CTroyMathis
23 June 2003, 04:03 PM
Fix region's transit, before it's too late
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By Michael Sarbanes
Originally published June 20, 2003
http://www.sunspot.net/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.transit20jun20,0,6307836.story?coll=bal-oped-headlines
FOR THE first time in 30 years, the Baltimore region has developed a visionary rapid transit plan. Three decades ago, we let the opportunity to build such a system slip away. If we miss the boat again this time, the implications for the long-term health of the region will be dire.
Across the country and here, time wasted sitting in traffic, "code red" pollution days and transportation choices are increasingly part of what makes a region competitive in the global marketplace.
Speak with someone who has moved here (or thought about moving here) from Boston, Philadelphia, Washington or Chicago - or, frankly, from most other great city regions - and one of the first things they will observe is that our transit system is disconnected, slow and difficult to use. Speak with people who ride transit in Baltimore every day and they will tell you the same thing.
In the past two years, the Maryland Transit Administration has undergone an intensive planning process to develop an outline for a world-class transit system. The proposed system would attract a new group of riders and open enormous opportunities for the regional economy to thrive.
It calls for six rail lines (rather than the two we have now) and 109 miles rather than the current 43. A report by the Baltimore Regional Partnership identifies enormous opportunities for economic development along the new lines - more than 114,000 new jobs and 34,000 new homes. This is economic activity that won't need to add thousands more cars to our clogged roads.
Now is the time to move forward intelligently and aggressively. Unfortunately, at the state level, we seem to be doing neither.
Moving forward intelligently means a deliberate, detailed planning process that respects comment from citizens and experts. On May 21, Transportation Secretary Robert L. Flanagan unilaterally announced that heavy rail would not be an option for the proposed Red Line (which roughly follows the heavily trafficked Route 40 corridor).
This came on the same day that meetings were held to get public comment on what options the state should consider for the required environmental impact statement. There was no thorough evaluation, no cost-benefit analysis, no opportunity for comment. This sends the message that the state Transportation Department isn't interested in public comment or a deliberate process.
Equally importantly, it sends a message at the federal level that the Baltimore region may not be serious about a first-rate transit system. Right now in Washington, that's a dangerous message to send. A new six-year federal transportation law is under development. Regions across the country are lobbying the Bush administration and their congressional representatives to position themselves to access federal matching funds for transit development. In this competitive environment, if you snooze, you lose.
With this in mind, moving aggressively means two things.
First, there must be essential planning in order to get money for the Baltimore system. At the moment, the state transportation budget for the next six years includes only $3 million; $15 million is required. Failure to plan will end up with the Baltimore region losing to other regions around the country, including Washington - which has already lined up planning money in the state budget for the proposed Purple Line.
Second, moving aggressively means that Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., Mr. Flanagan and local leaders must work every contact they have in Washington to ensure that transit in the Baltimore region rail plan gets the support it deserves.
Some day in the near future, as more voters across the nation sit in more traffic jams breathing bad air, there will be more federal resources for transit. When that happens, the Baltimore region must be ready, and that means acting now.
Finally, even if transit in Baltimore were not a top priority for the Ehrlich administration, there is still ample reason to move aggressively. The administration has recognized that the gas tax and other revenues will need to be increased to pay for transportation projects, including the $1.5 billion Intercounty Connector in Montgomery County.
Raising this money will require a coalition of lawmakers from around the state to acknowledge the fundamental transportation needs of Maryland, both road and transit. Baltimore area legislators are already asking: If the Baltimore region gets nothing for a first-rate transit system, why should they agree to a large increase in the gasoline tax to pay for massive road construction in the Washington area?
Transit is essential to our future. Let's not look back three decades from now, when we are losing out to regions with superior transportation systems, and regret that we sleepwalked into mediocrity.
Let's get it right this time.
Michael Sarbanes is executive director of the Citizens Planning and Housing Association.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Michael Sarbanes
Originally published June 20, 2003
http://www.sunspot.net/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.transit20jun20,0,6307836.story?coll=bal-oped-headlines
FOR THE first time in 30 years, the Baltimore region has developed a visionary rapid transit plan. Three decades ago, we let the opportunity to build such a system slip away. If we miss the boat again this time, the implications for the long-term health of the region will be dire.
Across the country and here, time wasted sitting in traffic, "code red" pollution days and transportation choices are increasingly part of what makes a region competitive in the global marketplace.
Speak with someone who has moved here (or thought about moving here) from Boston, Philadelphia, Washington or Chicago - or, frankly, from most other great city regions - and one of the first things they will observe is that our transit system is disconnected, slow and difficult to use. Speak with people who ride transit in Baltimore every day and they will tell you the same thing.
In the past two years, the Maryland Transit Administration has undergone an intensive planning process to develop an outline for a world-class transit system. The proposed system would attract a new group of riders and open enormous opportunities for the regional economy to thrive.
It calls for six rail lines (rather than the two we have now) and 109 miles rather than the current 43. A report by the Baltimore Regional Partnership identifies enormous opportunities for economic development along the new lines - more than 114,000 new jobs and 34,000 new homes. This is economic activity that won't need to add thousands more cars to our clogged roads.
Now is the time to move forward intelligently and aggressively. Unfortunately, at the state level, we seem to be doing neither.
Moving forward intelligently means a deliberate, detailed planning process that respects comment from citizens and experts. On May 21, Transportation Secretary Robert L. Flanagan unilaterally announced that heavy rail would not be an option for the proposed Red Line (which roughly follows the heavily trafficked Route 40 corridor).
This came on the same day that meetings were held to get public comment on what options the state should consider for the required environmental impact statement. There was no thorough evaluation, no cost-benefit analysis, no opportunity for comment. This sends the message that the state Transportation Department isn't interested in public comment or a deliberate process.
Equally importantly, it sends a message at the federal level that the Baltimore region may not be serious about a first-rate transit system. Right now in Washington, that's a dangerous message to send. A new six-year federal transportation law is under development. Regions across the country are lobbying the Bush administration and their congressional representatives to position themselves to access federal matching funds for transit development. In this competitive environment, if you snooze, you lose.
With this in mind, moving aggressively means two things.
First, there must be essential planning in order to get money for the Baltimore system. At the moment, the state transportation budget for the next six years includes only $3 million; $15 million is required. Failure to plan will end up with the Baltimore region losing to other regions around the country, including Washington - which has already lined up planning money in the state budget for the proposed Purple Line.
Second, moving aggressively means that Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., Mr. Flanagan and local leaders must work every contact they have in Washington to ensure that transit in the Baltimore region rail plan gets the support it deserves.
Some day in the near future, as more voters across the nation sit in more traffic jams breathing bad air, there will be more federal resources for transit. When that happens, the Baltimore region must be ready, and that means acting now.
Finally, even if transit in Baltimore were not a top priority for the Ehrlich administration, there is still ample reason to move aggressively. The administration has recognized that the gas tax and other revenues will need to be increased to pay for transportation projects, including the $1.5 billion Intercounty Connector in Montgomery County.
Raising this money will require a coalition of lawmakers from around the state to acknowledge the fundamental transportation needs of Maryland, both road and transit. Baltimore area legislators are already asking: If the Baltimore region gets nothing for a first-rate transit system, why should they agree to a large increase in the gasoline tax to pay for massive road construction in the Washington area?
Transit is essential to our future. Let's not look back three decades from now, when we are losing out to regions with superior transportation systems, and regret that we sleepwalked into mediocrity.
Let's get it right this time.
Michael Sarbanes is executive director of the Citizens Planning and Housing Association.