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South Side Project

 Southside Express Lanes (South Side project) Virginia VDOT wants to add two new high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes in each direction along an 11-mile stretch of I-495 between I-395 in Fairfax County and Maryland Route 210 in Prince George’s County, crossing the Woodrow Wilson Bridge – Greater greater Washington, Spending money to go nowhere: Southside Express Lanes should be a Metro extension,  David Edmondson (Contributor) August 20, 2025  I am against the "Southside Project," I live in Accokeek, Maryland. My home is 17 miles south on Indian Head Highway (210). I have lived in Accokeek, Maryland, since 2003. I am now retired. Before I retired, I worked in Fairfax Virginia, and commuted from Accokeek to Fairfax five days a week. I have spent a lot of time on Indian Head Highway and the beltway trying to get to work. I have come to know the traffic patterns well.  “You don’t have to be a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowing.” I don’t have to be a traffic exp...

Who to Contact if You're Impacted by Aircraft Noise

Contact numbers and emails for Maryland politicians Van Hollen 111 Rockville Pike Suite 960 Rockville, MD 20850 Brent Girard (Constituent Services and Community Outreach, Van Hollen) Brent_girard@vanhollen.senate.gov 667-212-4610 Ben Cardin 100 S. Charles St. Tower 1, Suite 1710 Baltimore, MD 21201 Heather_campbell@cardin.senate.gov 410-962-4436 Shannon Frede (Legislative Assistant, Cardin) Shannon_frede@cardin.senate.gov 202-224-4524 Steny Hoyer US District Court House 6500 Cherrywood Ln. Suite 310 Greenbelt, MD 20770 Sana Mirza (Hoyer) 301-474-0119 Noise from Aircraft Operations at Your Community Airport Airport noise issues and concerns should first be addressed with the local airport manager or staff who respond to airport noise issues. Check your local telephone directory for airport telephone numbers. Many airports also have their noise abatement information and contact information published on their website. If you believe the airplanes were flying unsafely...

Against Beltway Expansion

[PGSC Climate Action] Join Me in Speaking Out Against the Beltway Expansion Our community's health and future are on the line. On October 15th, the Transportation Planning Board will vote on the "Southside Project," a massive beltway expansion that would increase air pollution and traffic in our neighborhoods. I shared in my testimony, this isn't just about traffic, it's personal. I was diagnosed with environmentally triggered asthma at the age of 37, a condition worsened by vehicle pollution. This expansion would fill our air with more harmful pollutants like PM2.5 and ozone, which are known to aggravate respiratory conditions and pose a risk to all of us. But our voices can make a difference. The board needs to hear how this project will impact real people. Will you join me in writing a letter? Share your own story, whether it's concerns about your family's health, the dangerous traffic on roads like MD-210, or the need for better transit options instead...

Inequalities in exposure to noise

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Urban noise pollution is worst in poor and minority neighborhoods and segregated cities Nation Oct 7, 2017 3:43 PM EDT https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/urban-noise-pollution-worst-poor-minority-neighborhoods-segregated-cities "Most Americans think of cities as noisy places – but some parts of U.S. cities are much louder than others. Nationwide, neighborhoods with higher poverty rates and proportions of black, Hispanic and Asian residents have higher noise levels than other neighborhoods. In addition, in more racially segregated cities, living conditions are louder for everyone, regardless of their race or ethnicity.....  Scientists have documented that environmental hazards, such as air pollution and hazardous waste sites, are   not evenly distributed   across different populations. Often socially disadvantaged groups such as racial minorities, the poor and th...

health linked to the climate

Health and Well-being Under Threat Our health is directly linked to the climate. Rising temperatures create dangerous conditions and exacerbate existing health problems. Extreme Heat: More frequent and intense heatwaves increase the risk of heatstroke and dehydration. They also put significant strain on the cardiovascular system, which is especially dangerous for the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions. Worsening Air Quality: Higher temperatures can increase ground-level ozone (smog), which damages lung tissue and can worsen conditions like asthma and bronchitis. Wildfires, made more common by climate change, also release massive amounts of harmful smoke into the atmosphere. 🔥 Spreading Diseases: Warmer climates allow disease-carrying insects like mosquitoes and ticks to expand their habitats. This increases the risk of illnesses such as malaria, dengue fever, West Nile virus, and Lyme disease in new regions. 🦟 The Economic Cost 💰 Climate change hits our wallets ...