Mondawmin Transit Hub

Maryland Transit Administration, in partnership with the Baltimore City Department of Transportation, is investing $20 million in Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant funds for the Mondawmin Transit Hub Project, a $33.5 million multi-modal transportation enhancement project that will perform safety, accessibility, state of good repair, and sustainability improvements at this vital transit hub in West Baltimore. 

BMORE BUS: Better Buses, Better Baltimore

BMORE BUS is a new transit plan for the for the Baltimore region that will develop recommendations for improvements to bus service types, frequency, and destinations over the next five-to-ten years. Once complete, BMORE BUS will inform the annual updates that MTA makes to bus service each fall, working to implement the priorities identified in the plan.

MARC Growth and Transformation Plan

The MARC Growth and Transformation Plan will update and expand upon the MARC Cornerstone Plan, last published in 2019, which provided strategic priorities for the system and the capital investment needed to achieve those initiatives. This long-range plan synthesizes MTA plans, policies, and reports with performance data, local and national trends, and stakeholder input. MTA is comprehensively analyzing this information to create targeted recommendations for growth and investment that coordinate with the needs of the transit system overall.

Penn-Camden Connector

The Penn-Camden Connector (PCC) project will restore a  historic rail connection, to be used primarily for passenger trains between the two Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) rail lines serving Baltimore – the Penn Line and Camden Line.  

The Red Line

The Red Line is a high-frequency, high-capacity transit line for the Baltimore Region, and will be an investment in residents’ access to jobs, education, services, and opportunities. This project addresses a major gap in east-west transit service between Bayview and Woodlawn, through downtown Baltimore City.

The Purple Line

The Purple Line is a proposed 16-mile light rail line extending from New Carrollton in Prince George's County to Bethesda in Montgomery County. It would provide a direct connection to the Metrorail Red, Green and Orange Lines. The Purple Line would also connect to MARC Train, Amtrak and local bus services.

Regional Transit Plan for Central Maryland

MTA is leading the development of a new Regional Transit Plan for Central Maryland. Providing a 25-year vision of mobility, this plan will define public transportation goals for Central Maryland including Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Harford County, and Howard County.

Statewide Transit Plan

MTA is developing a new Statewide Transit Plan to provide a 50-year vision of coordinated local, regional, and intercity transit across the state. This plan will define public transportation goals and strategies for rural, suburban, and urban regions of Maryland to provide coordinated, equitable, and innovative transit.

Zero Emission Bus Transition

In accordance with the Maryland Zero Emission Bus Transition Act, MTA submits an Annual Report detailing the Administration’s progress during the past year towards achieving zero-emissions fleet conversion goals, including an analysis of potential carbon emissions reduction and capital and operating expenses that will result from the conversion, as compared to the Administration continuing to purchase, operate, and maintain diesel buses. Current projects include:

Fast Forward

MTA is investing $43 million in our core service area through the Fast Forward: Customer Experience Enhancement Project, accelerating projects that create a transit system that is more reliable, accessible, and easier to use. Funded by the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Fast Forward improvements are targeted for final design by the end of 2023 and construction or installation in 2024.

Transit Priority Initiative

MTA is working with local jurisdictions to increase bus reliability, speed and passenger safety throughout the BaltimoreLink system. MTA has pursued a data-driven approach to identify opportunities in the system, focusing on reliability, bus speeds, and travel delays at bus stops. Potential targeted investments to the roadway that prioritize transit riders include curb-extensions at bus stops, transit signal priority, dedicated bus lanes, queue jumps, and more. Current corridor efforts include:

Transit Hubs Initiative

Transit Hubs are transfer points for multiple transit routes or modes. Typically, a transit hub includes enhanced amenities (shelters, benches, information). MTA is pursuing a community-driven and data-driven approach to identify opportunities to improve the customer experience, make transfers easier between bus routes and at rail stations, and improve multimodal connections. Potential improvements can include increased seating and shelters, lighting, widened sidewalks, and other amenities to improve safety, comfort, access, and overall enjoyment of the transit experience. For more information, please contact [email protected].

Capital Needs Inventory (CNI)

MTA is the 13th largest multi-modal transit system in the United States, operating and maintaining $12.6 billion in physical assets to provide transportation services across the State of Maryland. Investing in the state of good repair (SGR) of these assets and system enhancements is critical for MTA to deliver safe, efficient, reliable, and customer-focused services. The MTA Capital Needs Inventory (CNI), consistent with ongoing transit asset management (TAM) analyses, outlines the unconstrained investment needs between 2022 and 2031 that will help MTA meet current and future service demands and system performance goals. Since 2019, the relative size of the SGR backlog has decreased, and expected levels of state and federal funding will meet 98% of SGR needs over the next 10 years.

Shared Mobility Work Plan

MTA has worked collaboratively with government and non-government partners to pilot new shared and on-demand mobility services and technologies to enhance our riders' transit experience. Following early successes, MTA has published a Shared Mobility Work Plan to communicate to the public our existing and planned partnerships and our commitment to remain nimble and embrace new business models and technologies benefiting transit riders.

Cornerstone Plans

The Cornerstone Plans translate MTA's mission statement into strategic priorities, policies, programs, and initiatives for each transit mode. MTA is committed to responsibly managing assets to support long-term operational demands while seeking ways to enhance customers' experiences. Each Cornerstone Plan synthesizes MTA plans, policies, and reports with performance data, local and national trends, and stakeholder input. The agency comprehensively analyzes this information to create targeted recommendations for growth and investment in each mode that coordinate with the needs of the transit system overall. For any questions or comments regarding the cornerstone plans, please contact [email protected].

MARC Brunswick Line Study

MTA is undertaking the Brunswick Line Expansion Study to evaluate opportunities for expanded service on the Brunswick Line that are identified in the MARC Cornerstone Plan. The Study will define potential phasing of future service enhancements and identify the associated infrastructure investments needed to accommodate those service levels. The study will include an evaluation of existing rail operations and station access, markets for increased ridership, as well as operating and capital costs to support service expansion.

Frederick Douglass Tunnel Program and the West Baltimore MARC Station

A key element of the Frederick Douglass Tunnel Program led by Amtrak is the reconstruction of the West Baltimore MARC Station. This Program will modernize a ten-mile section of the Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor (NEC) in Baltimore for Amtrak and MARC trains. The new station will be constructed approximately 100 feet west of the existing station and will include new features such as ADA accessibility, platform canopies, restrooms, indoor waiting areas and public art.

For complete Program information Visit The Frederick Douglass Tunnel Program website.

Transit Oriented Development (TOD)

TOD provides an opportunity to encourage economic development and maximize the return on existing transit investment. MTA has created multiple tools, including the TOD Design Guidelines, as resources for local jurisdictions, developers, and communities who are considering development at or near a rail station. The Maryland Departments of Planning and Transportation (MDP and MDOT) have also created comprehensive online planning and implementation resources to support state and local TOD efforts.

Access to Opportunity Microtransit Pilot

To increase the reliability and efficiency of the LocalLink 75 route and improve the rider experience, MTA has worked with partners and stakeholders to develop a flexible, on-demand microtransit pilot in the area between BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, Arundel Mills Mall, and Parkway Center.