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Charting Maryland’s Economic Competitiveness in 2024: Transportation
Dec 10, 2024
Examining Transportation Trends in Maryland
Transportation is the backbone of a thriving economy, and while Maryland has made some progress in areas like road maintenance and public transit usage, significant challenges remain. These issues continue to impact daily commutes, business efficiency and the state's long-term economic growth.
Challenges to Competitiveness
Underinvestment in Road Infrastructure: Maryland ranks 37th in per capita road spending for both 2021 and 2022, underinvesting in road infrastructure despite having one of the nation's most congested commuter corridors from Washington, D.C. through Baltimore. This lack of funding leads to deteriorating roads, supply chain disruptions, higher transport costs and lengthened commutes.
Worsening Commute Times: Commute times in Maryland's major metro areas worsened in 2022, particularly in Baltimore and Washington, DC. Long, unreliable commutes lower worker productivity, hinder talent attraction and make access to jobs difficult for workers lacking transport options.
Road Condition Concerns: Maryland is ranked 45th in the country for the percentage of road miles deemed acceptable, with only 70.29% of road miles meeting acceptable standards. This is significantly below the national average of 81.70%. In comparison, Virginia is ranked 29th, Pennsylvania 42nd, and Delaware 26th. These rankings highlight the state's need for increased investment in road maintenance and improvement.
High Single-OccupancyVehicle Use: Despite relatively high public transit use, data shows that the vast majority of Maryland residents rely on their personal vehicles for commuting, indicating that public transportation remains impractical for most commuters. This heavy reliance on single-occupancy vehicles is driven by Maryland’s limited transit network, which is concentrated in the Baltimore and Washington Metro areas. As a result, this trend continues to strain infrastructure, worsen congestion and contribute to longer commute times, particularly in the Baltimore metro area.
Lagging Airport Performance: While airport on-time performance is recovering, it still lags behind top states, signaling potential infrastructure capacity issues that could affect Maryland's attractiveness for business travel and tourism.
Improving Airport Performance: While airport on-time performance is showing signs of recovery, it remains behind some top-performing states. This suggests potential opportunities for further infrastructure enhancements to support Maryland's growing role in business travel and tourism.
Transportation Spending (U.S. Department of Transportation, 2021)
| Md '20 | Md '21 | Va '21 | Pa '21 | De '21 | Best | |
| Total per capita Road Spending | 37 | ≡ 37 | 19 | 22 | 2 | Alaska |
| Capital per capita |
30 | ↓ 38 | 31 | 25 | 6 | Alaska |
| Per capita Road Maintenance Spending | 48 | ↑ 26 | 6 | 12 | 1 | Delaware |
- Maryland continues to underinvest in road infrastructure compared to other states, ranking 37th for per capita road spending in both 2021 and 2022, despite having one of America's most congested commuter corridors from DC through Baltimore. Infrastructure funding gaps lead to deteriorated roads, supply chain disruptions, higher transport costs and lengthened commutes.
Commute Times & Airport (U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Transportation)
| Md '21 | Md '22 | Va '22 | Pa '22 | De '22 | Best | |
| Average Commute Time | Wash.; Balt. Metros: 2; 17 longest |
Wash.; Balt. Metros: ↑ 3; ↓ 12 longest |
Wash. Metro: 3 longest |
Phil.; Pittsb. Metros: 13; 26 longest |
Phil. Metro: 13 longest |
Buffalo-Cheek., NY |
| Airport Departure On-time Performance | BWI: 28 | BWI: ↑ 19 | IAD: 5; DCA: 8 | PHL: 1 | -- | PHL |
| Airport Arrival On-time Performance | BWI: 18 | BWI: ↑ 15 | IAD: 4; DCA: 13 | PHL: 8 | -- | SLC |
- Commute times worsened in 2022 across Maryland's major metro areas of Baltimore and Washington DC. Long, unreliable commutes in major metro areas lower worker productivity, hinder attraction of talent, and make access to jobs difficult for workers lacking transport options.
Percentage of Acceptable Miles (Bureau of Transportation Statistics)
| Md '22 | Va '22 | Pa '22 | De '22 | Best |
| 45 | 29 | 42 | 26 | Alabama |
- Maryland ranks 45th in the nation, with only 70.29% of our road miles deemed acceptable — significantly lower than the national average of 81.70%.
- This places us behind neighboring states like Delaware (26th), Virginia (29th) and Pennsylvania (42nd), highlighting the urgent need for investment in our road infrastructure.
Single Occupancy Vehicle Use, Transit Use
| Md '21 (Wash.; Balt. Metros) |
Md '22 (Wash.; Balt. Metros) |
Va '22 (Wash. Metro) |
Pa '22 (Phil. Metro) |
De '22 (Phil. Metro) |
Best | |
| Single Occupancy Vehicle Use | 47; 34 | ≡ 47; ↓ 29 | 47 | 44 | 44 | New York Metro |
| Public Transit Use | 6; 10 | ↑ 5; ↑ 8 | 5 | 5 | 6 | New York Metro |
- In the Greater Washington Metro Area, 74.6% of commuters use single-occupancy vehicles. In the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson Metro Area, the figure is 82.9%. These high percentages suggest limitations in public transportation and a dispersed population, contributing to traffic congestion and long commutes. Investments in roads and bridges are essential to reduce single-occupancy vehicle use and improve commute times.
- Public transit is used by 8.1% of commuters in the Greater Washington Metro Area (5th nationally) and 3.9% in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson Metro Area (8th nationally). A high percentage of public transit has positive implications for the state’s economy and business community, such as reduced congestion, lower transportation costs, and improved mobility. However, considering the state’s existing high commute times and other indicators, this data highlights the need for investment in transportation infrastructure, including public transit.
Other Factors to Consider
Critical Infrastructure Vulnerabilities: It is important to note that these rankings pre-date the collapse of the Key Bridge, a stark reminder of how critical infrastructure is to Maryland's residents and businesses. This event highlighted the vulnerabilities in our transportation network, underscoring the need for urgent and sustained investment in infrastructure to prevent future disruptions with potentially severe economic consequences.
Maryland's Transportation Trust Fund Challenges: Maryland's Transportation Trust Fund, which is essential for maintaining and improving our infrastructure, faces a significant funding stream issue. Declining tax revenues, reduced income from vehicle titling and registration, slow economic growth, rising material and labor costs and the shift toward electric vehicles are all straining the fund. Addressing this challenge requires collaborative and innovative solutions that ensure the fund's sustainability while meeting the state's growing transportation needs. Without a stable and robust funding source, the state's ability to maintain and upgrade its transportation infrastructure is at risk.
Concerns with Expanding Mass Transit: While expanding mass transit options could alleviate some of the state's transportation challenges, there are significant concerns about the high costs and existing funding issues. Without addressing these financial constraints, additional mass transit projects may exacerbate funding shortfalls rather than provide the intended relief.
Working Towards a Solution
To improve economic competitiveness and quality of life, Maryland must prioritize infrastructure investments. Enhancing road maintenance, expanding transit accessibility, and addressing airport capacity issues are essential steps toward creating a more efficient and dependable transportation system. Working collaboratively to secure the Transportation Trust Fund and addressing funding constraints will be crucial to achieving these goals. By doing so, Maryland can support business growth, attract and retain talent, and ensure sustainable economic progress.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau
- U.S. Department of Transportation
- Bureau of Transportation Statistics
- State and Local Government Transportation Revenues and Expenditures (Bureau of Transportation Statistics)
Key Takeaways
Maryland's transportation infrastructure is underfunded, leading to long commute times, deteriorating roads and strained public transit systems. These challenges directly impact the state's economic competitiveness by reducing productivity, hindering talent attraction and increasing costs for businesses. Without addressing these infrastructure issues, Maryland risks further economic stagnation and declining quality of life.
The Key Bridge collapse serves as a stark reminder of the critical role infrastructure plays in economic stability and regional growth.
The state's Transportation Trust Fund faces funding challenges that require collaborative and innovative solutions to ensure long-term sustainability.
Concerns about the high costs and funding issues associated with expanding mass transit highlight the need for careful consideration and planning.
Why it Matters
Reliable, efficient transportation is essential for Maryland’s economic growth and competitiveness. Yet, the state’s outdated infrastructure creates obstacles for businesses and residents alike. Lengthy commutes, inadequate infrastructure investments and limited transit options are hampering economic progress, reducing quality of life and making Maryland less competitive as a result.
