One of the Central Maryland Transportation Alliance top priorities is advocacy and support for the Red Line Transit Project.

Please take time to view our Baltimore's Red Line and Transit Around The Nation II video below. It is in three parts.

Part One:

Part Two:

Part Three

FACT SHEET

• The proposed Red Line is a 14-mile east-west transit line that will provide connection between the Woodlawn area of Baltimore County, West Baltimore communities, downtown Baltimore, Inner Harbor East, Fells Point, Canton, the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center — making travel in these heavily congested corridors simpler, faster and cheaper.
• The Red Line connects directly to the Light Rail, Metro Subway and MARC Train – weaving together our many rail lines into a comprehensive transit system.
• The Red Line corridor is a great opportunity to improve travel times in a heavily congested corridor. The already crowded Route 40 corridor will have a new, faster transit option and the Fells Point/Canton/Bayview corridor will get its first rapid transit line. More than 40,000 people per day are expected to use the Red Line.
• The Red Line can reduce unhealthy auto emissions by drawing more people away from their cars and help commuters save money, especially given the rising price of gasoline and the high cost of downtown parking.
• The Red Line will appeal to many different people: commuters to jobs downtown and in the suburbs, and anyone seeking to avoid traffic congestion. For the region’s fast-growing elderly population, the Red Line offers enhanced mobility at an affordable price and an improved quality of life. The Red Line also provides people with public transit access to downtown sports, cultural and entertainment events.
• The Red Line is the most immediate and effective way to improve transportation in the Baltimore region. It is the first major step this century toward a world-class transit system that ties city and suburban communities together.
• Baltimore City is pushing for a high-quality transit project with strategic portions in a tunnel along Cooks Lane, through downtown and Fells Point. When built as a light rail line with sections in a tunnel, the Red Line will operate much like a subway, with fast, reliable travel from east to west.
• Project phases:

RED LINE COMMUNITY COMPACT

Development of the Community Compact

CMTA was a proud sponsor of the Mayor’s Red Line Community Summit that was held Saturday, May 10, 2008. As a result of the Summit, committed participants, working in partnership with the City, engaged in constructive dialogue about the Red Line Transit project and its possibilities. The success of the Red Line means many things beyond just the number of people who ride each day: opportunities for additional investment in neighborhoods, a healthy and attractive environment, minimal disruption during construction and economic empowerment for communities along the line.

At the Summit, we came away with a vision. After several weeks, working groups from these four topic areas discussed ideas and crafted the language for the Compact. The result? A comprehensive document that defines the success of the Red Line on community terms.

Guiding Principles of the Red Line Community Compact

Put Baltimore to Work on the Red Line

Establish a Red Line Economic Empowerment Office.

Use the Red Line as a model for breaking down barriers to full deployment of local resources for design and construction.

Prepare and recruit Baltimore residents to work on the Red Line.

Make the Red Line Green

Take advantage of water quality improvement opportunities.

Realize economic and environmental benefits by using clean energy on the Red Line.

Increase green space long the Red Line. Create a safe and accessible Red Line.

Insist on Community-Centered Station Design, Development & Stewardship

• Develop and fund a Red Line neighborhood investment strategy.
• Create a community-centered process for outreach and involvement in station design and development planning.
• Foster long-term community engagement and stewardship of Red Line stations.
• Use good urban design to align community identity with station design.

Aggressively Plan & Manage Construction to Limit Community Impacts

• Create early, excellent, and transparent project communications.
• Create a strong, independent monitoring and reporting program for construction impacts, with a fair, independent dispute resolution process.
• Provide direct and indirect support to affected residents and businesses.
• Develop and enforce construction restrictions and requirements which limit community disruption.
• Honor and protect community, historic and cultural resources.

To read more of the Red Line Community Compact Click Here.

Red Line Alternative Alignment/ Draft Environmental Impact Statement Document (DEIS)

The AA/DEIS presents the project’s purpose and need, analysis of the various alternatives and environmental considerations.

To voice your opinion about the Red Line Project and Alternative Modes, CMTA encourages you to attend the following Public Hearings.

Thursday, November 6
4:00PM - 9:00PM
Lithuanian Hall
851 Hollins St
Baltimore, MD 21201

Saturday, November 8
10:00AM - 3:00PM
Edmondson High School
501 N. Athol Ave.
Baltimore, MD 21229

Wednesday, November 12
4:00PM - 9:00PM
United Auto Workers Hall (UAW)
1010 Oldham St.
Baltimore, MD 21224

Thursday, November 13
4:00PM - 9:00PM
Woodlawn High School
1801 Woodlawn Dr.
Baltimore MD 21207

To read more of the AA/DEIS Document Click Here

Red Line Alternative 4C

Though there are many alignments proposed by the Maryland Department of Transportation, CMTA supports the most cost effective Alternative 4C, which would feature modern light rail, a tunnel under Cooks Lane on the western leg, and a tunnel under Baltimore’s downtown area and continuing under Fells Point before emerging to the surface in Canton. Read More

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Summary of Red Line AA/DEIS Public Hearing Comments Now Online
A summary of the hundreds of comments received on the proposed Red Line transit system is now available on the MTA project website, www.baltimoreredline.com. The comment period on the Alternatives Analysis/Draft Environmental Impact Statement (AA/DEIS) covered 90 days ending January 5, 2009 and included four public hearings held in November 2008.

The Red Line is a proposed 14-mile east-west transit line connecting the areas of Woodlawn, Edmondson Village, West Baltimore, downtown Baltimore, Inner Harbor East, Fells Point, Canton and the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Campus.

More than 650 individuals and organizations commented by e-mail, on-line, testimony at hearings, letters and mailed-in comment forms. The list of the organizations that submitted comments is included in the summary which also includes the comments of elected officials, government agencies, institutions, businesses and other organizations. Several petitions – which altogether contained more than a thousand signatures -- were submitted by organizations or individuals on the west side of the corridor and included the communities of Franklin Square, Uplands, Allendale, Hunting Ridge, Edmondson Village and the Southwest Better Neighborhood Association.

MTA is reviewing the comments and preparing a recommendation for a “locally preferred alternative” which, if approved by federal officials, will be studied in more detail in the next phase of the project which is expected to take approximately two years.

For general questions or comments about the Red Line, visit the MTA Red Line website www.baltimoreredline.com. You can also call the MTA Red Line information line at 410-767-3754 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .