Maryland to pursue light-rail service for Baltimore's Red Line

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on June 28 announced that light rail will be the recommended mode for Baltimore’s Red Line, a major investment in transit that will address a gap in east-west service between Bayview and Woodlawn through downtown Baltimore City.

Relaunched in 2023, the Red Line will improve transit efficiency, increase access to work and activity centers, provide connections to existing transit and other transportation modes, offer more commuter choices and support economic development and community revitalization, state officials said in a press release.

The selection of light rail as the transportation mode is based on a technical analysis of access, travel time, connections, reliability and ridership, in addition to consideration of cost and public input, they said.

The Maryland Department of Transportation/Maryland Transit Administration will continue its analysis and coordination with local partners to define the route alignment, including the extent to which the project includes tunneled segments. The preferred alignment is expected to be announced by the end of this year.

The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) has initiated the federal environmental review required before final design can begin. A supplemental environmental-impact statement will be prepared and build upon the extensive work completed a decade ago. In 2015, then-Gov. Larry Hogan canceled the Red Line project.

The MTA plans to enter the Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Grants program later this year, an initial step to receiving future federal funding for the line’s construction.