Red Line | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Status | Route selection | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Locale | Baltimore, Maryland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Termini |
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Stations | 20–23 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Type | Light rail | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
System | Maryland Transit Administration | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operator(s) | Maryland Transit Administration | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Technical | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Red Line is a proposed light rail line for Baltimore, Maryland. The original project was granted federal approval to enter the preliminary engineering phase and the Maryland Transit Administration had spent roughly $300 million in planning, design and land acquisition, until Maryland Governor Larry Hogan declared his intent to not provide state funds for the project and shift state funding to roads in suburban areas. [1] [2] The original Red Line had been projected to cost roughly $1.6 billion, $900 million of which would have been guaranteed federal funding. [1] Its construction had been estimated to begin in late 2015–early 2016, subject to funding, with a completion date set for late 2021–early 2022.
While campaigning for governor, Hogan characterized the project as a "boondoggle". [1] Hogan's shift of state priorities to road funding has resulted in the construction of several major projects near properties owned by his company, leading to allegations of corruption. [3] The Red Line cancellation was briefly investigated by the United States Department of Transportation for being in possible violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, [4] since his decision shifted a large quantity of state money from predominantly Black and low-income neighborhoods into affluent and predominantly white areas, but the investigation was closed with no finding. [5]
The project was classed as inactive; however, after several groups continued to campaign for its construction, the State, under Governor Wes Moore, brought back the project in June 2023. By that November, it was undergoing updated route evaluations and mode selection. Light rail was selected as the preferred mode in June 2024.
Red Line | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Overview | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Status | Canceled by Governor Larry Hogan in June 2015 [6] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Locale | Baltimore, Maryland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Termini |
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Stations | 19 (planned) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Type | Light rail | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
System | Maryland Transit Administration | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operator(s) | Maryland Transit Administration | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Daily ridership | 54,000 (2030 projection) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
History | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Planned opening | after 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Technical | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Line length | 14.1 mi (22.7 km) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Electrification | 750 V DC overhead | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operating speed | Average 18 mph | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In 2001, then-Maryland Secretary of Transportation John Porcari appointed a 23-member independent commission, the Baltimore Region Rail System Plan Advisory Committee, to make suggestions for new rail lines and expansions of existing lines. The proposals used a unified branding scheme for the existing lines and the proposed new lines, identifying each line by a color, as the Washington Metro and many other transit agencies do. [7]
The suggested system was composed of six color-coded lines with an overall length of 109 miles (175 km) and 122 stations, including Baltimore's existing Metro SubwayLink and Light RailLink systems. In the commission's report, the Red Line was an east–west line that would begin at the Social Security Administration offices in Woodlawn in Baltimore County, travel through West Baltimore with an intermodal stop at the West Baltimore MARC station, pass through downtown (where transfers to the existing Metro Subway and Light Rail lines would be possible), and pass through East Baltimore with stops in Fells Point, Canton, and Patterson Park. The Red Line was designated by the commission as the starting component for new work on the 6-line system. [8]
Out of the commission's various proposals, the Red Line was taken up with the most enthusiasm by area officials. Progress was slowed by a debate between state Secretary of Transportation Robert Flanagan and the Baltimore City government and Congressional delegation over the mode of transportation; Flanagan favored a bus rapid transit (BRT) solution with separate right-of-way components like Boston's Silver Line, while the city officials favored a light rail or heavy rail line and insisted that both modes of rail transit be included in studies. [9]
Heavy rail was dismissed by Flanagan as an alternative, due to an estimated cost of $2.2 billion to $2.6 billion. With ridership of Baltimore's existing Metro system at only 45,000 at the time of his appointment, he did not expect the Red Line to reach the 140,000 to 150,000 ridership level necessary to attract federal funding for heavy rail. [9]
No. | Alternative | Length (miles) | Cost (millions) (2007 prices) | Travel time end to end (minutes) | Average Weekday Ridership |
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1 | No Build | 13.9 | n/a | 80 | n/a |
2 | TSM | 14.3 | $281 | 76 | 17,600 |
3A | BRT, surface only | 13.8 | $545 | 62 | 31,400 |
3B | BRT, downtown tunnel | 14.9 | $1,019 | 56 | 37,400 |
3C | BRT, downtown tunnel, Cooks Lane tunnel | 14.7 | $1,151 | 53 | 37,400 |
3D | BRT, maximum tunnel | 13.7 | $2,404 | 43 | 41,500 |
3E | BRT, surface only, Johnnycake Rd. alignment | 14.8 | $571 | 69 | 29,300 |
3F | BRT, TSM surface, downtown tunnel | 14.8 | $755 | 65 | 34,300 |
4A | LRT, surface only | 13.9 | $930 | 55 | 34,600 |
4B | LRT, downtown tunnel | 14.6 | $1,498 | 43 | 41,100 |
4C | LRT, downtown tunnel, Cooks Lane tunnel | 14.6 | $1,631 | 41 | 42,100 |
4D | LRT, maximum tunnel | 13.7 | $2,463 | 36 | 42,300 |
In August 2009, then-Governor Martin O'Malley (who was also a former mayor of Baltimore) selected a modified version of the Light Rail Alternative 4C, which became known as the "Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA)." The modification eliminated two stations and a small parking lot from the original Alternative 4C plans, but included an expansion of parking at the West Baltimore MARC station.
Two features of the original Alternative 4C plan, considered important by the Citizens Advisory Council, remained part of the Locally Preferred Alternative:
With the Federal Transit Administration's approval in June 2011 to start preliminary engineering, the project made its first step beyond the concept stage; however, the FTA estimated daily ridership for the completed system at 57,000 and expected it to cost a total of $2.2 billion with inflation included. Henry Kay, MTA's deputy administrator, estimated the cost of preliminary engineering at $65 million. The state would have had to pay preliminary engineering costs, but Kay said that these and other upfront costs would be eligible for federal reimbursement. [10]
Governor Larry Hogan, who was elected in 2014, announced on June 25, 2015 that he had canceled funding for the Red Line. During his 2014 campaign, Hogan had complained about the cost of the proposed Red Line for Baltimore, calling it a "boondoggle", and a proposed Purple Line for the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC; however, he ultimately allowed the Purple Line to begin construction with reduced funding. [2] [11]
On December 21, 2015, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), together with the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland and Baltimore Regional Initiative Developing Genuine Equality (BRIDGE) filed a complaint pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the U.S. Department of Transportation Departmental Office of Civil Rights. [12] The complaint challenged Governor Hogan's decision to cancel the Red Line on the basis of discrimination against Baltimore's predominantly African American population that would have benefited from the infrastructure project. [13] Furthermore, the complaint highlighted that Governor Hogan's decision shifted funding away from public transportation dependent citizens, and instead was dedicated towards highway projects in primarily white rural and suburban areas of the state. [12]
On January 19, 2017, the last day of the Obama Administration, the Department of Transportation announced it expanded its investigation into Governor Hogan's decision to cancel the Red Line, as well as the rest of MDOT's programs to determine whether federal law was violated. [4] [14] In addition, the DOT stated that the state transportation agency did not take the federal law into account or the adverse impact it would have on African-Americans, nor did the Governor seek any input from MDOT in making the decision. [14] [15] In July 2017 the DOT announced that it was closing its investigation with no finding. [5]
The alignment for the Red Line would have followed an east–west path. Starting from the west, the proposed stations were as follows:
Station Name | Parking | Connection | Station Location | Points of Interest |
---|---|---|---|---|
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services | no | 79, 78, CityLink Blue, 31 | Security Blvd / CMS Entrance | Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services, General Services Administration |
Security Square Mall | 79, CityLink Blue, 31, 37, 107 | Security Blvd / Belmont Av | Security Square Mall, Security Station Shopping Center | |
Social Security Administration | (A) | 79, 31, CityLink Blue | Woodlawn Dr / Parallel Dr | Social Security Administration, Southwest Academy, Woodlawn |
I-70 Park and Ride | 79, CityLink Blue | Parallel Dr / Ingleside Av | East Social Security Administration, Gwynns Falls Trail | |
Tunnel portal at city/county line under Cooks Lane and resurface along Edmondson Avenue | ||||
Edmondson Village | 78, 77, 38, CityLink Blue, 150 | Edmondson Av / Swann Av | Edmondson Village Shopping Center, Enoch Pratt Free Library Edmondson Branch, Uplands, Westside Skills Center | |
Allendale | no | 77, 38, CityLink Blue | Edmondson Av / Allendale St | Gwynns Falls Leakin Park, Lyndhurst Park |
Rosemont | no | 78, 29, 77, 38, CityLink Blue, 80 | W. Franklin St/Poplar Grove St | Franklintown Road Business Area, Rosemont Park, Western Cemetery |
West Baltimore MARC | 77, CityLink Blue/Orange/Green/Pink/, 80, 40, 163, 150 MARC Penn Line, | W. Mulberry St / N. Smallwood St | Bentalou Recreation Center, Grace Medical Center | |
Harlem Park | no | CityLink Navy | U.S. Route 40 / Carey St | Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum, Franklin Square, Harlem Square Park, Lafayette Square |
Poppleton | (R) | 80 | N. Fremont Av / W. Baltimore St. | Baltimore Center Medical Examiner Office, Perkins Square, Lexington Terrace, Little Lithuania Park, Lithuanian Hall, University of Maryland BioPark |
Tunnel portal along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard | ||||
Howard Street/University Center | (P) | CityLink Navy, CityLink Purple, 65, CityLink Red, CityLink Yellow, CityLink Blue/Orange, 76, 120, 160, 310?, 320?, 410?, 411?, 420? | W. Lombard St / S. Howard St | Bromo Arts District, Camden Yards, Royal Farms Arena, University of Maryland, Westside |
Inner Harbor | (P) | 65, CityLink Red, CityLink Navy, 51, 54, 91 Metro Subway CCC: Orange, Purple | W. Lombard St / S. Charles St | Downtown Baltimore, Financial District, Harborplace, Market Place, McKeldin Square, National Aquarium, Power Plant Live!, Pratt Street Power Plant, World Trade Center |
Harbor East | (P) | 31 CCC: Orange, Green | Fleet St / S. Central Av | Harbor East Shopping District, Harbor Point, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, Little Italy Pier Six Pavilion, Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture |
Fells Point | no | CityLink Gold, CityLink Navy | Fleet St / S. Broadway | Broadway Market, Fells Point, Maritime Park, Thames Street Park, Upper Fell's Point |
Tunnel portal along Boston Street | ||||
Canton | CityLink Navy, 65 | Boston St / O'Donnell St | The Can Company, O'Donnell Square, Patterson Park, Saint Casmir's Park | |
Canton Crossing | CityLink Navy, 65 | Boston St / Conkling St | Brewers Hill, Canton Crossing Shopping Center, Clarence H. "Du" Burns Arena, Canton Waterfront Park, Charm City Skate Park | |
Highlandtown/Greektown | no | CityLink Navy, 22 | Eastern Av / Janney St | Enoch Pratt Free Library Southeast Anchor Branch, Greektown, Highlandtown, Kresson, Markets at Highlandtown |
Viaduct between Highlandtown station and Bayview MARC station | ||||
Bayview | (F) | 22, CityLink Orange/Blue | Alpha Commons Dr / Bayview Blvd | Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Johns Hopkins Asthma & Allergy Center, National Institute on Aging |
East Baltimore/Bayview MARC | 22, 59, 63, CityLink Orange/Blue | E. Lombard St (east of Bioscience Dr) | East Baltimore/Bayview station, Pulaski Industrial Area, Joseph E. Lee Park, Patterson High School | |
Future extension to Dundalk [8] | ||||
Eastern Avenue | no | CityLink Orange/Blue, 22, 40, 59, 63 | Eastern Av / Dundalk Av | Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center |
O'Donnell Street | no | 63, CityLink Navy | Dundalk Av / O'Donnell St | Amazon Warehouse, Mt. Carmel Cemetery |
Dundalk Center Place | (R) | CityLink Navy, 62, 63, 65, 163 | Dundalk Av / Center Pl | CCBC Dundalk, Downtown Dundalk, St. Helena Park |
Feature | Proposed alignment |
---|---|
Overall length | 14.5 mi (23.3 km) |
Surface length | 9.8 mi (15.8 km) |
Tunnel length | 3.9 mi (6.3 km) |
Aerial length | 0.8 mi (1.3 km) |
Stations | 20 total (15 surface, 5 underground) |
Parking | 6 stations with parking areas |
Travel time | 44 minutes (Woodlawn to Bayview) |
Vehicles | 34 light rail vehicles |
Service frequency | 8 minutes peak, 10 minutes off peak |
The "Citizens' Advisory Council for the Baltimore Corridor Transit Study - Red Line" was established by the Maryland General Assembly in 2006. [16] [17]
Governor Robert Erlich vetoed the bills which originally created the Citizens' Advisory Council on May 26, 2006, and replaced it with the "Red Line Community Advisory Council." This 15-member Council was appointed entirely by the Governor. [18] [19]
At a special session in June 2006, the Legislature overrode the Governor's veto. [16] [17] The Council established by the Legislature also had 15 members, but only two could be appointed by the Governor. Five of the other Council members were appointed by the Senate President, five by the Speaker of the House, two by the Baltimore City Mayor and one by the Baltimore County Executive. Two co-chairs for the Council could be chosen by the Governor or the Maryland Transit Administrator from up to four nominees selected by the Senate President and Speaker of the House.
On July 30, 2007, an executive order by Governor Martin O'Malley restored the name originally selected by the Legislature.
On September 9, 2008, the Red Line Citizens' Advisory Council voted unanimously to adopt its first report to the General Assembly, which included the statement that "Preparation of a SDEIS [Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement] should begin now, as a collaborative effort between the MTA and the public in finding the best ways to invest over a billion dollars in Baltimore's transportation infrastructure in keeping with the vision of the 2002 Plan."
A recommendation for Alternative 4C (light rail with a downtown tunnel and a Cooks Lane tunnel) was approved by a vote of five to two at the Citizens' Advisory Council meeting on December 11, 2008. Two of the nine members present abstained.
This document, signed by city and state officials, and 72 leaders of community organizations on September 12, 2008, described how they intended to build and operate the Red Line for the benefit of Baltimore and its communities. The Community Compact emphasized four main points:
Mayor Sheila Dixon appointed leaders from city government, non-profit and citizen groups, and the business community to a 40-member steering committee to implement each part of the Community Compact. The Red Line Community Compact Steering Committee held their first meeting on February 19, 2009; the group was scheduled to meet quarterly throughout the life of the project.
The decision at the meeting on December 11, 2008 was disputed at another Advisory Council meeting on July 9, 2009, where 11 members were present. A six to five vote favored rescinding the previous decision for Alternative 4C. Council Chair Angela Bethea-Spearman ruled that the motion to rescind failed, because the vote was less than a 2/3 majority. She cited "Robert's Rules" as the criteria for requiring a 2/3 majority and denying the rescision.
Beginning in late 2008, Baltimore City favored the "4C Alternative" selected by Governor O'Malley in 2009, which was endorsed by Mayor Sheila Dixon; however, the 2008 Citizens Advisory Council annual report commented on the opposition of community groups to surface rail alignments through residential neighborhoods.
A letter from the Allendale Community Association, read at a meeting of the Citizens Advisory Council on December 11, 2008, expressed the Association's opposition to Alternative 4C and any surface rail construction along Edmondson Avenue.
The West–East Coalition (WEC) Against Red Line Alternative 4C, established in June 2009, represented community associations, homeowners groups, businesses, and religious groups opposed to the Alternative 4C. Its now-defunct website explained that the organization considered the proposed light rail alignment to be a detriment to communities on both the East and West sides of Baltimore.
In a letter to Governor Martin O'Malley, Senator Barbara Mikulski, Senator Benjamin Cardin, Congressman Elijah Cummings, Congressman John P. Sarbanes, and Mayor Sheila Dixon on July 13, 2009, the WEC described concerns about the effects of double-tracked surface rail, traffic congestion, and safety concerns.
In 2009, the WEC circulated a petition against the surface Red Line in the Canton neighborhood. It delivered 1,350 signed cards to Governor O'Malley on July 31, 2009.
In the summer of 2011 the Red Line Now Political Action Committee (PAC) was established to voice the support of residents of Baltimore City for the funding and construction of Alternative 4C. Its website stated that the organization was staffed on a volunteer basis and planned to support local politicians that supported the construction of the Red Line. [20] Red Line Now PAC was governed by a nine-member board of directors who were citizen volunteers who lived and/or worked along what would have been the Red Line corridor. The board members represented the Midtown, Edmondson, Canton, Fells Point, Patterson Park, and Greektown communities.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act contains a provision on project reentry which directs the United States Secretary of Transportation to "provide full and fair consideration to projects that seek an updated rating after a period of inactivity." This provision was sought by Maryland Senator Ben Cardin with the intent to allow for the Red Line and other canceled transit projects to be renewed. [21] On June 15, 2023, Governor Wes Moore announced that he would restart efforts to build the Red Line in a ceremony with Baltimore mayor Brandon Scott. [22] The state Department of Transportation plans to identify possible route alignments, gauge public feedback, and study the project's costs and benefits over the course of the rest of the year. [23] In the meantime, the MTA will provide limited-stop bus service between Catonsville and Essex beginning in August 2023. [24] MTA released six new alternative routes for the project that September – two alternatives featured tunnel segments and alignments similar to the canceled 2009 route. [25] Officials initially did not say if the route would be run by bus rapid transit or light rail, [26] but later announced in June 2024 that it will feature light rail. [27]
The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is a state-operated mass transit administration in Maryland, and is part of the Maryland Department of Transportation. The MTA operates a comprehensive transit system throughout the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area. There are 80 bus lines serving the Baltimore Metropolitan Area, along with rail services that include the Light Rail, Metro Subway, and MARC Train. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 52,922,000, or about 186,900 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024.
MARC is a commuter rail system in the Washington–Baltimore area. MARC is administered by the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) and operated under contract by Alstom and Amtrak on track owned by CSX Transportation (CSXT) and Amtrak. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 3,860,600, or about 10,800 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024, less than pre-COVID-19 pandemic weekday ridership of 40,000.
The Hudson–Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) is a light rail system in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. Owned by New Jersey Transit (NJT) and operated by the 21st Century Rail Corporation, it connects the communities of Bayonne, Jersey City, Hoboken, Weehawken, Union City, at the city line with West New York, and North Bergen.
BWI Rail Station is an intermodal passenger station in Linthicum, Maryland near Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI). It is served by Amtrak Northeast Corridor intercity trains, MARC Penn Line regional rail trains, and several local bus lines.
Newark station is a train station in Newark, Delaware, on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, serving a limited number of Amtrak Northeast Regional trains and SEPTA's Wilmington/Newark Line regional rail trains.
The Purple Line is a 16.2-mile (26.1 km) light rail line being built to link several Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C.: Bethesda, Silver Spring, College Park, and New Carrollton. Currently slated to open in late 2027, the line will also enable riders to move between the Maryland branches of the Red, Green, and Orange lines of the Washington Metro without riding into central Washington, and between all three lines of the MARC commuter rail system. The project is administered by the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), an agency of the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), and not the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), which operates Metro.
The Baltimore Light RailLink is a light rail system serving Baltimore, Maryland, United States, and its northern and southern suburbs. It is operated by the Maryland Transit Administration. In downtown Baltimore, it uses city streets. Outside the central portions of the city, the line is built on private rights-of-way, mostly from the defunct Northern Central Railway, Baltimore and Annapolis Railroad and Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railway. The system had a ridership of 3,546,300, or about 14,400 per weekday, as of the first quarter of 2024.
The Green Line is a proposed mass transit line for the Baltimore, Maryland area in the United States. It is still in the planning stages and its construction is not guaranteed.
The Baltimore–Washington Superconducting Maglev Project (SCMAGLEV) is a proposed project connecting the United States cities of Baltimore, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., with a 40 miles (64 km) maglev train system between their respective central business districts. It is the first segment of the planned Washington-New York Northeast Maglev project. The maglev proposal is not related to the Baltimore–Washington hyperloop proposed by the Boring Company.
Staten Island light rail proposals refer to two projects in the New York City borough of Staten Island. These proposals are among the several light rail projects that have been floated in New York City in recent years. Neither proposal was funded in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's 2015–2019 Capital Plan, but $4 million was allocated to a study for it.
LocalLink 80 is a bus route operated by the Maryland Transit Administration in Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States. LocalLink 80 is part of the high frequency network of the local bus system. The route consists of a leg originating in Downtown Baltimore and goes on to serve the Garrison Boulevard corridor in the northwest of the city. Route 80 and its predecessor, route 91, has carried some of the highest ridership out of Baltimore's local bus network throughout its history. The line was the first in the city to be assigned articulated buses, which are now used to meet the higher capacity requirements of the frequent lines.
LocalLink 75 is a bus route operated by the Maryland Transit Administration in Baltimore and its suburbs. The line currently runs from the Patapsco Light Rail Stop to Arundel Mills in Anne Arundel County, via BWI Airport. The line operates to University of Maryland during hours when the light rail is not operating.
The Bottineau LRT is a proposed light rail line extension in the Minneapolis – Saint Paul Metro area, projected to run northwest from Target Field station in downtown Minneapolis along County Road 81 to Brooklyn Park.
The Maryland Transit Administration provides the primary public bus service for the Baltimore metropolitan area and commuter bus service in other parts of the state of Maryland. There are currently 76 bus routes, which include 45 LocalLink routes, 12 High Frequency CityLink Routes routes, 8 express bus routes, 19 commuter bus routes, and 5 Intercounty Connector or "ICC" routes. The local and commuter bus routes operate in conjunction with one subway line, three light rail lines, MARC train service, and various connections to other transit agencies.
Lutherville station is a Baltimore Light Rail station located in Lutherville, Maryland. Like most suburban stations on the system, it has two side platforms serving the line's two tracks. It opened in 1992 as part of the initial operating segment.
The Central Maryland Transportation Alliance (CMTA) is a coalition of Baltimore area business, civic and nonprofit groups intent on improving travel within Central Maryland, which consists of Baltimore City and the surrounding jurisdictions of Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Harford County and Howard County. The group's stated objectives are to reduce congestion, limit sprawl, increase job opportunities and make it easier, faster and more efficient for anyone to travel within Central Maryland.
The Yellow Line is a mass transit line proposed by the Baltimore Regional Rail Plan in March 2002 for the Baltimore, Maryland area. It would begin at Columbia Town Center in Columbia, Maryland, and end in Hunt Valley, Maryland at Shawan Road.
The Charles Street Trolley is a proposed streetcar line running through northern portions of Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Kittelson & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm hired by trolley advocates, estimates that the line would be likely to carry 2.5 million riders per year.
Southern Maryland Rapid Transit, abbreviated as SMRT, is a proposed mass transit line along the Maryland Route 5 and U.S. Route 301 highway corridors in between Washington, D.C., and Waldorf, Maryland. The project would link the heavily populated suburbs of northwestern Southern Maryland with Washington via a direct transit connection to the Washington Metro at Branch Avenue station.