Politics & Government

Federal Shutdown Could Mean "Lighter" Traffic for Maryland

Even though Maryland traffic was “pretty normal” Tuesday morning, traffic could lighten if the government shutdown continues and furloughed workers stay home.

Most of Maryland's 90,000 federal employees and 180,000 contractors could face furloughs or lost work. A Towson University analyst said he believes the shutdown could cost Maryland workers $18 million to $68 million in lost income per day.

“One impact could be lighter traffic depending on the number of federal workers who commute from Maryland to Washington, DC,” said Ragina Averella, a spokeswoman with AAA Mid-Atlantic.

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On Tuesday, traffic in Maryland was “pretty normal,” as a lot of people had to travel to DC to prepare for furloughs, said SHA officials.

In terms of traffic changes, “We haven’t seen anything different yet,” said spokesman Charlie Gischlar. “And yet is the key word. We’ll keep an eye on it.”

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Averella also said she’s heard reports that traffic might be higher than normal Tuesday afternoon due to people coming home early from DC.

The MARC train service to Washington also announced a few changes to its schedule Tuesday; those scheduling changes can be found here.


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