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

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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.

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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,

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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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