Tired of rugged roadways and bumpy bridges? Baltimore City leaders say they are too. At a press conference Thursday, Mayor Brandon Scott, city transportation officials and members of the city council called on the House to restore the funds for Baltimore City’s Highway User Revenue (HUR) after state senators approved cuts Wednesday.

The Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act of 2024 would cut $60 million annually, starting in fiscal year 2026. In a statement, City Comptroller Bill Henry, said the move would be unfair not only to residents, but all who commute through the city’s thoroughfares.

“Everywhere else in Maryland, the State Highway Administration is responsible for repaving streets, except in Baltimore City, where the State has always provided the City with a chunk of Highway User Revenue so that we can do it for ourselves,” said Henry.

The mayor said doing more with less will come at a high cost. “Enough is enough,” said Scott. “We cannot continue to compromise safety. [We have] roads that have not been repaved for far too long. We must end the decades of disinvestment and that starts with the House of Delegates rejecting the cuts.”

Corren Johnson, who directs the city’s transportation department, said about 170 miles of roads that need repaving, are at risk. “It will halt progress,” said Johnson. “We would lose federal dollars that require matching from local municipalities.”

Baltimore County Executive, Johnny Olszewski, has also expressed concern about cuts to transportation funding. “We continue to see major infrastructure projects, like the Dolfield interchange — a top County priority for 15 years — delayed and jeopardized. The state inherited challenges created by a prior administration, but we cannot allow that to be a reason not to act,” he said in a statement.