Van Hollen, Maryland Democratic Delegation Presses CSX for Update on Howard Street Tunnel

Today, the Maryland Democratic Congressional Delegation, led by Senator Chris Van Hollen, wrote a letter to CSX Corporation President and CEO James Foote requesting an update on the status of the Howard Street Tunnel Project. The project, which has been under discussion for years, would expand the tunnel, allowing for increased shipment to and from the Port of Baltimore, a regional economic hub. Senator Van Hollen was joined in sending the letter by Senator Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny Hoyer, Elijah Cummings, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, John Delaney, Anthony Brown, and Jamie Raskin.

In the letter, the Members write, “We are writing to request an update on the status of your plans for the Howard Street Tunnel project in Baltimore City, Maryland.”

They continued, “It has been over eight months since you met with the Congressional Delegation and representatives from the Maryland Department of Transportation on the cancellation of this project. During that meeting we expressed our frustration at the abrupt announcement cancelling the program without adequate explanation and after years of effort by Maryland’s Congressional Delegation to secure federal funding for this project.”

In closing, the Members stated, “As the Port of Baltimore continues to see record growth both in international cargo value and volume, a solution to the Howard Street Tunnel bottle-neck is more important than ever. We hope that you agree and look forward to hearing from you regarding CSX’s plans for the Howard Street Tunnel Project.”

The full text of the letter is available here and below:

Dear Mr. Foote:

We are writing to request an update on the status of your plans for the Howard Street Tunnel project in Baltimore City, Maryland.

It has been over eight months since you met with the Congressional Delegation and representatives from the Maryland Department of Transportation on the cancellation of this project. During that meeting we expressed our frustration at the abrupt announcement cancelling the program without adequate explanation and after years of effort by Maryland’s Congressional Delegation to secure federal funding for this project. Following that meeting, you agreed to keep an open mind about the project and committed to re-examining the decision to cancel it.  You also committed to continuing dialogue with the Delegation on your thinking about possibly reviving the project.

Recent press reports indicate that there may be some favorable movement on the part of CSX to revisit the project. A July 29, 2018 article in the Journal of Commerce states that, “CSX, for example, appears to be rethinking its decision to pull back on expanding the Howard Street Tunnel Project, something the Port of Baltimore needs in order to achieve double-stack access and thereby extend its inland reach.” Additionally, the Baltimore Sun recently published an editorial titled, “Howard Tunnel Revival Still Possible.” We couldn’t agree more.

As the Port of Baltimore continues to see record growth both in international cargo value and volume, a solution to the Howard Street Tunnel bottle-neck is more important than ever. We hope that you agree and look forward to hearing from you regarding CSX’s plans for the Howard Street Tunnel Project.

Sincerely,

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