In Baltimore?
November 2007
tOPICS
Purpose and Need/Project History______ 1
Decision-Making Process_______________ 4
Funding______________________________ 5
Environmental Process_________________ 6
Schedule____________________________ 10
Alternatives__________________________ 10
Stations/Land Use_ __________________ 16
Operations__________________________ 18
Ridership____________________________ 21
Vehicles_____________________________ 22
Community Issues____________________ 22
Public Involvement_ __________________ 27
Safety and Security___________________ 29
Parking/Traffic/Pedestrians/Bicycles_ __ 29
Cost to Construct____________________ 31
Maintenance Facilities_ _______________ 31
Purpose and Need/
Project History
1.
How will the Red Line improve public transit
in Baltimore?
The Red Line was included in the Baltimore Region Rail System
Plan developed in 2001-2002. This plan envisions a transit
system with six lines and focuses on giving riders access to jobs,
education, shopping, recreation and medical care. In the words
of the plan: ¡°Imagine being able to go just about everywhere
you really need to go¡on the train. 21 colleges, 18 hospitals,
16 museums, 13 malls, 8 theatres, 8 parks, 2 stadiums, and
one fabulous Inner Harbor. You name it, you can get there.
Fast. Just imagine the possibilities of Red, Green, Blue, Yellow,
Purple, and Orange ¨C six lines, 109 miles, 122 stations. One
great transit system.¡± The Red Line was an integral part of the
plan, with stations near major employment centers in downtown
Baltimore, Inner Harbor East, the Social Security Administration
complex, the University of Maryland, Baltimore professional
schools and the adjacent hospital complex; improved public
transit for many Baltimore City and Baltimore County residential
neighborhoods; connections to existing Metro, Light Rail
and MARC stations, and proximity to leisure activity points
of interest, such as Oriole Park at Camden Yards, M&T Bank
Stadium and the Hippodrome Theater.
The plan was drawn up by an Advisory Committee appointed
by the Secretary of Transportation. The Advisory Committee
consisted of 23 members, including elected officials and civic,
business, transit and community leaders from the Baltimore
Metropolitan area.
2.
Why are we studying the Red Line first?
The Baltimore Region Rail System Plan set the vision and blueprint
for a high-quality, regional transit system but did not specify
details such as specific routes (alignments) or modes (types of
transit vehicles). The Advisory Committee recommended that
the Red Line and the Green Line segments receive immediate
study. This decision was not the result of a technical study, but
was instead driven by the Committee¡¯s belief that the east-west
1
Red Line corridor showed the greatest need for improvement
given the large numbers of people riding buses, slow travel
times on buses, the opportunity to connect with the MARC
Train at the West Baltimore Station, and the availability of rightof-way along the US 40 freeway between Martin Luther King
Boulevard and Pulaski Street.
3.
Why is this called the Red Line? What are
the other colors?
Primary colors were used to identify the six rail lines and
to simplify description of the plan. Other cities follow this
approach, too, the best example being the Washington, D.C.
regional Metrorail system. In Baltimore, red was chosen for
the east-west line; green for the existing Metro Subway from
Owings Mills to Johns Hopkins Hospital (and any future
extension; blue for the existing Light Rail line; yellow for a
new downtown line along the York Road/Greenmount Avenue
corridor to Towson and Hunt Valley on the north and Columbia
to the west; purple for the existing MARC Penn Line corridor
and any improvements; and orange for the existing MARC
Camden Line corridor and associated improvements.
4.
Why do we need a Red Line?
Anyone who travels in and around Baltimore knows the difficulty
of navigating congested streets in rush hour or attempting to
drive across town. There is no shortcut or expeditious route on
city roads that gets you quickly from East Baltimore to West
Baltimore or from Western Baltimore County to the downtown
Central Business District. Buses become stuck in those traffic
jams too. A public rapid transit route such as the Red Line offers
hope for swift, convenient and dependable east-west travel
through the heart of Baltimore.
The Texas Transportation Institute¡¯s (TTI) 2004 Urban Mobility
Report illustrates Baltimore¡¯s commuting problem: Baltimore
ranks as the ninth worst city in the nation for growing traffic
delays. In 2002, car travelers spent an extra 48 hours a year
sitting in traffic. This compares to just nine hours of annual
traffic delays in 1982.
According to the TTI, the 2002 delays mean that 59.7 million
hours of travel time are wasted in gridlocked Baltimore traffic
and 101 million gallons of fuel are needlessly consumed. The
region¡¯s yearly ¡°congestion cost¡± exceeds $1 billion. That
equates to a cost of $395 per year for each Baltimore area
resident due to congestion.
Then there¡¯s the region¡¯s stubborn air pollution. High smog
levels are a major contributor to hospital emergency room
visits and asthma attacks. Baltimore averaged 11 Code Red
(dangerously high air pollution) days during the 1990s. The
Red Line can reduce dirty air by drawing more people away
from their cars. Rail transit emits, per person, 75 percent less
nitrogen oxide than cars and virtually no carbon monoxide
or hydrocarbons.
2
Getting more people out of their cars will save them money,
too, especially given the rising price of gasoline and the
high cost of downtown parking. For the region¡¯s fast-growing
elderly population, the Red Line offers enhanced mobility at an
affordable price and an improved quality of life. The Red Line
also provides young people in the suburbs with public transit
access to downtown sports, cultural and entertainment events.
The Red Line is the most immediate and effective way to
improve transportation in the Baltimore region. It would be the
first major step this century toward a world-class transit system
that ties city and suburban communities together. The Red Line
offers a valuable east-west transit option. It can make travel in
this heavily congested corridor simpler, faster and cheaper.
5.
Who is the Red Line trying to serve?
One of the advantages of the Red Line is that it will appeal to
many different people.
The largest number of daily riders likely will come from
commuters to jobs downtown and in the suburbs. Anyone
seeking to avoid downtown traffic congestion can turn to this
rapid transit alternative. Anyone who does not drive will gain a
new option. Those with limited incomes will find getting around
the region easier.
The Red Line also will connect to other MTA bus and transit
lines and the MARC commuter rail lines that travel south to Fort
Meade and Washington and north to Aberdeen Proving Ground.
Airplane travelers can use the Red Line to transfer to the Light
Rail that runs to BWI Airport. Transfer points from the Red
Line to the Light Rail and Metro will give more people in the
region public transit access to a vast array of neighborhoods
and communities such as Owings Mills, Hunt Valley, Timonium,
Lexington Market, Johns Hopkins and Glen Burnie.
The Red Line will serve people seeking access to entertainment
opportunities. The Red Line will connect with Inner Harbor
attractions, the Baltimore Arena, the Camden Yards stadiums,
Little Italy, Fells Point, Canton, and Bayview.
Throughout the corridor, many communities will gain new
public transit service. This will give more people in the city and
suburbs the flexibility to get around Baltimore easily for their
daily activities.
6.
What are the benefits of the Red Line?
Building a fast public transit line bisecting Baltimore east
and west holds enormous potential. Above all, the Red Line,
stretching from Woodlawn in western Baltimore County
through the downtown Central Business District to the CantonPatterson Park area, to the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical
Center, and perhaps beyond, gives citizens of all ages enhanced
mobility.
The Red Line ties suburban businesses in western Baltimore
County ¨C particularly large employers like the Social Security
Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services (CMS) ¨C to the city¡¯s large pool of job seekers and
makes commuting fast and convenient for current workers. The
same is true for suburban employees commuting from the west
to downtown business offices.
The Red Line enhances access to the University of Maryland,
Baltimore (UMB) downtown and to the city¡¯s major hospitals,
including world-famous Johns Hopkins, the University of
Maryland Medical Center, the Veterans Administration Hospital,
and Bayview. It makes trips to schools, churches, parks and
tourist attractions near Red Line stations quick and reliable.
Downtown sports and entertainment sites are also a short walk
away.
Transferring to other forms of MTA transit will be more
convenient. The Red Line will connect directly to the Light Rail
line and the Metro Subway, making combined east-west/northsouth trips seamless. Multiple bus connections at Red Line
stations mean seamless transfers. In short, public transit in
Baltimore will be vastly improved.
The Red Line will help spur commercial and residential growth
around new transit stations. Transit Oriented Development
(TOD) is happening in other U.S. cities, such as Denver, Boston,
Minneapolis and Dallas. Already in the Baltimore region, the
Owings Mills terminus of the Metro Subway is being turned into
a Town Center. Plans were announced last year for a TOD on a
massive scale surrounding the Metro station and the Light Rail
stop at the State Center government office complex.
7.
Will the Red Line be extended in the future?
If a Red Line is ultimately constructed from Woodlawn to the
Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, it could be extended
then southeast to Dundalk or Turners Station, as called for in
the initial plans.
8.
What comparable American cities have built
a transit route similar to the Red Line?
Baltimore¡¯s Red Line project is considering Light Rail Transit
(LRT) and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) modes that would travel
through an urbanized corridor. Other cities that have built a
transit line through a comparable urbanized corridor include:
LRT:
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
San Diego, California
Portland, Oregon
Sacramento, California
Houston, Texas
St. Louis, Missouri
Hudson River Waterfront, Northern New Jersey
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Buffalo, New York
BRT:
l
l
l
l
Los Angeles, California
Boston, Massachusetts
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Ottawa, Canada
The Red Line will help revitalize existing communities and
stimulate economic development within walking distance of new
transit stations. Most important of all, it will bring stability to
surrounding neighborhoods. Residents will be able to leave their
cars at home and walk their neighborhoods on the way to work
and play via the Red Line.
With more people using the Red Line, downtown auto volume
should ease, creating greater parking opportunities. Congestion
on city streets should diminish as Red Line ridership grows
and patronage should increase on other transit and
bus lines.
Finally, the air we breathe should be cleaner once
Red Line trains fill with passengers. In general,
the region¡¯s quality of life will improve as
Baltimoreans begin turning to rapid rail
transit for more of their travel needs.
3
Decision-Making
Process
9.
How will the decision be made on whether
to build the Red Line?
The local decision is ultimately up to the Maryland Secretary of
Transportation, who is appointed by the Governor of Maryland.
The decision by the Secretary will be made in consultation with
many stakeholders and elected officials in the Baltimore region:
legislators in the General Assembly, the Mayor and City Council
of Baltimore, and the Baltimore County Executive and County
Council. These officials will base their decision on technical
data from the study and input received from the public, as well
as financial considerations such as whether adequate funds are
available to construct and operate a Red Line transit route.
In order to build the Red Line, federal funds will be needed
along with state and possibly local and private-sector funds.
The federal decision-maker is the Federal Transit Administrator,
who serves under the U.S. Secretary of Transportation.
Maryland¡¯s U.S. senators and congressmen will be consulted
and asked for their recommendations, which will be affected by
the availability of federal funds, the merit of the project and the
intensity of local support.
10. Will the entire project be constructed
initially?
Possibly not, depending on financing and potential community
or environmental impacts that cannot be mitigated within the
timeframe of the project. After the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS) is completed and public hearings are held,
MTA along with its city and county partners will know more
about the constraints that could limit the project¡¯s scope. If
only a portion of the project is constructed initially, it most
certainly will include the Central Baltimore downtown segment.
11. Do state and local elected officials support
the project?
Yes. Elected leaders in Baltimore City and surrounding counties
have endorsed the Red Line as this region¡¯s top transit priority.
State legislators in Annapolis have approved planning and
design funds for the Red Line and the Maryland Congressional
Delegation has lobbied actively for the Red Line in Washington.
In 2002, the state Department of Transportation asked a 23member Advisory Committee from throughout the Baltimore
region to recommend a long-term Regional Rail System. The
Red Line emerged at the top of the list. Two years later,
4
the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board, a 10-member
panel representing the Maryland Department of Transportation,
the cities of Annapolis and Baltimore and the counties of Anne
Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard approved a
Baltimore Regional Transportation Plan called ¡°Transportation
2030.¡± It, too, named the Red Line as the No. 1 preferred
transit investment. The Baltimore Metropolitan Council,
made up of the mayor and county executives from the region,
consistently has given strong support to the Red Line.
12. What are the roles of the State of Maryland,
Baltimore City and Baltimore County?
The State of Maryland, through the Maryland Transit
Administration, has jurisdiction over planning, developing,
acquiring, financing and operating transit facilities, including
Baltimore¡¯s various public transit modes ¨C its buses, the Light
Rail line, the Metro Subway, MARC commuter rail service and
future rapid transit routes such as the Red Line.
The role of local governments is advisory, but extremely
important. In order to secure crucial federal transit funds for
capital projects, consensus and strong support from local
jurisdictions are essential. The MTA looks to the federally
designated Metropolitan Planning Organization for the
Baltimore region ¨C the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board
¨C to coordinate transportation planning for capital projects
such as the Red Line.
Public input is key to determining project specifics ¨C the
preferred alignment, station locations, and type of rapid transit
vehicle ¨C because local governments do not make their final
recommendations known until after listening to local citizens.
That is why the outcome of public hearings on the Red Line¡¯s
Draft Environmental Impact Statement, scheduled for the Spring
of 2008, will be important. Once local residents voice their
opinions at these sessions and written comments are received
by the MTA, local governments will deliver their suggestions
and recommendations. A locally preferred alternative will be
approved by the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board and
endorsed by the chief executives of the region at a meeting of
the Baltimore Metropolitan Council. Only then will the MTA
make decisions on the preferred alignment, station sites, type of
transit vehicles, cost estimate and funding mechanisms.
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