Maryland advances potential development of new transit corridor

The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) this week announced it has completed the first phase of a feasibility study of a proposed east-west regional transit corridor.

The study was conducted as part of the Regional Transit Plan, a 25-year strategic plan to improve public transportation in central Maryland. Through a better transit system, the state aims to increase equitable access to employment and opportunities. The new corridor would establish regional connections between the city and the two counties, MDOT MTA officials said in a press release.

The study area includes Essex, Bayview, downtown Baltimore, West Baltimore, Woodlawn and Ellicott City. Alternatives were developed using stakeholder feedback and an analysis of travel patterns, ridership, land use and market conditions.

Seven proposed alternatives were identified based on factors such as reliability, travel time, guideway type, ridership, household access, student need, employment potential, equity, cost risk and implementation time. Three of those alternatives involve rail:

• heavy-rail transit (Metro SubwayLink) from Bayview to Edmondson Village;
• light-rail transit from Essex to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Social Security Administration via Bayview and Johns Hopkins Hospital; and
• light-rail transit from Bayview to CMS/SSA via the waterfront.

MDOT MTA is seeking public comment until Aug. 1. A study for a potential north-south transit corridor is expected to be released later this summer.