Federal Grant Boosts ‘Transpor-Tourism’
Maryland has received a federal grant to improve scenic byways across the state, Rep. Steny H. Hoyer announced.
Congressman Hoyer was joined by US Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Jamie Raskin, David Trone, and Glenn Ivey (all D-MD) announcing that $824,000 in federal funding for the Maryland Department of Transportation to improve Maryland’s scenic roads.
The funding through the US Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration’s National Scenic Byways Program will support updated byway facilities, safety enhancements, and historical and cultural information markers along the state’s historic roads, including in Baltimore’s Historic Charles Street, the Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway, and the Religious Freedom Byway.
Maryland also contains portions of the Historical National Road and the Journey Through Hallowed Ground Byway.
“Maryland’s scenic byways allow residents and visitors alike to explore our diverse geography and treasured cultural heritage. With these funds, Maryland will be able to make necessary improvements to the safety, accessibility, and recreational quality of these byways across our state. We will continue working to secure funds like these that preserve Maryland’s historic roads and modernize our infrastructure,” the lawmakers said in a statement.
“Maryland has tremendous stories to tell across our scenic byways – stories of our state’s history, culture, recreational opportunity and environmental beauty,” said Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld. “This grant from the US Department of Transportation will help us and our partners at the Maryland Office of Tourism tell those stories, bringing new visitors to our state and instilling great pride in our residents. We thank USDOT for the award, and appreciate the continued support of Maryland’s Congressional delegation.”
“Transpor-tourism is on the forefront of a synergistic approach of Maryland agencies, and this grant from USDOT will help us expand our outreach and provide greater opportunity for visitors to discover the history and beauty of our state,” said Liz Fitzsimmons, managing director of the Maryland Department of Commerce’s Office of Tourism and Film.
Created in 1991, the National Scenic Byways Program aims to recognize, preserve, and enhance selected roads with scenic, historic, cultural, natural recreational, and archeological significance throughout the US.
Follow Congressman Hoyer on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
For more information about Rep. Steny H. Hoyer, visit his Leader member page.
