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Impact on Environment and Quality of Life

Because of population growth, a decade-long attempt to clean up the Chesapeake Bay, reduce air pollution, and combat sprawl has left Maryland’s environment no better off than it was ten years ago, according to a 2002 report by the University of Maryland.6

The Chesapeake Bay: The human population in the Chesapeake Bay watershed—centered on Maryland—is expected to reach 19 million by 2030.7 If growth continues in the Chesapeake Bay watershed at its current rate, gains made in restoring the bay would be reversed and more than 3,500 square miles of forests, wetlands and farms would be developed over the next 25 years.8

Water Supply: The region’s surging population eventually will strain the limits of its water supply, and a severe drought could force homes and businesses to restrict tap water use in less than two decades, says the League of Women Voters.9 Maryland has already come in conflict with Virginia over the limited supplies in their shared watersheds, with more certainly to come as the area’s need for water grows along with its population.10

After population growth nearly outstripped water supply in Frederick during the 1990s, the county enacted a building moratorium in Frederick City. In 2002, the city became so dry that an emergency plan was readied to bring portable toilets to the city if flushing became impossible.11 Leaders in neighboring Washington County fear that spillover development will have the same effect there: “It’s going to destroy our water supply. It’s going to destroy our land,” says one county commissioner.12 Baltimore, Carroll, Cecil, Frederick, Harford, Howard, and parts of Montgomery counties were put under mandatory water restrictions in 2002 when supply could no longer meet peak demand; Queen Anne and Anne Arundel Counties implemented voluntary restrictions.13 In 2003, Carroll County had to renegotiate with Baltimore to double the amount of water it could take from the watershed they share, because population growth has increased demand.14

Traffic: As population growth put more traffic on the roads, the average commute for Maryland residents increased 15 percent during the 1990s, from 27 minutes to 31 minutes in 2000.15,16

A study by a Montgomery County planning board task force predicted the weekday rush hour on the Beltway around Washington could total 14 hours by 2020.17 In Howard County, traffic congestion has begun to clog even rural routes and back roads, which desperate drivers are using to avoid jams on the main roads.18 According to research at the University of Maryland, traffic congestion in Frederick, Howard, and Montgomery is even depressing voter turnout at election time by two or three percent.19 Local officials are concerned that firefighters are now unable to reach destinations in an emergency due to traffic congestion.20

According to urban planning experts, urban flight and gridlock will continue plaguing the Baltimore region for at least the next 30 years, and the future promises worsening congestion and traffic snarls as a growing suburban population commutes into the city.21

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