Several light rail stops will be temporarily closed this weekend while the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) replaces a section of rail in downtown Baltimore.
On Saturday and Sunday, shuttle service will be in place to support riders between North Avenue to Camden Station and the six closed stops in between: Mt. Royal/MICA, Cultural Center/State Center, Mt. Vernon, Lexington Market, Baltimore Arena, and Convention Center.
“This track replacement project is an investment in the long-term quality of our system and onboard experience,” said Maryland Transit Administrator Holly Arnold in a statement. “We thank our riders for their patience as we undertake this essential work.”
These improvements are part of MTA’s efforts to maintain the light rail system and give riders a smoother, more reliable ride experience.
After the COVID-19 pandemic devastated ridership on the light rail beginning in the first quarter of 2020 through much of 2021, ridership has improved in fits and starts since then, often connected with school breaks and other factors.
MTA’s website shows ridership on the light rail bouncing back in the first third of 2024, with monthly ridership just over 400,000 in January, February, and April, and at around 380,000 in March. That is still nowhere near peak numbers in 2016, when ridership was routinely over 650,000 monthly riders. It had, however, already dipped to under 600,000 monthly users on numerous occasions before the pandemic hit.
Construction on the light rail begins on Saturday, Aug. 10, at 5 a.m. and the light rail stops will reopen on Monday, Aug. 12 at 5 a.m. During that time, shuttle buses will operate approximately every 20 minutes.
The MTA will keep riders informed with signs at each station, platform announcements, updates on their social media feeds and the agency’s website, and through the e-alert notification system. The MTA will also place Transit Ambassadors at the impacted light rail stops to assist riders who need it.
Passengers can also call the Transit Information Contact Center at 410-539-5000.
