Maryland to relaunch Baltimore Red Line project

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore last week announced plans to relaunch Baltimore's Red Line project to improve east-west transportation across the region.

Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan canceled the $2.9 billion project in 2015. Multiple civil rights groups filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation alleging discrimination against Baltimore's Black population, which would have heavily benefited from the project, according to the Legal Defense Fund.

The project was proposed almost 20 years ago and sought to fill the east-west transit gap from downtown Baltimore to the west side of the city, increase access to work and activity centers, provide connections to other existing transportation modes, offer more commuter choices and support economic development, state officials said in a press release.

"Nearly a decade ago, the previous administration cut the Red Line project at a time when Baltimore was reeling from one of the most trying eras in recent history — but now is the time for us to get this right," said Moore. "We’re going to work together and seize this moment in our nation’s history when the stars are aligned to invest in public transit."

Last year, a state east-west corridor feasibility study found that all corridor options would attract enough ridership to support frequent transit service throughout the day and improve travel times and reliability for transit riders.

In the coming months, the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration will lead the development phase, which will consider which mode of transit to use — light rail or bus rapid transit — as well as tunneling options, alignment and environmental changes since the project was canceled. Additionally, MDOT MTA will apply to the Federal Transit Administration's Capital Investment Grants program, which would make available significant federal funding for the project, state officials said.