The Central Maryland Transportation Alliance endorses The Maryland Transit Administration’s (MTA) Alternative 1 as the best of the six Red Line alternatives. It will attract the highest ridership, will be faster and more reliable, will provide the greatest improvement in access to jobs for all residents, and will provide the greatest improvement in access to jobs for vulnerable populations.
The Greater Baltimore region is the most economically productive in Maryland. At the heart of the region, Baltimore City is the fastest growing large economy in Maryland, and the eighth fastest in the U.S. The Greater Baltimore region is also a place where there are wide disparities in health, wealth, and access to opportunities. We demand excellent transportation in the Greater Baltimore region that supports economic growth and improves access to opportunities for all residents.
If we are going to have excellent transportation, we must build public transportation that riders will use. People use public transportation more if it is fast, frequent, and reliable, and connects people to jobs and other important destinations.
According to the Measures of Effectiveness that the MTA published to help the public evaluate the alternatives, Alternative 1 (slide 17) would attract the highest ridership.
Additionally:
• It would be the fastest of the alternatives, largely because it includes some tunneling. Surface-running options are slower because they must stop for urban interference (cars, trucks, buses, trains, bikes, and pedestrians that need to cross at intersections).
• The tunnel alternatives would be more reliable than the surface-running alternatives because there is less urban interference, that is, fewer interactions with pedestrians, delivery trucks, cars, and other things that could cause stoppages and delays.
• Our own analysis, working with the foundation TransitCenter, and the Sustainable Mobility Research Consultant, Willem Klumpenhouwer, finds that all the alternatives would improve access to jobs, but that the tunneled alternatives would improve it most.
We support the pledge that Governor Moore made, joined by leaders including County Executive Olszewski and Mayor Scott, when he said “we’re going to build the Red Line.” Alternative 1 is the best alternative for doing that.
