Xanny t1_j9kaj02 wrote on February 22, 2023 at 4:37 PM

How does the heavy rail line not go anywhere? The York road corridor is the highest ridership public transit line in the city that doesn't have rail, its projected to grow 20-40% in the next 20 years, it hits so many major points in the city (Penn Station, Charles Center metro connection, Federal Hill). Its terminus can be used as a park and ride to get cars off 83, and being grade separated heavy rail it can actually get downtown in a reasonable time compared to the existing light rail that gets stuck on Howard St.

The only part of it that doesn't really make sense is Port Covington, but if that gets turned into a park and ride as well for i95... there ya go.

A_P_Dahset t1_j9n25wm wrote on February 23, 2023 at 3:33 AM

It needs to be light metro technology to future-proof against rising operational costs as much as possible. The line also needs to reach down into far south Baltimore--Cherry Hill, and Brooklyn/Curtis Bay (Greater Baybrook).

granulabargreen OP t1_j9qopoz wrote on February 23, 2023 at 9:49 PM

The line is too short and has too few stops. The alignment is far better than the east-west proposal but I fear that once it gets built there will never be political will to add infill stations to places like mount vernon that should obviously be served by it.

Xanny t1_j9qqi44 wrote on February 23, 2023 at 10:00 PM

Yea the existing light rail is a testament to that. They talked about building infill stations and look where that went.

That being said, even flawed, its so much better than any alternatives, and if it got approved we could appeal for a Mt Vernon Station still.

granulabargreen OP t1_j9qx6e1 wrote on February 23, 2023 at 10:43 PM

I definitely believe In the heavy rail option because it’s got much better potential so I agree. However, if you look at their breakdown for some reason they believe it would have less ridership than a BRT line so I doubt it’ll ever be built

Xanny t1_j9r0wgq wrote on February 23, 2023 at 11:08 PM

It seems really poorly modeled, I think they might have only based it off transit ridership in the zone of influence of the stations. Having termini at 695 / 83 in the north and 95 in the south would have created a major park and ride and opportunity at both ends, honestly in ways that no existing route in Baltimore realizes - the light rail is too slow and the existing subway doesn't have an easily accessible station from 695, you have to go to Old Court which is like 10 minutes of driving just off the beltway alone.