Once again, Maryland finds itself facing a crunch when it comes to its transportation budget. This is a familiar scenario for me — one I’ve lived through before.

After years of Gov. Larry Hogan’s asphalt spending spree, the state once again finds itself in a transportation bind. Thankfully, the budget recently passed by the House has an additional $500 million for transportation, which is a step in the right direction.

But in these tough economic times, it’s hard to ask lawmakers to approve more funding without assurances that these dollars will be spent wisely. The key to ensuring that Marylanders get the most value for their money is to guarantee transparency, accountability and clarity on how these funds will be used.

It’s crucial for the General Assembly to pass three key pieces of legislation along with Gov. Wes Moore’s MOVE Maryland investment proposal:

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  1. The Transit-Oriented Development Act (HB80/SB190)
  2. The Transportation Investment Priorities Act (HB20/SB198)
  3. The Transportation and Climate Alignment Act (HB84/SB395)

These bills are about ensuring that MDOT spends in a way that aligns with Maryland’s long-term goals, such as economic development, job access, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These reforms will make transportation funding decisions more transparent, data-driven and tied to measurable goals, rather than political considerations.

The Transit-Oriented Development bill, for example, focuses on areas where the state has already invested heavily in rail transit. Building communities around these stations means those living there will have more transportation choices, and have less of an impact on roads and highways.

The Transportation Investment Priorities Act brings transparency and accountability. The lessons we can learn from other states — like Virginia’s SmartScale program — are critical here. When Virginia faced similar challenges, they adopted a prioritization approach that selected projects based on their benefits relative to costs, ensuring that funds were used efficiently.

These investments will reduce people’s time sitting in traffic and give Marylanders more affordable options to get to work, school and other destinations while reducing harmful pollution.

By passing these reforms, the General Assembly can ensure that Gov. Moore’s proposed revenue boost for transportation is not squandered or diverted. Instead, we can build a transportation system that works for all Marylanders.

Maggie McIntosh is former chair of the House Appropriations Committee in the Maryland General Assembly.