A 30-day comment period will be held in fall 2025.

From March 1 – 30, 2024, the public had the opportunity to comment on an important, major element of the National Capital Region Transportation Plan, Visualize 2050. Feedback was requested on the region’s proposed roadway and transit projects that change the transportation network’s capacity and are thus determined to be regionally significant in relation to the attainment of federal air quality standards.

A summary and presentation of comments received during the March comment period is available on the April 17, 2024, TPB Board meeting page (Item 9B). For audio of the Visualize 2050 overview and discussion, click on the April 17, 2024, livestream starting at the 1:28:15 mark.

Response to Public Comments
The following letters from the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia summarize the states’ responses to a summary of public comments that the TPB received in April 2024.

• District of Columbia DOT letter
• Maryland DOT letter
• Virginia DOT letter

After receiving public comments, at the May 15, 2024, meeting, the TPB approved a list of regionally significant roadway and transit projects, land use inputs, and scope of work for the Air Quality Conformity Analysis of Visualize 2050 and the FY 2026-2029 Transportation Improvement Program.

On June 20, 2024, the TPB approved a second option for Air Quality Conformity Analysis reflecting one difference: the inclusion of the I-495 Southside Express Lanes project. In 2025, the TPB will decide which option of regionally significant roadway and transit projects (with or without the I-495 Southside Express Lanes project) will move forward in the development of Visualize 2050.

Between February 15 and November 30, there was a total of 997 project comments for the Visualize 2050 Initial Project List Feedback Form. Virginia received 514 comments, Maryland received 406 comments, and the District of Columbia received 77 comments. A total of 136 project suggestions were received, with 43 for Virginia, 40 for Maryland, and 10 for the District of Columbia. To learn more, visit the December 20, 2023, TPB meeting page to view the Public Comment Analysis Summary (Item 10A).

Response to Public Comments

The TPB and Technical Committee received the public comments monthly throughout the comment period and a summary of all comments in December 2023. As member agencies considered their project inputs to Visualize 2050, they had the opportunity to reflect on public comment throughout the year. Agencies then submitted their regionally significant for air quality project and technical inputs for consideration in Visualize 2050. These inputs were available for public comment during the March 2024 comment period.

The following letters from the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia summarize the states’ responses to a summary of public comments that the TPB received in 2023. These comments focused on the roadway and transit projects in TPB’s Visualize 2045 plan that were reviewed by the TPB member agencies for re-submission to Visualize 2050.

• District of Columbia DOT letter
• Maryland DOT letter
• Virginia DOT letter