The decision to go with light rail over bus rapid transit will be more expensive and take longer to complete, but proponents say it’s an investment in Baltimore’s economic future.
According to a Patch article by Megan VerHeist, Baltimore’s revived Red Line project will be a light rail system rather than bus rapid transit. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore made the announcement, which VerHeist reports “delivers on a key campaign promise made by Moore to revive the project canceled by former Gov. Larry Hogan.” The 14-mile, 19-station Red Line project will fill a gap in east-west transit service and link high-poverty neighborhoods along the proposed route to two key job hubs. It will be the first expansion of the city’s transit network in decades.
Critics of the project, including the former Gov. Hogan, who canceled the project in 2015, say it’s a waste of money. State officials estimate it will cost $3.2 to $7.2 billion to construct, and it will be years before they’ll be ready to break ground. The announcement also comes as “the state faces a major shortfall of transportation funding over the next five years, driven in part by the need to meet its obligations to Washington’s Metro system and to pay for the coming Purple Line in the D.C. suburbs,” an article in the Baltimore Banner reports.
FULL STORY: Light Rail Chosen Over Buses For Baltimore's Red Line Transit Project
Civil Rights Activists Target Baltimore Red Line Cancellation
A complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Transportation alleges that Maryland Gov. Hogan's decision to cancel the long-planned Red Line rail project violates the Civil Rights Act.
Op-Ed: Maryland Governor Is No Friend to Transit
According to this editorial, Governor Larry Hogan's decision to halt a planned $2.9 billion light rail line betrays a politically-motivated preference for roads.
Details Start to Emerge for Revived Baltimore Red Line
The long-awaited east-west transit line is moving forward with support from a new governor, but still has a long road ahead.
Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?
Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.
Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners
How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.
Colorado Lawmakers Move to Protect BRT Funding
In the face of potential federal funding cuts, CDOT leaders reasserted their commitment to planned bus rapid transit projects.
Safe Streets Funding in Jeopardy
The Trump administration is specifically targeting bike infrastructure and other road safety projects in its funding cuts.
Six Reasons Why Housing Is a Human Right
Is housing a human right? A law professor shares six reasons why it should be, from its role in protecting other rights to global recognition and U.S. legal traditions. As public support grows, could housing be the next right written into law?
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland