THE TRANSIT SYSTEM IN
BALTIMORE IS BROKEN AND WE ARE
GOING TO FIX IT.
JASON: WITH THE RED LINE
PROJECT
DEAD, HOW DO YOU FIX THE
PROBLEMS ARE YOU WE WILL HEAR
FROM REAL PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT THEY
NEED -- THEY THINK NEEDS TO
HAPPEN NEXT AND MTA ACTIVISTS.
HI EVERYONE, WELCOME TO11 TV
HILL.
ONE POTENTIAL FIX
TO THE
TROUBLED RED LINE PROJECT WAS 15
YEARS IN THE MAKING BUT
DEPENDING YOU ASK, THE FUTURE
WAS NEVER CERTAIN.
EACH DAY BY RAIL AND ROAD,
MILLIONS USE MASS TRANSIT IS
THEIR WAY OF GETTING AROUND
BALTIMORE.
BUT SOME COMMUNITIES HAVE FELT
UNDERSERVED.
ENTER THE RED LINE, PLAN DATING
BACK TO 2002.
THE 14 MILE SPAN WAS GOING TO
JOIN WEST AND EAT A LIGHT RAIL
WITH WOODLAWN SOCIAL SECURITY
COMPLEX ON THE WEST AND THE
JOHNS HOPKINS THEY VIEW CAP IS
TO THE EAST.
DESIGNERS TOUTED AN INTERMODAL
CONNECTION JOINING CURRENT BUS
ROUTES, THE CENTRAL LIGHT RAIL
LINE, AND A MARKED COMMUTER
LINE.
GETTING THERE WOULD HAVE PLENTY
OF STOPS PHYSICALLY AND
FINANCIALLY.
THE 2.2
BILLION DOLLAR PROJECT
WAS PARTIALLY FUNDED BY
WASHINGTON AND THE STATE DREW
CRITICISM FOR ITS CAUSE,
ITS
ROUTE, AND THE EXPENSIVE DIGGING
OF ONE TUNNEL AND IN THE END, IT
MAY HAVE BEEN DONE IN.
THE CURRENT PROPOSAL MAKES NO
SENSE.
IT DOES NOT MAKE ECONOMIC SENSE
AT ALL.
JASON: IT WAS ONE OF 2
RAIL
PROJECTS ON THE DRAWING BOARD
PRINT A PURPLE LINE BETWEEN
BETHESDA NEW CARROLLTON IN
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY WOULD BE
SPARED BUT WITH HOGAN SLAHING
STATE FUNDING.
LAWMAKERS MET TO REMEDY
BALTIMORE'S TRANSIT TROUBLE.
WE WANT THE RED LINE BUT IF
HE'S GOT SOMETHING UP THAT WILL
HELP PEOPLE MOVE FROM PLACE TO
PLACE AND GET TO WORK AND BE
ABLE TO GENERATE JOBS IN OUR
CITY, THEN I AM ALL YEARS.
JASON: THE PROMISE FROM
ANNAPOLIS HAS BEEN AN IMPROVED
SYSTEM --
AN IMPROVED BUS SYSTEM
FOR BALTIMORE.
THEY SAY IT WILL WORK BETTER
THAN A RED LINE AND IMPACT MORE
NEIGHBORHOODS ALONG WITH BETTER
ROADS AND BRIDGES.
IS THAT ENOUGH?
TO GIVE YOU SOME PERSPECTIVE
INTO THIS ISSUE,
ACCORDING TO
THE AMERICAN PUBLIC
TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION,
TRAVELERS TOOK 10.8 ALIEN TRIPS
ON MASS TRANSIT WHICH IS THE
HIGHEST IT'S BEEN IN 58 YEARS.
SINCE 1995, RIDERSHIP IS A 39%
AND THE NUMBERS ARE TRENDING UP
LOCALLY.
THE RIDERSHIP INCREASED 2.2%
LAST HER BUT BUS RIDERSHIP TOOK
THE BIGGEST JUMP, 8.2%.
JOINING US NOW IS ALL
COMFORT,
ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE MTA AND
BRIAN O'MALLEY AND RICH HALL
FROM CITIZEN PLANNING AND
HOUSING ASSOCIATION AND THANK
YOU ALL FOR JOINING US.
WE KNOW THAT THE RED LINE IS THE
BIG STORY BUT WE WILL TRY TO
MAKE THIS PART OF THE DISCUSSION
TODAY.
THE GOVERNOR SPOKE ABOUT THE RED
LINE RECENTLY.
HE MENTIONED TRANSPORTATION IS
ONE OF A HANDFUL OF THINGS HE
WANTS TO REMEDY.
HE SAYS IMPROVING TRANSPORTATION
OF BALTIMORE'S CRITICAL.
THE CITY WILL SOMEHOW MANAGED TO
FUNCTION ON A MISMATCHED
DISCONNECTED RAIL LINE.
THERE ARE BUS ROWS THAT DON'T
CONNECT PEOPLE TO JOBS.
THAT'S A LOT FROM THE GOVERNOR.
TALK TO US ABOUT THAT.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME HERE.
I AGREE WITH THE GOVERNOR THAT
-- I HAVE BEEN HERE 100 DAYS AT
THE MPA AND I HAVE BEEN
LISTENING TO GROUPS AND WRITING
THE VEHICLES.
I HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT THE
ROUTES AND THE ROUTES NEED TO BE
IMPROVED ON THE BUSES.
WE HAVE 380,000 PEOPLE PER
DAY THAT RISE THE BUSES.
ABOUT A QUARTER MILLION RIDE ON
BUS AND 35,000 RIGHT IN THE
METRO SYSTEM AND 25,000 ON THE
LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM.
THE BUS SYSTEM DOES NOT
EFFECTIVELY INTERCONNECT THE
OTHER MODES OF MARC, METRO AND
LIGHT RAIL.
WE NEED BETTER CONNECTING.
WE HAVE NOT HAD R A NEWUN
CUT IN
BALTIMORE CITY IN 10 YEARS.
JASON: I SEE YOU NOT IN YOUR
HEADS, WHAT DO YOU THINK?
I THINK WE ARE TALKING ABOUT
A SYSTEM, WE WANT A SYSTEM
THAT
MAKES A STRONG REGION THAT MEANS
CONNECTING PEOPLE TO JOBS.
I'M GLAD THAT
CAME UP AND I
MEANS INTERCONNECTING THE
DIFFERENT MODES AND WE ARE NOT
STUCK WITH ONLY ONE OPTION
REGARDLESS OF HOW CONGESTED THE
ROADS MAY BE OR HOW MUCH FUEL
COSTS.
IT WILL BE STRONGER AND MORE
RESILIENT IF WE HAVE AN
INTERCONNECTED SYSTEM OR YOU CAN
TAKE THE BUS TO THE TRAIN OR
DRIVE TROY PERKINS -- OR DRIVE
TO A PARK AND RIDE.
JASON: YOU HAVE HAD SOME TOWN
HALL MEETINGS AND PEOPLE
-- SOME
PEOPLE FEEL UNDERSERVED.
WHAT WOULD THEY LIKE TO SEE
CHANGED?
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.
I THINK A LOT OF THE
CHALLENGES
OF THE EXISTENT SYSTEM
, THE RED
LINE WOULD HAVE ADDRESSED MANY
PROBLEMS BUT IT WOULD NOT BE A
SILVER BULLET.
THERE ARE REASON WHY THE
--
THERE IS A REASON WHY WAS STUDY
FOR 10 YEARS AND WAS PART OF A
THOUGHTFUL REAL PLAN.
THAT STILL IS SOMETHING TO
RECOGNIZE WHAT WE LOST FROM THAT
AND THE FUNDS THAT WOULD HAVE
GONE TO IT WHEN OUT TO ROADS.
SOME OF THEM WILL HELP PUSH THE
SPRAWL IN CERTAIN PARTS OF THE
STATE.
WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON THAT ISSUE
AND WHAT WE CAN DO GOING FORWARD
FOR HOW IT CAN PREVENT THOSE
TYPES OF BAD TRANSPORTATION
DECISIONS GOING FORWARD AND
LOSING THE PROJECT AND NOT GOING
TO THE NEXT BEST PROJECT BUT
LOSING THE FUNDING THAT
SUPPORTED THAT PROJECT.
THAT IS SOMETHING WE HAVE HEARD
LOUD AND CLEAR.
WE WANT TO ARTICULATE THAT WE
ALSO WANT TO MOVE FORWARD IN
WORKING WITH PAUL AND OTHERS TO
FIX WHAT WE HAVE.
WE WANT TO MAKE THE SYSTEM MORE
EFFICIENT.
WE ARE HEARING ABOUT RESOURCES.
WE NEED TO INVEST IN THAT SYSTEM
AND MAKE IT AS EFFICIENT AS IT
CAN BE WITH EXISTING RESOURCES
BUT WE'VE GOT TO ADD RESOURCES
TO IT TO IMPROVE IT.
AND TO BETTER LINK THE BEST SO
-- THE BUS SYSTEM TO OTHER
MODES.
OUR FOCUS IS MORE
COMMUNITY-BASED, PLANNING IN THE
CITY, AND IN THE BALTIMORE
REGION.
ONE PERSON I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT
FROM EVENT LAST TUESDAY IS
CYNTHIA SHAW.
SHE IS THE PRESIDENT
OF
LYNDHURST COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
AND SPOKEN OUR EVENT.
SHE SPOKE UP AND HAS BEEN
IN
THE COMMUNITY MANY DECADES.
SHE WORKED HARD WITH THE RED
LINE STAFF TO NOT ONLY TALK
ABOUT WHERE IT WOULD GO AND
CONNECTED TO JOBS AND EDUCATION
AND OTHER THINGS BUT ALSO HOW
SHE HAS WORKED HARD WITH HER
COMMUNITY TO WORK ON THINGS
AROUND THE STATION LIKE
LANDSCAPING AND BETTER RETAIL.
JASON: LET'S TALK ABOUT THE
PROJECT MOVING EAST TO WEST.
YOU CAN SEE WERE THE SUBWAY GOES
SO THERE IS DIFFICULTY WITH THE
RAPID TRANSIT MOVING.
MANY PEOPLE THOUGHT
THIS WOULD
BE THE SAVIOR TO WHAT THE
PROBLEM MAY BE.
THE GOVERNOR HAS A PLAN.
TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK WILL
WORK.
I AGREE THE SYSTEM NEEDS TO
BE REALIGNED.
THE OLD SYSTEM IN PLACE NOW,
SOME OF THE BUS ROUTES GO BACK
40 YEARS.
A LOT OF BUS STOPS HAVE BEEN PUT
IN PLACE AS A RESULT OF
POLITICAL DECISIONS.
THE WHOLE SYSTEM NEEDS TO
BE
LOOKED AT WITH ALL THE DATA WE
HAVE NOW.
THERE WAS A 2-
YEAR PROJECT THAT
HAPPENED BEFORE I GOT HERE AND
WE HAVE TAKEN THAT DATA AND AT
HAD INPUT FROM 1100 PEOPLE AND
WE HAVE MET WITH GROUPS
LISTENING TO PASSENGER GROUPS
AND ADVOCACY GROUPS AND THEY SAY
THERE NEEDS -- IT SHOULD NOT
TAKE 90 MINUTES TO DO ON A BUS
WHAT IT TAKES 20 MINUTES TO DO
IN A CAR.
THE ROUTES NEED TO BE
RESTRUCTURED AND TO MODERNIZE
THEM WERE PEOPLE WANT TO GO
TODAY AND THAT MEANS EAST-WEST
CONNECTIONS THAT DON'T HAVE TO
GO DOWN INTO DOWNTOWN BUSINESS
DISTRICT.
THE AND SECRETARY WILL MAKE AN
ANNOUNCEMENT IN OCTOBER ABOUT
REVAMPING THE WHOLE SYSTEM.
JASON: IS THERE A BENEFIT TO
RAIL?
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THAT KIND
OF PROJECT QUESTION MARK CAN
BUSES DO THE JOB?
IT'S NOT INTERCONNECTED IS
THE PROBLEM.
WE ARE NOT LINKING PEOPLE.
WE NEED A BETTER INTERLINK WITH
THE STRUCTURE ALREADY IN PLACE
AND THAT'S A GREAT PLACE TO
START.
JASON: TALK, ACTIVITY AS FAR AS
REAL GOES -- WHAT BENEFIT CAN WE
GET FROM LIGHT OR HEAVY RAIL?
I OBJECT TO BEING
CALLED A
RAIL GUY BECAUSE I SUPPOSE -- I
SUPPORT THE WHOLE SYSTEM.
HAVING AN EAST-WEST LINE IN THE
SYSTEM SOMETHING THIS REGION HAS
BEEN ENVISIONING SINCE THE
1960'S.
WE HAD A BALTIMORE REGIONAL
TRANSIT SYSTEM PLANNED IN 1968
AND BUILT 2 OF THE LINES OF
THERE WAS ALWAYS THE IDEA FOR AN
EAST-WEST SPINE AND IT MAKES
SENSE.
RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN MEET PEOPLE
WHO LIVE IN THE CITY FOR YEARS
AND DID NOT KNOW WE HAD A
SUBWAY.
IF YOU DON'T GO THAT ONE
ROUTE,
YOU WOULD NOT KNOW IT BUT IN
OTHER CITIES, EVERYONE KNOWS
ABOUT THE TRAIN SYSTEM BECAUSE
IT GOES TO MOST PLACES YOU WANT
TO GET TO.
THE EAST-WEST LINE WOULD HAVE
ADDED THAT IT THAT WAS NEVER TO
SAY THAT WOULD SOLVE ALL THE
PROBLEMS.
WE NEED TO UPDATE THE BUS SYSTEM
AS MR. COMFORT SAID.
THOSE BUS ROUTES HAVE TO RESPOND
TO WERE THE JOB OPPORTUNITIES
NOW.
GOOD JOBS FOR
PEOPLE BETWEEN A
HIGH SCHOOL AND FOUR-YEAR
COLLEGE DEGREE ARE A LOT OF
TIMES AROUND THE REFEREE, NOT
NECESSARILY IN THE CENTRAL
BUSINESS DISTRICT.
WE HAVE A TRANSIT JOB THE GETS
YOU DOWNTOWN BUT NOT AS GOOD
MOVING PEOPLE FROM THE
NEIGHBORHOODS TO THOSE JOB
CENTERS.
AFTER THIS I WILL TALK WITH
THE FORT MEADE BASIN WE WILL
TALK ABOUT WHERE THE JOBS ARE
TODAY.
THEY ARE NOT ALL DOWNTOWN.
THEY ARE IN THE SUBURBS.
WHEN NEED BETTER SERVICE TO THE
AIRPORT AND THAT AREA WERE JOBS
ARE TO FORT MEADE.
TAKING A LOOK AT WHERE THE JOBS
ARE AND HOW TO GET PEOPLE THERE,
THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
JASON: YOU TOLD US WHAT YOU DID
WITH THE SUBWAYS AND YOU ARE
WORKING TO REHAB THOSE.
TALK ABOUT THAT PROJECT.
IN THE CAPITAL
TRANSPORTATION
PLAN OVER THE NEXT SIX YEARS,
THE STATE HAS $3.7 BILLION OF
IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR TRANSIT
SYSTEM.
PART OF THAT INCLUDES REPLACING
ALL 90 OF OUR SUBWAY CARS AND
ALL THE SIGNALS IN THE TUNNELS.
THAT WILL BE HAVE A BILLION
DOLLARS TO DO THAT.
WE ARE REHABBING THE LIGHT RAIL
TRAINS AND GETTING BRAND-NEW
BUSES.
THE INVESTMENT IS BEING MADE
UNDER THIS GOVERNOR'S
ADMINISTRATION TO MAJOR SURE WE
CAN DELIVER OUTSTANDING SERVICE.
JASON: IF YOU HAD ALL THE MONEY
IN THE WORLD, WITH -- WHERE
WOULD YOU PUT IN THE TRANSIT
SYSTEM?
YOU HAVE TO KEEP THE SYSTEM
WORKING AND REFINE IT TO WORK
BUT WE ALSO NEED THE
JOBS AND
JOBS ARE DOWNTOWN BUT THERE IS
ALSO SOME IN THE SUBURBS WHETHER
IT'S FORT MEADE OR BIG RETAIL
PLACES LIKE A RUNDLE MILLS.
THERE IS TALK ABOUT PEOPLE IN
NEED OF ENTRY-LEVEL JOBS AND HOW
HARD IT IS TO GET FROM WEST
BALTIMORE, FOR EXAMPLE, TO
SOMEWHERE LIKE ARUNDEL MILLS OR
HOWARD COUNTY.
IT WILL TAKE CREATIVITY TO MAKE
IT HAPPEN AS WELL AS INVESTMENT.
THAT WAS AN ISSUE THAT CAME UP
IN APOLL WE DID LAST WEEK.
WE NEED TO BETTER CONNECT TO
DIFFERENT MODES WITHIN THE CITY,
INSIDE THE BELTWAY.
IT'S NOT ONLY COMMUTING BUT
GETTING PEOPLE TO MOVE THAT ARE
EAST-WEST WITHIN BALTIMORE AND
THE COUNTY.
THE LINE WAS PICKED FOR A REASON
FROM SOCIAL SECURITY TO BAYVIEW
AND ACROSS.
WE CAN MAKE THIS CONNECTION WITH
SUBWAY ,MARC, BUS LINES, AND
LIGHT RAIL.