Baltimore's Red Line project is one step closer to reality

BALTIMORE -- Baltimore's largest mass transit project in decades is yet another step closer to reality.

State officials had been weighing a rapid bus or a light rail option for the future east- west transit line and they argue trains will be used more than buses.

"To get here, it took a journey," Governor Wes Moore said.

It has been a decades-long journey.

10 years ago it appeared close to getting started, with much of the planning and engineering steps complete.

The state had already spent 300 million dollars when then-Governor Hogan canceled the project, calling it "a boondoggle", returning 900 million dollars to the federal government.

"Our predecessor pulled the plug and said that this was not needed...but, I know for the people of this city and for the people of this state it was very much needed," Moore said.

Potential construction is still years away, with funding still uncertain.

"This is the right choice for Baltimore," Moore said. He stressed he would not raise taxes to build the red line and pointed to these types of projects as a reason to re-elect Joe Biden.

"We are going to be very, very aggressive in getting this shovel in the ground," Paul Wiedefeld of MDOT secretary said.

A Johns Hopkins mathematics professor also made the point that, "this is where the workers live, and this is where the jobs are," as to why the Red Line would be beneficial to the city.

Johns Hopkins researchers this month released a study showing the Red Line would significantly increase accessibility to the region's jobs and decrease commute times.

The lieutenant governor called the project "transit justice."

"Baltimore, with its history marked by redlining, now has the opportunity to uplift its future by the Red Line," Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller said.

The Board of Public Works this month approved 100 million dollars to an engineering firm to advance the project.

The east- west line would connect Woodlawn to Johns Hopkins Bayview, through several communities.