Maryland Gov. O'Malley unveils $1.5 billion in Baltimore transportation investments

Yesterday, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley announced nearly $1.5 billion in transportation investments for the Baltimore area, including $689 million for the proposed Red Line light-rail project.

The governor's announcement outlined how the state's gas tax increase would be used to fund local infrastructure and transit, as well as the potential for public-private partnerships in funding the Red Line. The governor also provided details of many projects, including:

• $689 million in state funds for right-of-way acquisition, final design and to initiate construction of the Red Line, a 14.1-mile, east-west light-rail link that will connect Woodlawn in Baltimore County to the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center campus on Baltimore City's east side;
• $46 million to operate weekend MARC commuter-rail service, starting Dec. 7 on the Penn Line from Baltimore to Union Station in Washington, D.C.; and
• $52 million for MARC improvements to purchase 10 new diesel locomotives and to add two daily round trips to weekday service on the MARC Camden Line.

The funding will be provided through the state's Transportation Investment Act of 2013, a set of long-term strategies to invest a total of $4.4 billion in the state's transportation systems over the next six years.

"To create jobs, a modern economy requires modern investments like the ones we are announcing today for the Baltimore region," O'Malley said.