BALTIMORE — Traveling in Maryland could become more difficult over the next five years as the Department of Transportation cuts more than $3 billion from its projected budget.
MDOT credits the need for the cuts to transit ridership being down and fuel tax revenue declining.
On the chopping block are all the commuter bus routes in the state, Saturday and extended Thursday hours at MVA locations, highway cleaning, along with repairs to roads, buses and light rail.
Frequent public transit riders are frustrated.
"It doesn't make sense to me, I can't see how the MTA is strapped for money I mean the prices go up about every six months or so," said Timothy, who rides public transportation daily.
Annis Long is an Uber driver we caught coming out of an MVA location today.
She says her main concern is the cuts to road repairs.
"I would love to see more investment in city streets, filling potholes and making sure the streets are safe," said Long.
The state is supposed to get $7 billion for rail upgrades from the federal government, including money for the Frederick Douglas tunnel and the Redline.
The budget cuts don't put any of the grants at risk.
Senator Cory McCray sent a lengthy letter to Secretary Paul Wiedefeld outlining his anger with how the announcement of the cuts and the cuts themselves were done.
"The legislators had gotten it about an hour before the broader public received it," said Senator McCray, a democrat from Baltimore City.
The senator pointed out that while MTA is getting an 8% cut, just down the road in the Washington D.C. Region, WMATA is getting an increase in funding.
D.C's regional transit system is getting $150 million increase during the next two years then $250 million.
"This is sending us in the wrong direction and also inequitably hurting Baltimore city," said Senator McCray.
McCray says the general assembly will still have to debate the proposal before implementing it.
The people relying on MDOT are worried for the future.
"It's inexcusable, I mean you're hurting everyone by doing it so we have to a conclusion, we have to a decision where this shouldn't happen, this shouldn't be," said Timothy.
Secretary Wiedefeld was unavailable for an interview today.
Governor Wes Moore also declined to release a statement, pushing WMAR to the MDOT press release.
