SB 59

Transportation - Major Highway Capacity Expansion Projects and Impact Assessments (Transportation and Climate Alignment Act of 2026)

Sponsor: Shelly Hettleman (District 11)Committee: Budget and TaxationSubject: Transportation - HighwaysStatus: Favorable with Amendments Report by Budget and Taxation (as of Sep 4, 2026)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Requiring the Department of Transportation, as part of the planning and implementation of certain major highway expansion projects, to perform an impact assessment of the project and develop and implement a corresponding multimodal transportation program; requiring the Department, beginning with a certain Consolidated Transportation Program, to evaluate certain major capital projects for their impact on greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle miles traveled; etc.

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Analysis reads the bill text, the fiscal note, and the witness list. It is generated by Claude and reviewed by nobody, so check the source documents before you rely on it.

Testimony (71)

MGA witness list

FAV 55FavorableFWA 3Favorable with amendmentsUNF 12UnfavorableINFO 1Information only

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Wivell, Brianlobbyist	ATU Local 1300	Written (PDF)
FAV	Girardi, Matthewlobbyist	Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689	Written (PDF)
FAV	Brown, Jim	Audubon Mid-Atlantic	Written (PDF)
FAV	Scepaniak, Michael	BaltPOP - Baltimoreans for People-Oriented Places	Written (PDF)
FAV	Snyder, Abigaillobbyist	Baltimore Jewish Council	Written (PDF)
FAV	Mascioli, William	CCAN Volunteer	Written (PDF)
FAV	Norton, Eric	Central Maryland Transportation Alliance	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Mauk, Jeff	Ceres	Written (PDF)
FAV	Stegman, Matt	Chesapeake Bay Foundation	Written (PDF)
FAV	Fitzgerald, Terrence	Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsibility	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Demiray, Sonia	Climate Communications Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	McGilvray, Laurie	Climate Justice Wing of the Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Goldberg, Donald M.	Climate Law & Policy Project	Written (PDF)
FAV	Wilkinson, nanci	Climate Mobilization Montgomery County	Written (PDF)
FAV	Pugh, Bill	Coalition for Smarter Growth	Written (PDF)
FAV	DeMarco, Jamie	DeMarco Advocacy	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hession, Melody	Delaware-Maryland Synod of the ELCA	Written (PDF)
FAV	Pugh, Daria	Disability Rights Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Stewart, Frances	Elders Climate Action Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hance, Rosalobbyist	Enhanced Impact LLC	Written (PDF)
FAV	Clements, Marklobbyist	Greater Greater Washington	Written (PDF)
FAV	Singer, Elizabeth	Jewish Community Relations Council, Jewish Federation of Howard County	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hunter, Caseylobbyist	League of Women Voters of Maryland	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Webster, Phil	Legislative body for the Unitarian Universalist faith, C/O Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis	Written (PDF)
FAV	Tulkin, Joshlobbyist	MD Sierra Club	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Holt, Steve	MEPPN	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hettleman, Shelly	MGA- Senator Hettleman	Written (PDF)
FAV	Simon, Robert	Maryland Catholics for Our Common Home	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bartock, Laura	Maryland Climate Partners	Written (PDF)
FAV	Harbeson, Kristenlobbyist	Maryland League of Conservation Voters	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Plante, Cecilia	Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bogdan, Henrylobbyist	Maryland Nonprofits	Written (PDF)
FAV	Ditzler, Brian	Maryland Sierra Club	Written (PDF)
FAV	Peckett, Haley	Montgomery County Department of Transportation	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Ostdahl, Maggielobbyist	National Aquarium	Written (PDF)
FAV	Duckett-Randolph, Neka	Out 4 Justice	Written (PDF)
FAV	Oppler, Amanda	St. Mary's County Health Department	Written (PDF)
FAV	Sharif, Humnalobbyist	The Nature Conservancy	Position only
FAV	Shen, Kevin	Union of Concerned Scientists	Written (PDF)
FAV	McNair, Lee	Unitarian Universalist Environmental Justice Ministry	Position only
FAV	Gray, Peter	Washington Area Bicyclist Association	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kaplowitz, Richard KAP	Year	Written (PDF)
FAV	Alexander, Peter	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Arndt, Dave	Individual	Position only
FAV	Auerbach, Ruth	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Clean Transportation Advocates, Maryland	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Cohn, Debbie	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Deutschmann, Richard	Individual	Position only
FAV	Held, Karl	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Jacob, Evelyn	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Jones, Adam	Individual	Position only
FAV	Lefstein, Gita	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Riley, Deniselobbyist	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Senator Hettleman, Senator Hettlemanlegislator	Individual	Oral
FAV	Spangle, Jeanette Louise	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	Higgins, Michael	Concrete General, Inc.	Oral
UNF	Owings, Megan	David A. Bramble, Inc.	Oral
UNF	Cassilly, Robert	Harford County Government	Written (PDF)
UNF	Lambert, Miguel	Harford Minerals - Repurpose Aggregates	Oral
UNF	Sakata, Michael	MTBMA	Oral + Written (PDF)

Showing 60 of 71

Organizations on record

Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689FAV 1

ATU Local 1300FAV 1

Audubon Mid-AtlanticFAV 1

Baltimore Jewish CouncilFAV 1

BaltPOP - Baltimoreans for People-Oriented PlacesFAV 1

CCAN VolunteerFAV 1

Central Maryland Transportation AllianceFAV 1

CeresFAV 1

Chesapeake Bay FoundationFAV 1

Chesapeake Physicians for Social ResponsibilityFAV 1

Climate Communications CoalitionFAV 1

Climate Justice Wing of the Maryland Legislative CoalitionFAV 1

Climate Law & Policy ProjectFAV 1

Climate Mobilization Montgomery CountyFAV 1

Coalition for Smarter GrowthFAV 1

Concrete General, Inc.UNF 1

David A. Bramble, Inc.UNF 1

Delaware-Maryland Synod of the ELCAFAV 1

DeMarco AdvocacyFAV 1

Disability Rights MarylandFAV 1

Elders Climate Action MarylandFAV 1

Enhanced Impact LLCFAV 1

Greater Greater WashingtonFAV 1

Harford County GovernmentUNF 1

Harford Minerals - Repurpose AggregatesUNF 1

Jewish Community Relations Council, Jewish Federation of Howard CountyFAV 1

League of Women Voters of MarylandFAV 1

Legislative body for the Unitarian Universalist faith, C/O Unitarian Universalist Church of AnnapolisFAV 1

Maryland Asphalt AssociationUNF 1

Maryland Building Industry AssociationUNF 1

Maryland Catholics for Our Common HomeFAV 1

Maryland Chamber of CommerceUNF 1

Maryland Climate PartnersFAV 1

Maryland Department of the EnvironmentFWA 1

Maryland Department of TransportationFWA 2

Maryland League of Conservation VotersFAV 1

Maryland Legislative CoalitionFAV 1

Maryland NonprofitsFAV 1

Maryland Sierra ClubFAV 1

Maryland Transportation Builders and Materials AssociationUNF 1

MD Sierra ClubFAV 1

MEPPNFAV 1

MGA- Senator HettlemanFAV 1

Montgomery County Department of TransportationFAV 1

MTBMAUNF 1

National AquariumFAV 1

Northern Virginia Transportation AllianceUNF 1

Out 4 JusticeFAV 1

Rocky Mountain InstituteINFO 1

St. Mary's County Health DepartmentFAV 1

The Nature ConservancyFAV 1

Union of Concerned ScientistsFAV 1

Unitarian Universalist Environmental Justice MinistryFAV 1

Washington Area Bicyclist AssociationFAV 1

YearFAV 1

Registered lobbyists who testified

FAVWivell, BrianATU Local 1300Registered for: Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1300

FAVGirardi, MatthewAmalgamated Transit Union Local 689Registered for: Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689

FAVSnyder, AbigailBaltimore Jewish CouncilRegistered for: Baltimore Jewish Council

FAVHance, RosaEnhanced Impact LLCRegistered for: Enhanced Impact LLC; Potomac Riverkeeper Network; Sierra Club Maryland Chapter; Advanced Energy United; American Whitewater; Waterkeepers Chesapeake…

FAVClements, MarkGreater Greater WashingtonRegistered for: Greater Greater Washington

FAVHunter, CaseyLeague of Women Voters of MarylandRegistered for: League of Women Voters of Maryland

FAVTulkin, JoshMD Sierra ClubRegistered for: Sierra Club Maryland Chapter

FAVHarbeson, KristenMaryland League of Conservation VotersRegistered for: Maryland League of Conservation Voters

FAVBogdan, HenryMaryland NonprofitsRegistered for: Maryland Nonprofits

FAVOstdahl, MaggieNational AquariumRegistered for: National Aquarium

FAVSharif, HumnaThe Nature ConservancyRegistered for: Nature Conservancy, The

FAVRiley, DeniseRegistered for: American Federation of Teachers - Maryland

UNFGraf, LoriMaryland Building Industry AssociationRegistered for: Maryland Building Industry Association

UNFAllen, HannahMaryland Chamber of CommerceRegistered for: Maryland Chamber of Commerce

UNFMurray, RoryRegistered for: Alliance to Prevent Legionnaire's Disease; American Council of Engineering Companies/MD; Association of Independent Maryland and D.C. Schools; Chesapeake Watershed Restoration Professionals; Kaiser Permanente; Lightstar Renewables…