Governor Hogan Says No To The Red Line

Baltimore City will receive none of the $2 billion dollars Governor Hogan pledged to spend on transit in the state of Maryland, cancelling the Red Line project and leaving behind thousands of residents who depend on public transportation.

The decision not to move forward with Baltimore City’s east-west light rail line will cost the city thousands of future jobs and expanded economic development, while also eliminating the potential for greater access to healthcare and educational opportunities for a large number of residents.

Many were caught off guard by Governor Hogan’s decision, given that hundreds of millions of dollars in state funds had already been spent on the design and engineering of this project. In addition, the state had secured $900 million in federal funds for the project, which would have covered almost one third of its total $2.9 billion costs. With the termination of this project, the state will forfeit these funds.

Perhaps more importantly, killing the Red Line seems to fly in the face of the governor’s commitment to improving the lives of Baltimore residents. Upgrading transit connections between impoverished neighborhoods and job centers would provide many residents with a way to lift themselves out of poverty.

Baltimore leaders were extremely displeased with the governor’s decision, feeling that this decade long project was a necessary investment into the future of the city.

State Del. Maggie McIntosh, a Baltimore Democrat who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, said she was blindsided by the action. “To say I’m disappointed by the loss of the Red Line would be an understatement.”

Donald C. Fry, president of the Greater Baltimore Committee, said he was “very frustrated” by the decision to cancel a transit project the business group has supported since its inception in 2002. He continued in saying that, “it would set back the effort to improve rail transportation by at least a decade.”

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake was also taken back by Governor Hogan’s decision, quoted saying that she was “disheartened’ by the decision.

During the press conference, the Governor Hogan expressed his commitment to finishing the Purple Line. Despite a number of modifications to the original plan, the governor plans to have this project completed in approximately 5 years. Governor Hogan estimated that the project will now only cost the state $168 million opposed to the original estimated cost of 700 million. He anticipates cost savings by requiring Montgomery and Prince Georges counties to fund the project at a higher level than previously agreed on and through the inclusion of the private sector. Governor Hogan plans to use savings from the red and purple lines to repair a number of roads, bridges, and highways throughout the state.

City leaders should continue to help Baltimore City residents gain greater access to transit. This goal, through the connection of the east and west sides of the city, is just as important today as it was before Governor Hogan’s announcement. In fact, several options are already on the table, and they should be pursued aggressively.