MDOT MTA, local jurisdictions announce preliminary alternatives for North-South transit corridor 

The first phase of a feasibility study for development of a Regional Transit Plan (RTP) North-South Transit Corridor was completed by the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA), along with regional partners Baltimore City and Baltimore County, who are now seeking public comment on preliminary alternatives.  

The direct involvement of Baltimore County and Baltimore City has been essential in developing preliminary alternatives that prioritize equity while improving regional access and connections between Towson and Baltimore City. 

“MDOT MTA is excited to be working with our local partners to improve critical transit connections from Towson to Downtown Baltimore and improve access to jobs, education and recreation,” said MDOT MTA Administrator Holly Arnold. “This is another significant step in the continued effort to build an equitable rapid transit network and the public’s input is invaluable to the process.” 

The North-South Transit Corridor study began in May 2021 and is the second corridor study being conducted as part of the RTP, a 25-year plan released in October 2020 to improve public transportation in Central Maryland. MDOT MTA recently completed the public comment period for the RTP’s East-West Transit Corridor study. 

The North-South study area includes Lutherville, Towson, Govans, Waverly, Charles Village, Penn Station, Mount Vernon, Oldtown, Downtown Baltimore, Harbor East, South Baltimore and Port Covington. 

As with the East-West study, the preliminary alternatives for the North-South Transit Corridor were developed utilizing stakeholder feedback, a market analysis of travel patterns, transit ridership, land use and market conditions and considered heavy rail transit, light-rail transit (LRT) and bus rapid transit (BRT) as travel options. The proposed preliminary alternatives overlap significantly with portions of the CityLink Red, Green and Silver routes – the most utilized routes in the MDOT MTA local bus network. 

The proposed preliminary alternatives include: 

• LRT from Lutherville to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) via Ridgely Road, York Road, Greenmount Avenue, Orleans Street, St. Paul Street and Baltimore/Fayette streets. 
• BRT from Lutherville to UMMC via Ridgely Road, York Road, Greenmount Avenue, Hillen Avenue/Gay Street and Baltimore/Fayette streets. 
• BRT from Towson to Harbor East via York Road/Greenmount Avenue, North Avenue, Penn Station, Charles/St. Paul streets and President Street. 
• Heavy Rail (Metro SubwayLink) from Towson to Port Covington via York Road/Greenmount Avenue, 33rd Street, Charles/St. Paul streets, Penn Station and Hanover Street. 
• BRT from Towson to Port Covington via York Road/Greenmount Avenue, 33rd Street, Charles/St. Paul streets, Penn Station and Hanover Street. 
• LRT from Lutherville to Otterbein via Ridgley Road, York Road, Fairmount Avenue, Goucher Boulevard, Loch Raven Boulevard, 25th Street, Charles/St. Paul streets, Penn Station and Conway Street. 
• BRT from Towson to Harbor East via Joppa Road, Loch Raven Boulevard, The Alameda, 33rd Street, Charles/St. Paul streets, Penn Station, Pratt/Lombard streets and President Street. 

The study compares each of the preliminary alternatives using numerous measures of effectiveness including reliability, travel time, type of guideway, ridership, access to households, students’ needs, future jobs potential, equity, cost, complexity and implementation time. The wide variety of measures allows stakeholders an easy and effective way to compare various strengths and weaknesses of each alternative. 

MDOT MTA, Baltimore County and Baltimore City are seeking stakeholder feedback on the results of the analysis during a 60-day comment period that ends Nov. 7, 2022. Comments will be gathered at two virtual public meetings on Sept. 22 and Oct. 3, as well as through the project website and at pop-up events at transit stops and other locations. MDOT MTA and partner jurisdictions will utilize the feedback to determine which alternative components should be included for further study during the Alternatives Analysis Phase, which will begin this winter. Ultimately, one alternative will be developed and selected to apply for federal funding. 

Corridor studies are just one of several elements being implemented under the RTP. The North-South and East-West corridor studies, along with additional studies planned for future years, will lay the groundwork for a rapid transit network that would expand and enhance the regional transit system.