Considering Three Proposed Routes: Which One Would You Choose? – Update

The next stop to connect East and West Baltimore is determining if Red Line buses or trains will pass over or under downtown streets.

The Maryland Department of Transportation released three maps of proposed tunnels and surface-level routes Thursday.

The first proposed map, which is similar to the 2015 proposal nixed by former Gov. Larry Hogan, would construct a tunnel between Woodlawn in Baltimore County and the Westside Skill Center in Edmondson Village in West Baltimore. The route would also construct a tunnel between Harlem Park and Canton that passes under downtown, Harbor East and Fells Point.

The department said in a news release it will study drawbacks to tunneling.

“Options to reduce or eliminate tunneling downtown through on-street alignments that follow industry best practices will be studied further to assess costs, benefits and drawbacks to tunneling,” the department said in the news release.

Department spokesperson Veronica Battisti said the state has not yet chosen whetherthe new routes will be for buses or light rail trains.

“The mode choice has not yet been determined,” Battisti said.

The second and third proposed maps consist of all surface-level routes for buses or trains and have identical stops in West Baltimore, but differing in how they pass from downtown to Bayview.

The second proposed map follows Fleet Street and Eastern Avenue from Harbor East to stops in Fells Point and Canton along Patterson Park and to Highlandtown.

The third proposed map travels from Harbor East along the harbor with stops near Canton Waterfront Park and Canton Crossing shopping center.

The department said it is still studying how the Red Line will connect Highlandtown and Bayview.

Open houses on the proposals are held at the following times and locations:

• Thursday, Nov. 2 from 6 . to 9 p.m. at Woodlawn High School.
• Saturday, Nov. 4 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s SMC Campus Center.
• Wednesday, Nov. 8 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Greektown Square and Event Center.
• Thursday, Nov. 9 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Edmondson Westside High School.

“The Red Line is a major priority for our team and a critical project for the Baltimore region,” Maryland Transit Administrator Holly Arnold said in the news release. “The maps of the preliminary alternatives and other information will help stakeholders come to our November open houses fully prepared with questions and comments to keep the Red Line project moving forward.”

The Red Line was originally a light rail project to connect Woodlawn in western Baltimore County to Bayview in East Baltimore. Former Gov. Hogan canceled the project after the state had already spent $300 million during the initial planning process, forfeited $900 million in promised federal funding and redirected $736 million from the state to road projects primarily in suburban, white areas.

The Maryland Department of Transportation currently operates a North-South light rail line between Cockeysville in northern Baltimore County and BWI Marshall Airport. In August, the state increased bus service along the route.

“The work the Red Line project team will be doing over the next year is to specifically determine mode choice, alignment, and extent of tunneling in addition to other analysis,” Battisti said. “The goal is to identify a Locally Preferred Alternative in early 2024 and subsequently enter the federal Capital Investments Grants (CIG) program by the end of the year.”