1. A People’s Plan for Baltimore Transit

2. Crises Confronting Baltimore Transit
Transit investment hasn’t focused on promoting affordable housing, driving job creation, or reducing violence
Our city is paralyzed by slow bus service and lack of service expansion to those who need it
The people of Baltimore never had a say in BaltimoreLink
Our deteriorating, unsafe rail system desperately needs repair
Divestments like Hogan’s Red Line cut must be rolled back

3. Why is transit in Baltimore unreliable?
Traffic Congestion
Boarding Delay
#1. Paying the Driver
#2. Dealing with Steps
Intersection Delay
Speed restrictions due to poor infrastructure maintenance
Fleet too small
Long routes
Weak operational control

4. Why is transit in Baltimore unreliable?
2. Boarding Delay
#1. Paying the Driver
Passengers boarding Rt. 91 at Lexington Market, >2 minute delay
#2. Dealing with Steps

5. Why is transit in Baltimore unsafe?
Persistent rodent infestations in stations expose passengers and workers to transmittable diseases
Flooding of critical safety and operational equipment in stations
Faulty wiring and exposed conduits in work and public areas that can lead to electrocution
Inoperable fire management systems

6. Our People are Physically Isolated by Unreliable, Unsafe Transit
The six-line system we were promised became a one line, north-south system
The Red Line, our desperately needed east-west connection, was cancelled by Gov. Hogan
Our bus service and light rail are slow, infrequent, and fail to connect Baltimoreans to each other & to jobs
Our Metro Subway is in dangerous disrepair
BaltimoreLink is a PR plan, not an investment

7. Why is BaltimoreLink Not Enough?
Important Severed Connections
Route 19 cut
Route 15 cut
Route 7 Cut
Blue lines are CityLink routes, green lines are LocalLink routes, and grey lines are the current bus routes
Routes 11 and 27 Cut
Route 20 and 30 Cut
BRT Planning International, 2016

8. How Can We Do Better Right Now?
Invest in maintenance and public sector manpower needed to bring existing rail systems to a state of good repair
Invest $300 million in a true Bus Rapid Transit system, a people’s alternative to BaltimoreLink

9. What would true BRT in Baltimore Look Like?
Dedicated right-of-way
Dedicated lanes in the middle of the road avoid conflicts with turning vehicles, deliveries, bicycles
Off-board fare collection
Passengers buy a ticket at a vending machine. No delay paying the driver
All-door boarding
Passengers can enter through all doors at once and step on at-level with the bus floor
Intersection treatments
Transit signal priority and left turn restrictions to cars

10. Dedicated Right of Way What would true BRT in Baltimore Look Like?
Dedicated lanes in the middle of the road avoid conflicts with turning vehicles, deliveries, bicycles
Cleveland HealthLine BRT
BRT Planning International, 2016

11. infrastructure be built?
Where could BRT
infrastructure be built?
BRT Planning International, 2016

12. infrastructure be built?
Where should BRT
infrastructure be built?
Where neighborhoods are decaying
Where violence needs reducing
Abandoned properties (red)
And Homicides in 2013 (green)
BRT Planning International, 2016

13. Has BRT Actually Worked Anywhere?
Cleveland’s HealthLine BRT: 9.2 miles
Build cost: $65 million
Investment generated: $6 billion
For $1 invested, $114 generated
Highest ROI of any transit project in the nation
13,000 new jobs; 4,000 new residential units
7.9 million square feet in development

14. But Would BRT Work in Baltimore?
True BRT in Baltimore: miles
Build Cost: $287 million
Ridership: ~154,000 daily riders vs Cleveland’s 15,000
Baltimore BRT would perform well under FTA cost effectiveness analysis.
Average old bus boarding time: 4 seconds per passenger; 110 for PWD
Average new BRT boarding time: 0.3 seconds

15. Conclusion
With true BRT infrastructure, we can improve bus frequency and eliminate the delays that leave bus riders stranded every day
With dedicated funding for maintenance in our existing rail system, we can save lives and improve service quality for subway riders
With investment in our existing rail system and a true BRT system, we can help:
connect Baltimoreans to job centers,
expand areas where affordable housing is viable,
reduce unemployment & unaffordability that contribute to violence
With a plan drafted by transit workers and their allies, we can replace and improve BaltimoreLink in a way that actually serves the people of Baltimore