Bissett Campaign Announces Plan to Reduce Gridlock

July 29, 2006, Edgewater, MD – With Route 2 traffic as a backdrop, Republican county executive candidate Phil Bissett today announced his plan to improve traffic flow on Anne Arundel County's congested roadways.

"Sprawling development and short-term planning have helped create the gridlocked roads we suffer with today," said Mr. Bissett, who has lived in Mayo since he was a small child. "With gas prices and traffic frustration at all-time highs, now is the time for action," he said.

Mr. Bissett's Gridlock Free Zone Initiative includes short and long-term measures. "Gov. Ehrlich is advancing a multi-dimensional strategy to improve the transportation infrastructure in Maryland," said Mr. Bissett, the former director of MARC Train/Commuter Bus Service. "My Gridlock Free Zone Initiative is my solution for traffic problems in Anne Arundel County."

Mr. Bissett cited his work in securing $21.7 million in state funding in 1998 for improvements to Route 2 between Annapolis and Edgewater as evidence of his ability to work large multi-year projects through the channels to completion. The Route 2 project was a priority for Mr. Bissett as chairman of the Anne Arundel Delegation to the State House.

Mr. Bissett's Gridlock Free Zone Initiative includes the following action items:

• Prioritize the road maintenance backlog and fast forward high-impact projects

• Replace stop-and-go tolls at the Bay Bridge with at-speed scanning technology

• Review Small Area Plans and fast track solutions to local traffic problems

• Identify opportunities for new traffic circles, connector roads, and other solutions

• Develop action plans for highly congested roadways and intersections

• Channel growth into revitalization areas where there is existing infrastructure

• Emphasize long-range planning to curb gridlock before it begins

• Promote more pedestrian and bike-friendly travel options

• Improve regional communications where local, state, and federal interests intersect

• Provide incentives for employers to offer workers more flex-time and telecommuting

• Activate more short-hop transit options, such as shuttle buses

• Encourage developers to exceed minimum requirements for road improvements

• Leverage the Internet throughout government to reduce the need for car trips

"If county citizens can reclaim precious time they previously lost sitting in traffic, and gain more control over their own lives as a result, then I've done my job," said Mr. Bissett.

Information on Mr. Bissett's Gridlock Free Zone Initiative, and an informal interview with the candidate on it, are posted on his web site at www.PhilBissett.com. It also is the subject of his sixth direct mail piece.

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Authority: Committee to Elect Phil Bissett, Jennifer Erickson, Treasurer

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