Residents of Montgomery County Maryland are debating whether a world-class science city proposed by

Residents of Montgomery County, Maryland, are debating whether a world-class “science city” proposed by Johns Hopkins University would solidify the county’s economic future or inundate a large area near Rockville and Gaithersburg in traffic and sprawl. Hopkins officials want to build what they say would ultimately be a $10 billion scientific community containing approximately 47,000 new jobs, many of them highly paid. However, the closest Metro station, Shady Grove, is four miles east of the site. “The state estimated the project could bring an additional 32,000 commuters who are unable to live there,” The Washington Post reported. The Planning Board said it would not allow the plans to move forward unless money is approved for construction of the Corridor Cities Transitway, which would connect the area by light rail or rapid bus to the Shady Grove station.