress we have made on public safety over the last several years — including some of the most impressive crime drops in the entire country,' Moore said. 'The bottom line is this: threatening our security and transportation funding creates unnecessary risks, makes us less able to respond to disasters, and makes us less safe,' he said. The suit against Homeland Security claims it's forcing states to use 'scarce' law enforcement and other state resources to follow federal civil immigration enforcement. The DOT suit cites an April 24 letter from Duffy that requires all federal funding recipients cooperate in enforcing federal immigration law. The lawsuit said states 'would be unable to obtain compensation for the harms they would suffer as a consequence of an abrupt and unlawful denial of funding. The unlawful condition also inflicts additional irreparable harm on the States by infringing their sovereign rights, damaging public trust, and harming public safety.'
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Rating agency downgrades outlook on Maryland Transportation Authority bonds
Cars pass under a toll-collecting gantry on the Intercounty Connector, one of toll facilities operated by the Maryland Transportation Authority. Such gantries have replaced toll booths on the state's toll roads. (Photo courtesy the Maryland Transportation Authority) A key bond rating agency has issued a negative outlook for outstanding revenue bonds issued by the Maryland Transportation Authority, amid uncertainty surrounding the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Standard & Poor's reaffirmed the authority's AA- bond rating, but in an April 25 report downgraded its outlook from stable to negative and warned of the potential for future changes. 'The outlook revision to negative reflects our view that there is at least a one-in-three chance we could lower the rating within the two-year outlook if potential project cost escalations and uncertain timing of future federal reimbursements weaken the authority's ability to sustain financial metrics at levels comparable with those of peers as it finances the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge and its $5.1 billion capital improvement program,' S&P Global Ratings credit analyst Andrew Stafford said in a statement. The Standard & Poor's announcement warned: 'We could lower the rating if actual financial performance trends negatively, and is materially weaker than currently forecast due to construction cost escalations, project delays, or softening demand.' 'We do not anticipate raising the rating over the two-year outlook period, given MDTA's relatively high debt burden and additional borrowing plans,' the credit rating agency said. Currently, the authority has $2.1 billion in outstanding debt. In fiscal 2026, which begins in July, that amount is expected to 'increase significantly' to $2.6 billion, according to an analysis by the Department of Legislative Services. Outstanding debt is projected to increase to $3.3 billion in fiscal 2027, before peaking at $3.8 billion in fiscal years 2029 and 2030 — an amount just under the authority's statutory borrowing cap, according to the legislative analysis from February. New Key Bridge design highlights both 'triumph' and 'tragedy' a year after collapse Bond ratings determine the interest rate governments pay on money borrowed for buildings, roads and other infrastructure projects. Lower ratings ultimately cost governments – and taxpayers —more. Revenue bonds issued by the authority are separate from the state's general obligation bond borrowing. A year ago, Moody's reaffirmed the state's coveted AAA rating on general obligation bonds but downgraded its outlook from stable to negative, citing concerns about looming structural deficits driven by programs including the Blueprint for Maryland's Future education reforms. In March, Moody's issued another report citing concerns about cuts to federal employment and other concerns. The firm said Maryland is at greatest risk from those cuts. Moody's, along with Standard & Poor's and Fitch are all expected to meet with state officials this month. From those meetings, the three agencies will issue updated annual bond ratings in advance of a scheduled June bond sale. There are rumblings in corners of Annapolis about a potential downgrade of the state's creditworthiness from one or more of the rating agencies. The state has held the coveted 'triple, triple-A' rating for more than three decades. Maryland got its first triple-A rating from Standard & Poor's in 1961, followed by Moody's 12 years later and Fitch in 1993. The authority operates eight toll facilities including the Fort McHenry and Harbor tunnels, the Bay Bridge, the Gov. Harry W. Nice/Sen. Thomas 'Mac' Middleton Bridge and the Intercounty Connector. It also operated the Key Bridge and is in charge of its replacement. Tolls charged by the authority at those facilities are pledged to repay its borrowing. A Maryland Transportation Authority spokesperson, in an emailed statement said the agency will continue to meet its debt payment obligations. 'The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) recognizes that the negative ratings outlook reflects the uncertainty associated with a mega project the size of the Key Bridge Rebuild and uncertain timing of when federal funding will be received,' the spokesperson wrote. 'Despite the loss of the Key Bridge and temporary loss of associated revenues, the MDTA expects to remain in compliance with all board directed financial policies and trust agreement covenants.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE The negative outlook comes a year after the catastrophic collapse of the bridge. The span over the Patapsco collapsed after a pier was struck by the Dali, a fully laden 984-foot cargo vessel that lost power. Six people working on the bridge died in the incident. The allision remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. 'The State of Maryland continues to pursue the DALI's owner and manager for all the damages caused by their negligence and incompetence – including the cost to reconstruct the Francis Scott Key Bridge – so that the parties responsible for this tragedy pay for the damages they caused,' the MdTA spokesperson wrote. 'The American Relief Act, 2025, provides that if any additional funds are required to build the new bridge beyond the compensation paid by the DALI, the federal government will provide that funding.' Those federal lawsuits are complicated and ongoing. Final resolution could take years of litigation. Standard and Poor's issued a bond opinion immediately following the incident. In that opinion, the bond rating agency said 'disruption and damage from the recent collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge … is not expected to have immediate credit implications for its ratings' on the authority, Baltimore City or the state. 'However, the long-term financial impact, particularly for MDTA, will likely be unknown for some time,' according to the Standard & Poor's 2024 opinion. Moody's ratings issued its own updated opinion that same month. In it, the agency downgraded the authority's outlook from stable to negative on $2.2 billion in outstanding debt. The company cited 'uncertainty around the Francis Scott Key Bridge's … replacement project's costs, including their funding, and timing. Any negative impact from the replacement project would be on top of financial metrics that were expected to narrow from capital investments prior to the loss of the bridge.' Maryland officials mark one year since collapse of Key Bridge A replacement is expected to cost at least $1.7 billion. Officials hope to complete the new span by 2028. State officials continue to rely on promises of full federal funding for a replacement made by then-President Joseph Biden (D) just hours after the span collapsed. But that promise is less certain since the election of President Donald Trump (R). Trump has made good on his campaign promise to slash government spending and employment. In March, he said he would block plans for a new FBI headquarters in Greenbelt — a project Gov. Wes Moore and others lauded as an economic boon to the state and Prince George's County. Trump's election also cast doubt on the likelihood of federal funding for an east-west Red Line transit project in Baltimore. Moore made construction of the line a signature campaign promise. For now, the authority said it does not expect to speed up a projected toll increase, though one is coming. 'MDTA's current financial plan indicates that toll increases are not needed before FY 2028. This action by S&P is not likely to change the projected timing of that need,' the agency spokesperson wrote. In January, a Department of Legislative Services analysis highlighted the authority's own projection of 'fiscal challenges on the horizon,' including increases in outstanding debt between fiscal 2026 and 2030. That legislative review noted 'the need for action, such as implementing a toll increase to maintain the debt service coverage ratio by fiscal 2028.' The projected need for an increase is a year sooner than the timeline projected in a 2024 analysis. 'Compared to the prior forecast, the current forecast has significant forecasted increases in capital expenditures related to the rebuilding of the Francis Scott Key Bridge,' analysts wrote in their review.
Boston Globe
27-03-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
A year after the Baltimore bridge collapse, a long road to recovery is ahead
'While this day is a day of mourning, it is not a day of grief alone,' Scott said. 'It is a day to commemorate the strength, resilience, and that Baltimore grit that we showed the world in that moment.' Advertisement After the collapse, the Port of Baltimore was closed for months as debris blocked its main shipping channel. It made an impressive rebound during the second half of 2024, but now the Trump administration's tariffs could threaten its ongoing recovery. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Just last week, federal investigators criticized the Maryland Transportation Authority for failing to address the bridge's vulnerability to ship strikes — despite major changes in maritime shipping since it opened to traffic in 1977. They called upon other bridge owners to learn from the example. For Maryland drivers, it's been a year without the Key Bridge, which connected various industrial communities north and south of Baltimore, allowing people to bypass downtown. Traffic has since increased significantly on alternate routes. Named after the man who penned the national anthem, the Key Bridge was a beloved feature of Baltimore's skyline and a symbol of its proud working-class history. Here's what to know about the bridge's collapse — and its replacement. It was just after 2 a.m. on March 26, 2024, when Governor Wes Moore got a call from his chief of staff, Fagan Harris. His words weren't easy to grasp: 'Governor, I'm sorry to tell you, but the Key Bridge is gone,' Moore recounted to The Associated Press. 'What do you mean 'gone?'' the governor remembered asking. Moore soon learned that a ship had lost power and crashed into one of the bridge's supporting columns, killing the six workers who were filling potholes that night. Advertisement Once he grasped the scale of the tragedy, Moore said, the morning became a stream of phone calls. 'We remember the cold morning in March that changed our state forever, and we remember the tears we shed and the uncertainty that we all felt,' Moore said during remarks Wednesday. But the initial shock was followed by heroism, he added, as first responders rushed to the scene. In the weeks and months that followed, people gathered by the water's edge and watched as crews worked diligently to clear the wreckage. The main shipping channel to the Port of Baltimore reopened in just 11 weeks. On Tuesday, city and state leaders invited the victims' families to visit the collapse site for a wreath-laying ceremony. Relatives boarded a boat that chugged steadily toward the mouth of the Patapsco River where the Key Bridge once stood. As they approached its skeletal remains, the mood turned somber, punctuated by the sound of two women weeping. One by one, family members stepped to the back of the boat and tossed wreaths of yellow and white flowers into the water, watching them drift away. The six men were all Latino immigrants who came to the United States seeking better wages and brighter futures. Most had lived in the country for many years, working hard to support their families. That's exactly what they were doing before their untimely deaths — 'just doing their job,' said Baltimore police Detective Aaron Jackson, a member of the department's dive team who helped recover the bodies during a painstaking search effort that lasted several weeks. 'They deserve our utmost respect,' Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said. Advertisement Officials say the new bridge should be finished sometime in 2028. They unveiled designs last month for what will become Maryland's first cable-stayed bridge. It could cost upwards of $1.7 billion but Congress has agreed to cover the full price tag for rebuilding. Crews have been conducting soil testing and other work to finalize the designs. They plan to demolish the remaining pieces of the Key Bridge this spring. Officials have said the designs will include the latest in pier protection technology, which has become increasingly important as cargo ships continue to get bigger and carry more cargo. The bridge will also be taller to provide more clearance. Last month, the port said 2024 was one of its most productive years — with 45.9 million tons of cargo passing through its facilities — second only to the year before, which saw a record 52.3 million tons. The port also processed more farm and construction machinery than any other port in the country again in 2024. It ranked second for cars and light trucks, officials said. Daraius Irani, chief economist for the Regional Economic Studies Institute at Towson University, described the rebound as 'sort of a miracle.' But the implementation of tariffs by the Trump administration could reduce imports there, a quarter of which come from Mexico, Canada, and China, he said. Fewer goods passing through the ports would reduce revenue. The National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating what caused the collapse, said its final report could be released in fall 2025. Meanwhile, the board issued urgent safety recommendations last week, telling bridge owners to conduct vulnerability assessments. The recommendations apply to 30 owners of 68 bridges across 19 states. Advertisement The board is still investigating what caused the cargo ship to lose power as it approached the bridge. Investigators have said a loose cable could have caused electrical issues. The ship experienced two blackouts before it left the port en route to Sri Lanka. The FBI also opened a criminal investigation into the circumstances leading up to the collapse but officials haven't yet provided any updates. Maria del Carmen Castellón, whose husband was among those killed, called on federal authorities to deliver justice. 'Concrete and steel can be replaced,' said Maria Martinez, Maryland's special secretary of small, minority, and women business affairs, reading a message from Castellón. 'The laughter of a father, the embrace of a husband, the future of six men — these are lost forever.'
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
WATCH: Governor Moore, Maryland leaders honor victims, first responders year after Baltimore bridge collapse
BALTIMORE, Md. () — March 26 marks one year since Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed and six construction workers died. On Wednesday, Maryland Governor Wes Moore and leaders will deliver remarks to remember those who lost their lives during the catastrophic event. At 9 a.m., Moore and Maryland officials will honor the victims and first responders who jumped into action a year ago. U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) will also recognize the resilience of Baltimore and Maryland, highlighting the collective effort to secure resources to recover and rebuild after the collapse. One year after Baltimore bridge collapse, long road to recovery ahead In the early hours of March 26, 2024, a cargo ship lost power and collided with the bridge, causing it to split and fall into the Patapsco River. Six construction workers who were filling potholes died when the road buckled underneath them. It took crews days to recover the victims' bodies and remove the remains from the river. The Port of Baltimore was closed for months due to debris blocking its main shipping channel. On Tuesday, the victims' families and leaders visited the site for a wreath-laying ceremony and remembered the lives of their loved ones. During the ceremony, Hollen said the collapse disrupted the lives and livelihoods of countless Marylanders. He noted the Key Bridge was an indelible part of Baltimore's skyline and people who call the city home. Since the crash, lawmakers have been working to rebuild the bridge. Last month, officials stating the new bridge will be taller and better protected against ship strikes. Last week, federal investigators criticized the Maryland Transportation Authority for not completing the recommendation to assess the bridge, which authorities said would have shown the bridge was at a significant risk for a strike. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Baltimore Bridge Collapse: Leaders mark 1 year since Francis Scott Key Bridge disaster
The Brief Leaders mark one year since Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, which killed six workers. The disaster exposed safety lapses; rebuilding plans for a resilient $1.7 billion bridge are underway. Completion of the new bridge is expected by 2028. What we know BALTIMORE - Leaders and residents in the Baltimore region and across Maryland are marking one year since the deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott will commemorate the day on Wednesday with a ceremony near where the bridge once stood. READ MORE: NTSB says Key Bridge collapse could have been prevented with 'vulnerability and risk assessments' The March 26, 2024, disaster occurred when the massive container ship Dali lost power and collided with a supporting column of the bridge. Six construction workers, who were repairing potholes at the time, died when the structure crumbled. The collapse brought months-long closures at Baltimore's port and caused severe traffic congestion, issues that persist across the region today. According to federal investigators, the Maryland Transportation Authority failed to conduct a recommended vulnerability assessment, which could have identified the bridge's significant risk of collapse due to ship strikes. FULL COVERAGE of the Baltimore Bridge Collapse What's next Efforts to rebuild the bridge are underway. Officials have announced that the replacement structure will be taller and more resilient to ship impacts. The new design, a cable-stayed bridge—the first of its kind in the state—is estimated to cost more than $1.7 billion and could be completed by 2028. READ MORE: Baltimore Key Bridge collapse: Owner of Dali cargo ship to pay US $100M in settlement The original Francis Scott Key Bridge, a 1.6-mile steel span connecting Baltimore's industrial communities and providing a bypass for downtown traffic, opened in 1977 after five years of construction. READ MORE: New Baltimore Francis Scott Key Bridge design unveiled The Source FOX 5 DC & The Associated Press
