Put a Red Line through Baltimore?

Let's face it: public transportation in Baltimore rocks...that is, if you have a lifetime bus pass. If the bus isn't really your style and your own wheels do not exist, what are your options? The Light Rail is cool, but it only runs north and south. Bummer. 

Okay, Baltimore public transport is a little lacking especially compared to our neighbor to the south, Washington, D.C.. The Washington Metro ranks among the best in the country for accessibility and safety (despite the horrific crash that killed nine commuters last year). How can Baltimore step it up?

Put a Red Line rail route that will stretch east to west. Brilliant! Take a look here at the proposed route stops. A 14.5 mile-long rail project with 20 stops and 2 tunnels. Shoot, I would take a ride on it, just because. From Woodlawn to Bayview, and all places in between, that ride will be a very cool reflection of the diversity of the Baltimore community and could hopefully open the city up more to both residents and visitors.

Plus, it could add as many as 10,000 jobs and possibly ease the strain of congestion on the area roadways. But this ambitious project is not without its detractors.  A coalition against the proposed rail line have a very interesting blog and they make several well-reasoned arguments, including sustainability and impact on residential areas .  If your neighborhood is among those to be impacted by the Red Line, it might not be a bad idea to investigate the particulars of the construction whatevers.

Oh and by the way, this whole thing could cost between $280 million and $2.4 BILLION.  According to the MTA's site, a chunk of the funding will come from the federal governement. But with the federal budget woes, plus Maryland's own fiscal headaches, can we afford this? With the growing population and stress on the current transportation infrastructure, can we afford not to?

The Red Line is currently not a sure thing. Its getting a heavy push, especially from Governor O'Malley but its future depends on if the money is available. If everything falls into place, construction could begin in 2013 and if everything runs on schedule (smirk), the shiny new Light Rail could be ready to roll around 2015-16ish.