July 30, 2025 | Scott McCaffrey | FFXnow “From the beginning, VDOT’s study has been fatally flawed,” said Stewart Schwartz, executive director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth. Without more analysis, there is no logical reason for the proposal to move forward, he said. “The project is not ready,” Schwartz said.

From the beginning the VDOT study has been fatally flawed by a conclusions-first approach – defining their purpose and need as “extending express toll lanes” which forecloses other alternatives. Moreover, they have not provided all the information necessary for an informed decision – particularly the traffic impact on connecting roads. Given the missing information and strong concerns expressed by Fairfax, Prince George’s, Alexandria, Charles, WMATA, and state legislators in Virginia and Maryland, this project is not ready for inclusion in the regional plan.

We urge you to adopt the recommendations of the Planning Board and remove the unbuilt northern portion of M-83 from the Master Plan of Highways and Transitways. M-83 is not the right path forward to provide better transportation options upcounty. The ways of thinking that informed plans for this road decades ago are fundamentally out of step with what we know today about best practices to address transportation needs, and about the vital connections between environmental health, climate resilience, and human health.

Mid-County Highway Extended (M-83) wouldn’t relieve traffic upcounty long-term—but it would cut a divide through existing communities and destroy farmlands, forests, and sensitive wetlands in its path. The County Council is finally considering removing M-83 from county plans this month, and we need you to weigh in.

Say no to highway expansion and more traffic