1. Why are we studying Green Line and how will it improve mobility in Baltimore?

2. Who is the Green Line trying to serve?

3. What are the goals of the Green Line?

4. What areas and neighborhoods are included in the Green Line Corridor Transit study?

5. What is the relationship of Green Line Corridor study to the Red Line Corridor study?

6. What types of transit options are being considered for the Green Line?

7. How will the different Green Line alternatives be compared and evaluated?

8. What kinds of studies are being performed to decide the alignment of the Green Line?

9. What is the schedule of the study and when will the decision be made?

10. How can I participate in the project?

1. Why are we studying Green Line and how will it improve mobility in Baltimore?

The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) initiated the Green Line Corridor Transit Study, or Green Line, as one of the first steps in implementing the Baltimore Regional Rail Plan, a 40-year plan to create a 109-mile regional rail network to serve the Baltimore metropolitan area. Adopted in 2002, the Baltimore Regional Rail Plan defined the Green Line as a 17-mile extension of the existing Baltimore Metro service from its current terminus at Johns Hopkins Medical Center to White Marsh. The segment of the Green Line from Johns Hopkins to Morgan State University was identified as one of the top three priority projects to begin implementation of the Baltimore Regional Rail Plan.

Once implemented, the Green Line will provide a better transit connection between Morgan State University, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and downtown Baltimore. An extension of Metro subway service by rail or bus would create the potential for an enhanced intermodal station that could better accommodate connecting bus service, incorporate commuter parking, provide better access from the region’s roadways, serve to revitalize surrounding neighborhoods, and create a platform for Transit Oriented Development. The service will also provide new connections to the existing and planned services in the Baltimore regional transit network. Back to top...

2. Who is the Green Line trying to serve?

As an extension of the existing and planned transit network, the Green Line will be able to serve a variety of people. Residents in areas surrounding the Green Line will be able to use it to reach jobs in Downtown Baltimore and shopping centers such as the newly-renovated Mondawmin Mall. Employees and visitors will be able to reach the new biotech park being developed north of Johns Hopkins. Students and faculty will be able to use the service to reach Morgan State University directly, reducing the parking crunch in its surrounding neighborhoods. The new Green Line would also be a boon to those residents of the area without access to an automobile. Back to top...

3. What are the goals of the Green Line?

The goals of the Green Line project are to:

• Improve mobility, accessibility and transit ridership in the Baltimore Metropolitan Area;
• Identify near-term transit improvements that can be easily Implemented;
• Identify a viable and community supported long-term alternative for federal funding;
• Support community revitalization and economic growth;
• Optimize return on public investment;
• Improve efficiency of transit operations; and,
• Enhance environmental quality.
  

These goals summarize the overall intent of the Green Line. Throughout the study, we will work with community and business leaders to understand the specific needs and opportunities they would like to see addressed as part of this study. Back to top...

4. What areas and neighborhoods are included in the Green Line Corridor Transit study?

The current Green Line study will examine the area between Johns Hopkins Medical Center and Morgan State University, including the neighborhoods of Middle East, Broadway East, South Clifton Park, Darley Park, Coldstream Homestead Montebello, Ednor Gardens-Lakeside, and Hillen. Back to top...

5. What is the relationship of Green Line Corridor study to the Red Line Corridor study?

The Green Line and the Red Line are two separate studies being conducted to implement different portions of the Baltimore Regional Rail Plan. The Red Line is designed to provide an east-west connection through the City of Baltimore. It connects the areas between Woodlawn in western Baltimore County through the downtown Central Business District to the Canton-Patterson Park area, then continuing on towards the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. The Green Line is planned to connect Northeast Baltimore to the rail network. Connections between the Red Line and the existing Green Line are being considered as part of the Red Line study. Back to top...

6. What types of transit options are being considered for the Green Line?

The Green Line study is currently investigating a full range of modes, alignments, and station locations. The modes of transit being considered for the Green Line are Light Rail Transit (LRT), Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), and Heavy Rail Transit (HRT). Alignment options include tunnels, aerial structures, street-running services, and dedicated transit lanes. No decisions have been made yet about the modes, alignments, or station locations. These will be determined through a combination of technical analysis and ongoing discussions with the residents, employees, and community leaders affected by the Green Line. Back to top...

7. How will the different Green Line alternatives be compared and evaluated?

The alternatives developed for the Green Line study will be evaluated using a process established by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). This process is called the New Starts process and will ensure that the alternatives can be compared to one another in an unbiased way; they also ensure that the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) that is recommended at the end of this study can be compared against other projects around the United States that are competing for federal funding.

Each of the alternatives will be measured against five types of evaluation criteria:

• Effectiveness: how well the project solves the stated transportation problems in the corridor;
• Impacts: the extent to which the project supports economic development, environmental or local policy goals;
• Cost-effectiveness: a measure of the costs of the project versus the travel time savings it would create;
• Financial feasibility: the availability of funds to build and operate the project; and,
• Equity: the distribution of costs and benefits over the people in the study area.

At each stage of the study, we will be using increasingly detailed measures to eliminate those alternatives unlikely to meet the goals and objectives of the project. Most importantly, we will be looking for input from residents and community leaders to understand how to make the alternatives support community goals and meet local needs. Back to top...

8. What kinds of studies are being performed to decide the alignment of the Green Line?

The Green Line study will examine the full range of potential benefits and impacts that may result from the alternatives under consideration. At the beginning of this study, we began by looking at the existing and future conditions in the study area, including:

• Transportation data: existing and future congestion on major roadways; travel patterns in the study area and the region; existing transit services; and, transit ridership patterns.
• Land use data: existing and future land use patterns; ongoing development; and, potential economic development opportunities.
• Physical and environmental constraints: community resources; water resources; parklands; archaeological and historic resources; and, parklands.

As the study progresses, more detailed work will be done to estimate the costs, ridership, benefits, and impacts associated with the project. The purpose of these studies will be to provide information to decision makers to allow them to make informed choices about which alternative is most appropriate to recommend as the LPA. Back to top...

9. What is the schedule of the study and when will the decision be made?

The study is currently in the initial stages of an Alternatives Analysis (AA), the first in several steps in FTA’s New Starts Project Development and Planning process. The tentative schedule for the AA is as follows:

10. How can I participate in the project?

You can participate in this project in a variety of ways:

• Attend public meetings. We will be having public meetings throughout the study. At each meeting, we will offer numerous ways for you to provide your input to the project team: asking questions to our staff, participating in discussions with our team and other stakeholders, and filling out comment cards that will be provided at each meeting. Upcoming Public Meetings Include:
  • Fall 2008: Conceptual Alternatives
  • Spring 2009: Detailed Alternatives
• Visit our project website. Our website at www.baltimoregreenline.com will keep you informed of the latest progress and give you a chance to submit a comment form with your questions and suggestions.
• Get on our mailing list. Sign up for our mailing list at public meetings or on our website to receive newsletters and notifications about upcoming meetings in your neighborhood.
• Mail us your comments. Comments may be sent to: Mr. George Hill, Office of Planning, Maryland Transit Administration, 6 St. Paul Street, 9th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202.
• Request a presentation. We would be happy to meet with community groups to present the project and discuss your concerns. Please contact Anthony Brown, Rosborough Communications, (410) 553-9874 to arrange such a meeting.

Your participation in this project is critical to its success. We look forward to working with you as we move forward with the Green Line study. Back to top...