Beltsville Public Meeting on Intermodal Rail Facility

IN BELTSVILLE about 3.5 miles from Southway and Crescent Road intersection.

Meeting in Beltsville Academy
4300 Wicomico Avenue
Beltsville, Maryland 20705

The State of Maryland and CSX rail are going through a planning process to locate a new "intermodal rail facility" to service the Port of Baltimore. (To make trains more efficient they are moving to "double stacked" cars, but the Howard Road tunnel in Baltimore that services the port is not tall enough for double stacked cars. Therefore, they are looking to locate an intermodal facility to transfer shipping containers between rail and truck.) 

One of the four shortlisted properties is over 70 acres of forested floodplain of Indian Creek (map link) located in Beltsville.  Most of the land is presently part of the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC). The property is really tucked away from the main road network, so that intersections that are already failing from heavy traffic may be subjected to as many as 1,000 additional truck trips per day. 

A strong group of citizens living nearby has formed an organization called "No Beltsville Intermodal," and they have been very active in opposing this site. Tonight is another public meeting about the project, and I expect a strong presence from citizens and local elected officials - Prince George's county council member Mary Lehman and the entire 21st District state legislative delegation are strongly opposed.

For more information, contact:

No Beltsville Intermodal, nobeltsvilleintermodal@gmail.com

Citizens to Conserve and Restore Indian Creek, Cary.C@ccric.org

Anacostia Watershed Society, BBolin@anacostiaws.org