The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) has introduced six potential options for the proposed Red Line, a crucial transit project aimed at enhancing connectivity along Baltimore’s east-west corridor.
The proposal includes an extensive comparison of metrics such as cost, ridership, and other critical factors for both light rail and bus rapid transit (BRT) possibilities, encompassing three distinct alignment variations.
Using the Federal Transit Administration’s STOPS program, a data modeling tool harnessing U.S. Census data, current public transit ridership statistics, and various datasets, the MTA has generated travel and ridership projections for the transit initiatives. This modeling analysis is considered “highly recommended” for projects seeking capital funding through specific federal grants, according to MTA Administrator Holly Arnold.
Among the proposed alternatives, “Alternative 1” stands out as the option bearing the closest resemblance to the alignment that was abandoned by former Gov. Larry Hogan in 2015. It incorporates a light rail tunnel and outperforms others in terms of projected travel time for the east-west corridor, overall ridership, and trips originating from households without cars.
The analysis anticipates a 45-minute end-to-end journey from western Baltimore County to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, approximately 10 minutes faster than surface-level alternatives that bypass a tunnel. Projections indicate as many as 35,500 daily riders.
The release of the technical analysis coincides with a series of four Red Line open house meetings, the first of which was held Thursday, Nov. 2. The meetings will continue through Thursday, Nov. 9. These meetings offer the public an opportunity to provide input on the proposed alternatives.
Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld emphasized the significance of community involvement.
“The Red Line will have a dramatic, positive impact on communities all along the east-west corridor, and it’s imperative we share ideas and information with residents, officials, and stakeholders every step of the way,” Wiedefeld said. “Working together, we can make the Red Line a crown jewel of Maryland’s world-class transportation network. I strongly encourage everyone to participate in making that vision a reality.”
The analysis is structured around “measures of effectiveness,” allowing the public to assess and compare the six proposed alternative maps. These measures consider mode choice (light rail or bus rapid transit), tunneling components, and alignment. Feedback from stakeholders and the public, gathered during previous open houses and engagement activities held over the summer, informed the development of these measures.
Preliminary results of the analysis indicate favorable performance across all alternatives, improving access, reliability, and stimulating economic growth. Nevertheless, differences emerge in terms of ridership, travel times, costs, and time required for implementation. Notably, tunnel options promise significant travel time savings compared to surface running options but come with a substantially higher cost and a longer implementation timeline.
The MTA strongly encourages public participation and feedback at the open house meetings. During these sessions, the Red Line project team will present and discuss the analysis results, offering comprehensive information on what each option could mean for Baltimore. For those unable to attend the meetings, all materials and information are accessible on the project website.
I would like to know the ridership numbers of the Light Rail and the Metro.